Throughout the US there are specialized salvage yards that deal specifically in furniture. These places take in used furniture and resell it for reuse. They serve two primary purposes: Selling used furniture for cheap and serving as a furniture recycler. In some of these places junkyards are huge warehouses of used home goods that you walk around like you would an Ikea. Below I will share with you where to find one and how the furniture salvage yards near me operate.
Map of Furniture Salvage Yards Near Me
For “Furniture Salvage Yards Near Me” or “Furniture Junk Yards Near Me”, see the map below…
Operations of Furniture Salvage Yards Near Me
Furniture salvage yards, like any junkyard, serve as a recycling establishment. Sometimes they are referred to as home salvages or architectural salvages. They take in used items from the public and offer them for resale at heavily discounted prices compared to the original cost. They generally get their inventory in a few ways: from the public directly, from haul away services, or from auctions.
Some furniture salvos actually offer free haul away service. For example, if you want to junk your couch, they will come get it for free. The good part for you is you can get a free haul away and get it out of your house. The downside is most won’t pay you for it and they will be reselling it for a profit at their used furniture store. There are a few though that will buy your used furniture as long as it is clean and has a decent real value. Just have realistic expectations of how much you can get for it.
Profit vs Non-Profit Furniture Junkyards
In my experience with the used furniture salvage yards near me, there are two business models: private and nonprofit.
Private furniture junkyards buy furniture through various sources like auctions, Craigslist, and yard sales. They buy used pieces and then sell them for a profit. Sometimes they sell in a store and sometimes they sell online.
Nonprofit furniture junkyards serve a greater purpose for the community. These businesses charge for a haul away and then donate the collected pieces to global charities like Habitat for Humanity. The money they make for haul aways is to pay for their daily operating expenses.
Different Kinds of Furniture Salvages
There are three different kinds of used furniture salvos: In-store, online, or a hybrid model.
In-store salvos are usually huge warehouses full of used furniture. They are a blast to visit and often feel like you are walking through either a store of Hollywood movie props or a weird time capsule. You can find many antiques and rare collectibles that are clutch if you are putting a retro look in your house or performing a furniture restoration. What is great about a used furniture warehouse is that you can get help from a salesperson who can help you match pieces from a specific time period.
An online furniture salvage is where they only offer their products via the internet. They tend to have a website with an inventory but also sell pieces on Ebay and Craigslist. Some of these businesses actually have an on-hand inventory they work from, while others are brokers for used furniture and other home decor pieces.
A hybrid is exactly what it sounds like. It is an in-store salvo, that also has its inventory online. The advantage of these junkyards is that you can shop the inventory online and then go to the store to pick it up the same day. You can get the furniture faster and avoid the cost of shipping, which can be really high depending on the weight and size of the piece you are purchasing.
Key Performance Indicators for Specialized Furniture Salvage Yards
Furniture salvage yards specializing in architectural salvage have unique key performance indicators. They often focus on the history and style of salvaged items, which are designed to add character to homes and gardens. KPIs might include sales volume, hours of operation, and customer satisfaction. A successful salvage yard company can rest assured on Thursday, knowing they’ve preserved and repurposed pieces of the past, contributing to their distinct appeal.
Why Buy From Furniture Salvage Yards
The most obvious reason is that you can get some nice used pieces and decor at well below cost. There are plenty of pieces still in great condition as some have come from corporate offices and lobbies. The other advantage is the ability to create a look and feel for your room design with an homage to a particular era. Lastly, if you are doing a furniture restoration these places are your best bet to find original pieces, reclaimed wood, and authentic cloth for re-upholstering.
In addition to those personal benefits, you are assisting the community by recycling and reusing products that are still in functioning condition.
Disadvantages of Cheap Used Furniture
Quality is always the biggest question when getting used furniture from anywhere. Whether you are getting used pieces from a salvo or a thrift shop, you can’t be sure how the piece was used or how much it was used. Before purchasing any used piece you should thoroughly inspect it and test it. For example, if you are getting a used couch lay on it, a used chair sit on it, or a used picture frame take it off the back and make sure it doesn’t fall apart.
The other downside is when you buy from these places there are no warranties. Most of what you purchase will be sold as is. Saving money is important, but remember you get what you get and you don’t get upset.
Another disadvantage is simply finding what you need. These salvos are often massive and have used furniture and decor everywhere. You can spend all day looking around and come home empty-handed or come home with a bunch of stuff you didn’t actually want. My best advice for furniture salvos is to go in with a plan and stick to it.
What Can You Find at a Used Furniture Store
At the furniture salvage yards near me, you can find everything including couches, chairs, dressers, patio furniture, mantels, doors, gates, lighting, bed headers and frames, chests, end tables, coffee tables, railings, nickknacks, and much more. Any type of furniture inside of a house or an office can be found. You may even find used building materials like tiles, laminate flooring, sheetrock, plywood, plumbing pipes, faucets, etc.
Furniture Salvage Yards Near Me – Conclusion
Furniture salvage yards serve the environment and the consumer. No matter profit or nonprofit, online or in-store, these places reduce waste and save people money. If not for these places your local public dump would be overwhelmed with home furnishings that still had plenty of life left in them. This is my experience with the furniture salvage yards near me.
