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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

People wanting ridiculous money for secondhand sofas

68 replies

AliceandAnnie · 13/02/2018 09:33

They’re like cars aren’t they? Lose a fuck ton of money as soon as they leave the shop

I know you paid £1000 two years ago but nobody is going to pay £800 for your sagging sofa that your dogs been farting on for the last 24 months

AIBU or do they hold their value?!

OP posts:
Dancingfairy · 13/02/2018 09:36

Omg yes!! They are soooo expensive. I managed to get a lovely one off eBay for £42 in immaculate condition (their mistake was the listing ended at 3am so not many bids) so now I see sofas not even as nice with people asking for £500+

yogaandwine · 13/02/2018 10:05

Well I personally think if it's a decent quality and looks as good as new/not smelly /damaged I would be happy to pay around half the original price. I'm not sure why people are so snobby about second hand stuff and think it should be sooo much cheaper!!

Dancingfairy · 13/02/2018 10:10

I think half the price is still asking a lot. IMO people don't like to pay much. I was selling something (not a sofa) for 50 retails for 130, no one would buy it and it was only used twice! I kept being offered 20 so I gave up. Another thing I tried to sell again immaculate condition , retails 22 I was selling for 8, so again less than half price, people kept offering me 5!

Crocusqueen · 13/02/2018 10:13

It's because people keep changing them round so often. I've noticed it recently. Big corner sofas with different coloured cushions etc to match this season's colours. Statement sofas

Rebeccaslicker · 13/02/2018 10:23

Gah, I need to sell mine as it doesn't fit nicely in the room at the new house. Paid £4K for it just over 12 months ago, big squashy velvet corner sofa (but modular so you can make it whatever shape you like). I was going to ask £1k (and chuck in the 8 rainbow velvet cushions that were £40 each). Does that make me a massive dick? Am I being totally unrealistic? Blush

MaisyPops · 13/02/2018 10:23

It depends what state it's in.
I'd pay half or just over half for a decent quality sofa that's well built and in good condition.

But I wouldn't pay much for crappy fashion sofas that people get from discount sofa places and change every few years. We went to SCS looking for our new sofa and found almost everything to be poor quality, not comfy and geared up to styles you'd change regularly (yes, lilac and pink crushed velvet sofa I mean you)

Original poster
AliceandAnnie · 13/02/2018 10:26

Rebecca I think that’s reasonable BUT most people who want to spend 1k on a sofa will want new I think?!

OP posts:
GrannyGrissle · 13/02/2018 10:26

I love seeing all the hugely overpriced shite on my local Facebook page then seeing said £100+ item dumped out the front for collection or cut up in the bin a week later. Mattress and sofa wise it's new or nothing for me (happily have second hand clothes etc!).

SaskaTchewan · 13/02/2018 10:29

they are worth what people are ready to pay for. If they are in great condition, I do think they hold their value. If they are priced too high, no one will buy. On the other hand, people seem to expect everything for nothing nowadays, and keep moaning that second hand things are not given away free. Why should they be?

It's not greedy to sell something in very good condition for half price, or a third of the price. It's a bargain for the buyer.

Go on ebay and see the price similar second-hand sofas have sold for. You do need to factor the "delivery" or "Pick up" cost. When I buy a brand new sofa, I have free delivery. If I was buying a second-hand one, I would probably need to rent a van.

x2boys · 13/02/2018 10:37

I do wonder if they get any offers , facebook friend was selling her buggie that she was "happy to take £250 for " I have no doubt she paid a fortune for it originally but she's used it for both her kids and she admitted it was scuffed in places ,she didn't seem to have many comments Hmm

HotelEuphoria · 13/02/2018 10:44

I sold an immaculate 3 seater leather Laura Ashley sofa on Ebay for £50. It was highest bid, the buyer was over the moon to get such a bargain for his man cave. I was a bit disappointed by the £50 to be fair and wished I had given it away to one of the charities that provide furniture to people on low incomes.

That said, I certainly didn't expect £100s Grin for it!

HollyBayTree · 13/02/2018 10:45

But its the same in Charity Shops - I walk past and think ... no way ! 200 of your finest quids for that!

AutumnalTed · 13/02/2018 10:45

I got mine off my brother, who’s previous tenants left it as they couldn’t sell it due to a couple of cat scratches. When we were looking they were very expensive for shitty damaged sofas

HollyBayTree · 13/02/2018 10:46

And FB marketplace is theworst for selling old crap at the original purchase price. What planet are these people on

Rebeccaslicker · 13/02/2018 10:48

Alice - I guess it depends if you want new or something that would have been more than you'd have spent new?

To be honest upon reading this and thinking some more, I'm more inclined now to see if there's a charity that would want it (we gave our TV and fridge to an old folks' home), but not sure if anywhere takes sofas? It's a lovely piece of furniture with a lot of life in it yet.

Time to google!!

Rebeccaslicker · 13/02/2018 10:49

Hotel - cross post!! Do you happen to know any of those charities? Although you'd need a big room to put it all together, they could easily split it across a couple of people because its modular.

PatheticNamechange · 13/02/2018 10:51

We bought a cracking one off ebay for £25.

We always buy from naice areas though, even though we don't live in one 😂

DustandRubble · 13/02/2018 10:53

British Heart Foundation often take sofas and other furniture for their charity shops, they collect. It would need to have its fire labels intact though.

SaskaTchewan · 13/02/2018 10:54

There's a shop near me, selling "upcycle" furniture - sometimes she just add a cushion, and everything sells for a lot money.

All the furniture have been bought super cheap, or given free!
I know others who get clothes for free, with various sob stories, then sell them back. The best one is someone begging for a "friend" moving into a new flat but needs everything (ideally new and of a certain look sells better that way )

I am more than happy to give to my friends, but I wouldn't give away anything for free to CF like that!

Stmoritz · 13/02/2018 10:56

I would want to pay significantly less than half price for anything secondhand. Some people are deluded.

ladydolly · 13/02/2018 10:58

I got a fabulous leather sofa for £100 when I had my first house, it was only a year old, I think I got it cheaply because it was collection only and had bad photos. Anyway, I had it for 7 years and then listed it on fb for £20, I only did that to make sure people actually turned up so when the buyer collected I just gave it to him for free, he was so happy, young guy, new baby on the way. I highly recommend doing that where you can, £100 for 7 years of sofa and the look on the guys face - bargain!!

Rebeccaslicker · 13/02/2018 11:02

Saska - I put a lot of stuff on freecycle when DD got bigger and when we moved - it's amazing how many people are clearly just looking for a freebie that they'll probably flog! So many emails that just say: "when can I collect?" or "I'll have it" - god, you don't expect tears of gratitude but come on, manners cost nothing!

I gave our chicco next to me cot to a lady who was having her first baby and who said in her email that she'd been looking at them in boots and couldn't afford them - a few months later she sent me some pics of the baby all snuggled up in the cot, which was lovely 😍

SheepySheepy · 13/02/2018 11:02

British Heart Foundation will collect anything in good condition with a fire label (most modern sofas have these).

I treat it like a second hand car and assume it has very little value once bought.

1stMrsF · 13/02/2018 11:09

This astounds me too. Especially Ikea furniture that people want almost full price for - why would I buy that when I can go and get a new one for not much more?

Zaphodsotherhead · 13/02/2018 11:17

Go to an auction house. You can get a sofa there for a fiver. Chuck a few throws over it and some 'statement' cushions and nobody is any the wiser!

My house is full of auction house rejects that I get for 50p because the seller doesn't want to take it home again!