Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

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:

theloniousmonk · 13/02/2018 14:46

YANBU I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon in stitches at what some people want for what is essentially worthless!

N2986 · 13/02/2018 15:08

I think it's the same with a lot of things on eBay now. Baby clothes well used (hole in barely visible) £15 buy it now??? Or selling used primark stuff- by the time you pay postage you may as well just buy new!

I'm getting a bit sick of eBay lately if you can't tell

calmandbright · 13/02/2018 16:30

Sofas seem to be ten a penny on my local gumtree (s.wales). I got mine free (3 seater & 2 seater really stunning ‘vintage’ brown leather). Fb selling sites are always a bit unrealistic though I’ve noticed!

BewareOfDragons · 13/02/2018 16:31

saska, I think the point was that while sofas may be expensive when they are new, those on fb/ebay/gumtree/etc are NOT expensive sofas any longer ... they are used, and often grubby, worn down, damaged sofas that other people and often animals have been using in their own homes.

getdownshep · 13/02/2018 18:17

I got a lovely sofa and two matching big chairs for £120 from our local homeless charity warehouse.
I just happened to be there when they got back from collecting it and I got in the back of the van to have a look and a smell.
I could see and feel it was good quality and it had come from an "posh" area near where I live.
They delivered it that afternoon for £7 and our old one went to my neighbour as she had moved in with hardly any furniture.
Everyone who comes in has admired it!
I have dogs and grandchildren climbing on it so it was a great bargain.

sweetbabboo · 13/02/2018 18:23

I got my very nice sofa for the princely sum of £90 from BHF. It was originally from Next was probably reasonably pricey. There was no way I was paying over £100 when I was looking.

cjferg · 13/02/2018 18:28

In Leith in Edinburgh there is an unwritten rule where everyone just puts their old furniture on the street and anyone else who wants it can just come and take it. It's amazing. I got two decent, good quality wooden chairs and a small chest of drawers for free. We tried to get this amazing big leather sofa up to our top floor flat once though and it was like the pivot scene in Friends.

80sMum · 13/02/2018 18:32

Charity shops are over priced for people on a low income.

I think that's because the primary purpose of the charity shop is to generate income for the charity, rather than provide low-cost goods. So if they receive a donation of an expensive item, they are going to price it fairly high, to maximise the income.

mrsm43s · 13/02/2018 18:55

I generally won't pay more than about 25% of new price for second hand goods, even if they are in great condition because...

can usually get for about 50%-60% in the sale brand new if you wait around and keep an eye out for offers
when you buy new you get an item that is current and in fashion, rather than one which is now out of date/less current.
when buying new you get a choice of colours/styles etc, rather than just the one second hand one on offer
when buying new you get a warranty, you often also get advice/delivery/treatments (e.g. stain guard etc) thrown in
when buying new - its new!

I wouldn't really expect to pay more than £100 - £150 for a standard range sofa in immaculate condition. Presumably a high end or designer one would be worth more generally, but probably not to me personally.

Similarly, I don't expect to pay more than £5 for a High Street range second hand item of adult clothing or £2 for a child's item.

Meh, I'm quite tight though.

DeleteOrDecay · 13/02/2018 19:23

In Leith in Edinburgh there is an unwritten rule where everyone just puts their old furniture on the street and anyone else who wants it can just come and take it.

People do similar round here. We had a sofa that we were getting rid of, couple of years old, decent condition but obviously worn in a bit. We left it at the end of the drive with the intention of taking it to the tip if it was still there a day or so later. Someone knocked the door a few hours later and asked if they could have it.

Belindabauer · 13/02/2018 19:37

I have my furniture to the bhf. I also put things on the street outside my house and everything was snapped up, including bikes.
I'd rather it go that way.
I've never bought a second hand sofa. Where I am too many people give them away for free so you can't sell them for much.

Belindabauer · 13/02/2018 19:39

When I moved I took lots of things to the recycling. There's a bhf section there as well as a 'special place' for items specifically intended for others to use such as excellent quality toys. I put some of my dcs toys in there. It made me feel as though I had done my bit for a good cause.

Belindabauer · 13/02/2018 19:44

Mrsm- I've seen second hand clothes from primark in my local charity shop marked at around 70% of the cost brand new.
I always think why pay that when you can buy it brand new in the sale for less?

Amethyst1983 · 14/10/2021 18:55

It is not at all snobby not to want to pay 1/2 price or upwards for second hand sofas, or anything else for that matter. Retail prices are like that for a reason- so the shops make money! I bought two black leather sofas- a three and a two-person, albeit fairly small ones- for £80. The owner wanted more than that and had paid £500 originally. However, I could take them away that minute, I had the cash in hand, so guess what? I got them out of his hair! That's the way it goes.

Peppapigforlife · 14/10/2021 19:05

@HotelEuphoria don't worry, those charities still charge people on low income for those sofas. I got mine for £50 (two seater Next) but it probably would have cost the same on marketplace.

frumpety · 14/10/2021 20:13

It goes from the sublime to the ridiculous round here, you get people offering great sofa's for free because they just want rid of them, to make way for new ones and people offering, shall we say 'much loved' ones for a small fortune because a small fortune is what they paid originally. And everything in between.
Both of our leather sofa's cost £150 combined including delivery, a day spent going over them with leather balsam and they look fantastic and are so comfy. DH and Ddog are sofa killers so refuse to spend a fortune on them !

FrankButchersDickieBow · 14/10/2021 20:20

Sofas are a bastard to get rid of, so whoever is buying it, is doing the owner a massive favour IMHO. So trying to charge extortionate prices is a joke.

slashlover · 14/10/2021 20:20

@Amethyst1983 Why did you bump a 3 1/2 year old thread? Did you not see the warning that it was old?

Flip

1 2 3