For many local furniture resellers and refurbishers, the market has never been better.
All good, but someone has to sell it to them.
But you have to know where to start gathering your inventory.
Leslie Jarrett recommends finding furniture that needs minimal work done to it. She’s also discovered certain pieces of furniture, such as dressers, sell quickly. Photo courtesy of Leslie Jarrett
Dont worry, well walk you through it.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
1.
Find Treasures Online
Leslie Jarrettis a Denver, Colorado furniture painter and reseller.
She started painting furniture as a hobby in college.
Now, Jarrett is an expert in the art of finding one persons trash and turning it into treasure.
She spends her days scanning Facebook Marketplace for secondhand furniture.
She finds the selection is far broader than a thrift store.
I always recommend just the scroll, Jarrett says.
Summer Berube runs whimsicalPinewood Charmfrom her Hampstead, New Hampshire, home.
Theyre just too busy or they have too much going on.
Its unlikely your handiwork will be valued by people looking for a bargain.
She focuses on particular styles that she knows are en vogue and will sell.
Think rattan or something boho.
Jarrett also finds that certain kinds of furniture like dressers sell easily.
Know what your market is looking for and you might turn a profit simply with that expertise.
She also likes Hobby Lobby and Amazon for hardware brass and gold hardware are popular, as arecup pulls.
If the item has interesting antique hardware, Berube tries not to change it.
But, as she says, hardware makes or breaks the piece.
So sometimes, it has to go.
Sometimes, youll get a piece and youll know exactly what it should be, she said.
Sometimes youll get a piece and youll have to think about it for a while.
You want your furniture to fit into a particular aesthetic.
Berube appreciates modern furniture, but its not her passion.
I can totally appreciate a modern piece on somebody elses feed, she says.
I love it, because they would just do it way better than I would.
But Berube also says that its okay to experiment.
In fact, shes been rewarded for that before.
She once painted a dresser orange and sold it within 30 minutes.
Shes also painted pieces white and seen them sit for a few weeks.
Maybe its the shade of green that matters most, more moss than Kermit.
Still, her audience doesnt bite.
My followers dont jump on it, she says.
Be Smart and Youll Trade Used Furniture for Cash
Both Jarrett and Berube succeed because they know their audience.
Nightstands are a hot commodity, according to Berube.
She knows that if she finds a matching pair of nightstands in good condition, its a no-brainer.
Dressers are also incredibly in demand in the world of secondhand furniture.
Knowing what people tend to buy and use gets a reseller one step closer to success.
Shes not alone in thinking that weve previously rounded up the best tips fromonline resellersin photo taking.
For example, dont leave your McDonalds cup in the frame.
Berube agrees that staging is incredibly important.
You want to make people think outside of the box, she said.
You want them to think, I could put this in my living room.
It doesnt have to be in my bedroom.
Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Smithsonian Magazine and the Tampa Bay Times.
When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look?
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
