What do you do with old furniture?

[Phoenix84]

I recently bought a new chair for my desk at home.  I am throwing the old one away.  It's in okay shape, but a little wobbley. 

What do you do with your old furniture?  Do you donate it?  Give it to family or friends?  Toss it?  Sell it?

[swamp]

I put it up by the road with "free" sign on it.

[Deleted]

Leave it by the side of the road.  It is gone within 5 minutes.

[milee]

Just today, I drove our old couch and loveseat over to Goodwill.  They're not pristine, but they're leather and in reasonable condition, so hopefully someone will have a use for them.

Our current neighborhood is not heavily traveled and our particular road is very tucked away, so sitting them out at the curb probably wouldn't work. Back in Phoenix, I would have tried that.

[Deleted]

Leave it in the basement for years until it is time to move and then think "Oh crap now I have to do something with this furniture!"

[Peace Of Mind]

It depends on the condition of it.  If it's an expensive piece that looks great I used to give it to mom (before she passed) or a friend or neighbor who may want it.  If they didn't want or need it I donate it to charity.  Usually the Vietnam's Veterans or Amvets who make monthly pick ups.  If the condition is "meh" but it's functional or can be fixed it goes to the curb.  No sign is needed because there are people who cruise neighborhoods and pick stuff up. If it just plain crap it goes in the garbage which also gets picked up weekly.   God I love America!  Home of the free, lazy but generous!  

[alabamagal]

Keep it if I can to give to the kids when they move out!

[Phoenix84]

Jan 22, 2014 15:03:28 GMT -5 pooks said:

Leave it in the basement for years until it is time to move and then think "Oh crap now I have to do something with this furniture!"

Hmmm, it sounds like you have personal experience with this method.

[kittensaver]

www.freecycle.com

[Peace77]

I've offered things on Freecycle or the Free section of Craigslist.  Craigslist also has a Wanted section.  Sometimes young people post that they are getting their first apartment and need everything (cheap).

[Phoenix84]

I would never in a million years pick up furniture on the side of the road.  I don't care if it's free.  I'd be terrified of it having bed bugs.  You never know in this day and age.  I'd even be very reluctant to buy used funiture at a garage sale or goodwill, or anything for that matter.

I don't know, maybe if it was something fairly basic like an end table that you could scrutinize and easily sanatize before bringing home. 

I guess many people aren't that picky, or at least aren't worried about bed bugs.

[Peace Of Mind]

Me either.  Some would say picky and some would say neurotic. 




<--------  Picky and neurotic about such things. 


But I wasn't that way when young and broke.  Those things weren't even discussed or known about because we didn't have experience with them ourselves and there was no internet or message boards to read about them. But I still didn't do that then either.  I guess I wasn't ever that broke. 

[resolution]

In the past I would call the Salvation Army to come with their truck to pick it up. Currently we have a couch that we are planning to sell at a consignment store.

We also have some furniture that we have been storing for my BIL for four years that we plan to take to the church yard sale in July if he doesn't come pick it up.

[Phoenix84]

Jan 22, 2014 15:21:47 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

Me either.  Some would say picky and some would say neurotic. 




<--------  Picky and neurotic about such things. 


But I wasn't that way when young and broke.  Those things weren't even discussed or known about because we didn't have experience with them ourselves and there was no internet or message boards to read about them. But I still didn't do that then either.  I guess I wasn't ever that broke. 

Well, my understanding is bed bugs were pretty much erradicated in the United States in the 40's or 50's.  But they made a ressurgance in the last 10 years or so, probably due to increased international travel.

[milee]

Jan 22, 2014 15:21:47 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

Me either.  Some would say picky and some would say neurotic. 

That's not picky or neurotic, that's just plain smart to not pick up upholstered furniture by the side of the road. I'm not snobby about having everything new - I still happily buy clothes at the thrift shops - but I only buy used things that can be washed or otherwise thoroughly cleaned. Upholstered secondhand furniture really can't be thoroughly cleaned, so IMHO you're just smart to avoid it.

[Jaguar]

I put everything out on the lawn, it will be picked up in minutes.

[Peace Of Mind]

Jan 22, 2014 15:26:38 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

Jan 22, 2014 15:21:47 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

Me either.  Some would say picky and some would say neurotic. 




<--------  Picky and neurotic about such things. 


But I wasn't that way when young and broke.  Those things weren't even discussed or known about because we didn't have experience with them ourselves and there was no internet or message boards to read about them. But I still didn't do that then either.  I guess I wasn't ever that broke. 

Well, my understanding is bed bugs were pretty much erradicated in the United States in the 40's or 50's.  But they made a ressurgance in the last 10 years or so, probably due to increased international travel.

LOL! I wouldn't know about those times. I wasn't even born yet! But that does explain why we never heard about the problems we do today. I also think that people were embarrassed to talk about such things back then and you still wouldn't have heard about it. You didn't admit to having bugs because that was gross!  

[Deleted]

I pretty much keep furniture forever.  I still have the bedroom set I had in high school, but I've had to get rid of a few things.  When were combining households I had double couches and love seats and gave those to a cousin that needed furniture.  Then I had some end tables, a dresser and a desk that just started falling apart (particle board crap bought when I was in college).  Those I took into the back yard and burned.   

[Gardening Grandma]

When we replace furniture, I first offer it to my adult kids (they've accepted quite a bit).
Then, if it has any value, I might list it on CL
Otherwise I donate it to the Habitat store.

[gooddecisions]

If it's in good condition, I'll polish/clean it up, take a nice staged photo and post it on local facebook swaps, varagesale and/or Craigslist for a nominal fee. If it's in working condition, it goes to goodwill. If it's in poor condition, it goes in the trash. If it's something I actually like but don't think I could easily sell or am just too lazy to sell, I'll post it on my facebook feed and offer it for free.

[swamp]

Facebook often has "free to good home" or "garage sale" pages for different localities.

I got rid of a TV that way.

[muttleynfelix]

First, ask around and find out if someone local wants it.  If not, drop it off at the DAV Thrift store.

[Deleted]

Give it away or throw it away.

I would never want second hand furniture for the reasons mentioned above.

I'm going to be in the market soon for new furniture and I'm wondering if even the new stuff is safe since they come from warehouses. What if the warehouse is infested with bed bugs?    

[Deleted]

I keep my furniture long enough that's it's never in like-new condition when I decide to get rid of it, so I don't try to sell it. If I know someone that can use it, I give it away. I ask people if they know someone that needs or wants whatever it is, I don't advertise on CL or FB. Otherwise, I put it on the curb on a weekend morning and it's always magically disappeared within 24 hours. Usually before noon the same day. I've had things that I considered to be in too bad of shape to try to give someone and when I put it on the curb with my trash for pick-up, it's disappeared before the garbage truck arrives. 

I don't live on a busy street. I guess people just drive around looking to see what people have put on the curb to get rid of.

[lynnerself]

I used to garage sale it, but not anymore.
Don't want to waste my weekend for a  couple hundred dollars.
Anything I can fit in the SUV goes to Goodwill.
I try to give bigger stuff away to co workers that will come and carry it away.
If it was nicer I might put it on Craig's list.

[Deleted]

Jan 22, 2014 15:48:05 GMT -5 @familycfo said:

I would never want second hand furniture for the reasons mentioned above.

Well, if it's nothing upholstered you wouldn't need to worry about bed bugs.  My best furniture is way beyond second hand.  I have the most beautiful handmade dresser that is estimated to have been made around 1880 and also desk and liquor cabinet (well, really it's a modified ice chest) that are over 100 years old.  Really nice stuff.

[Miss Tequila]

I start asking my family if they want my hand me downs. If they don't want it we donate it.

[milee]

Jan 22, 2014 16:34:07 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 22, 2014 15:48:05 GMT -5 @familycfo said:

I would never want second hand furniture for the reasons mentioned above.

Well, if it's nothing upholstered you wouldn't need to worry about bed bugs.  My best furniture is way beyond second hand.  I have the most beautiful handmade dresser that is estimated to have been made around 1880 and also desk and liquor cabinet (well, really it's a modified ice chest) that are over 100 years old.  Really nice stuff.

Not to go all germophobe on you, but... bed bugs can - and do - hide in other non-upholstered furniture as well. They have been found in cracks in dressers, in the nail divot on a bed frame, etc. The difference is that it's a little easier to clean the non-upholstered furniture of bed bugs. Upholstered furniture is just too hard to get clean, but both can harbor bed bugs.

[Deleted]

Jan 22, 2014 16:51:04 GMT -5 milee said:

Jan 22, 2014 16:34:07 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Well, if it's nothing upholstered you wouldn't need to worry about bed bugs.  My best furniture is way beyond second hand.  I have the most beautiful handmade dresser that is estimated to have been made around 1880 and also desk and liquor cabinet (well, really it's a modified ice chest) that are over 100 years old.  Really nice stuff.

Not to go all germophobe on you, but... bed bugs can - and do - hide in other non-upholstered furniture as well. They have been found in cracks in dressers, in the nail divot on a bed frame, etc. The difference is that it's a little easier to clean the non-upholstered furniture of bed bugs. Upholstered furniture is just too hard to get clean, but both can harbor bed bugs.

I have a real good bed bug killing method.  Leave in the garage for a few days first when it's 15 below zero out.  Bed bugs are dead bugs...even in upholstered furniture. 

[Peace77]

Jan 22, 2014 17:05:26 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Jan 22, 2014 16:51:04 GMT -5 milee said:

Not to go all germophobe on you, but... bed bugs can - and do - hide in other non-upholstered furniture as well. They have been found in cracks in dressers, in the nail divot on a bed frame, etc. The difference is that it's a little easier to clean the non-upholstered furniture of bed bugs. Upholstered furniture is just too hard to get clean, but both can harbor bed bugs.

I have a real good bed bug killing method.  Leave in the garage for a few days first when it's 15 below zero out.  Bed bugs are dead bugs...even in upholstered furniture. 

It doesn't have to be -15, anything colder than 32 will do.  Bedbugs don't survive freezing temperatures.