Where Do You Find This Stuff?
Where Do You Find This Stuff?
The most common question I’ve been asked since I started upcycling furniture is ‘Where do you find this stuff?!’. It’s usually accompanied by a mystified or bewildered look, as if one day I went inside a wardrobe and found a furniture Narnia. In reality, it involves a lot of scrolling through various websites, walking around charity shops, bartering with some interesting characters, and surprisingly stressful online auctions. So whether you’re just curious, or if you’re after something to upcycle for yourself, here’s a list of my regular haunts.
Auctions
eBay may be the obvious choice when looking for online auctions, and it can often have a few affordable gems hidden amongst the well-worn IKEA furniture. You can filter and sort items to within a certain distance from where you live, and collect them yourself (occasionally sellers will offer local delivery for an additional fee if you don’t have access to a car). As with any eBay auction, the cheapest finds tend to have auctions ending in the middle of the night, so it might be worth staying up late or getting up early to snag a piece you love.
I also highly recommend finding auction houses local to you. Most large towns will have one, and you can find some wonderful antiques and interesting furniture. But did you know you don’t have to go to the auctions in person anymore? As a result of the pandemic, most auction houses now list their products on The Saleroom or easyliveAuction, and you can bid either ahead of time, or live as it happens (some even have live video streams of the auctioneers). You need to register ahead of time, and there are usually additional auctioneers fees.
Online Markets
Facebook (Meta?) Marketplace is best described as a Wild West of markets. Sellers and buyers can be flaky to say the least, and the search functions are very hit and miss. But with a bit of time and determination you can find some great furniture, and it’s got the lowest prices you can find anywhere. You can save listings you want to keep an eye on, and Facebook will occasionally/maybe/sometimes tell you when the seller has dropped the price. Be sure to haggle on the price, there’s usually some wiggle room.
Gumtree is like an online version of the newspaper classifieds. You can find (almost) anything on there, so it’s always worth a look. Much like Facebook, there’s a risk of flakiness.
Brick & Mortar
Furniture charity shops are always worth a look, and you may find something interesting. Note that charity shops do tend to be more expensive than online markets and car boot sales. The British Heart Foundation and Emmaus have specialist stores for furniture, but do a Google to see what you have locally. And if you live near the Cambridges Emmaus, it’s an actual treasure trove!
Antique shops and reclamation yards can also have some gems. It’s often assumed that antique shops will be more expensive than other places, but that’s often not the case. I’ve found there’s a few rural antique shops and reclamation yards that can be surprisingly affordable.
Markets
Some towns and cities have local markets or table top sales that sell furniture, and there will usually be a local car boot sale. Most will only operate in Spring and Summer, but there are a number of indoor markets and car boot sales that operate throughout the year around the UK.