If you are hoping to get some new furniture, why not first look at local thrift stores to see if you can find any quality used pieces? Some people don't like the idea of getting used furniture, but once you have the furniture cleaned, you might end up with some great new pieces for a lot less money. Here are some of the benefits of buying used furniture.
1. Buying used is environmentally friendly.
Something that people overlook when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint is the importance of reusing, not just recycling. Reusing items that would have been thrown away helps to keep demand down for new things, which take up more raw materials and energy to manufacture, and help keep old things out of the landfill.
A gently used couch, for instance, has foam and heavy-duty fabric that are tough to break down naturally. Give furniture a longer life by buying things secondhand. You don't have to settle for a dingy couch with holes and worn-out upholstery and uncomfortable seats. A lot of used furniture is very gently used and then donated or sold to make room for new designs.
2. Supporting local thrift shops is a good way to give back to your community.
A furniture thrift shop is a good business to have in your community. It is a low-cost business that relies on donations to sell inventory. Those donations, however, provide people with employment and help keep people in the community mindful of serving and donating when they have things they can give. Help keep your local furniture thrift store in business by checking their offerings before ordering new furniture online from a national chain.
3. You can often get quality furniture that fits in your budget.
A lot of people don't realize that older furniture that has been well-cared-for is built more solidly and is much higher quality than some newer furniture. At a thrift store, you can find good quality pieces from high-end brands and American brands. The thrift-store prices will be much better for your budget, and you'll get a table, chair, or sofa that is much higher in quality than what you would have gotten if you spend more on something brand new.
4. You can find vintage, unique, or antique items at thrift stores.
Used furniture can be more unique. You can find a mid-century modern couch with the original velvet as a used furniture store. You can also find patterns of upholstery and vintage designs that just aren't available in new furniture stores. Contact local used furniture stores to potentially score some local, vintage finds.
