Furniture deserves a second chance

The old cliché states that one man's junk is another's treasure. Used furniture has long fit the junk, or at least shabby, definition in the minds of many.

While "shabby chic," referring to the retro look - or sometimes the use of vintage fabrics and accessories - for interior decorating has been a buzz phrase in recent years, employing used furniture in room designs has sometimes taken a back seat. That's true no longer. Used furniture has gone mainstream. It equates with the notion of buying a used car. It's both affordable and respectable.

No longer is hunting for used furniture confined to the milieu of weekend garage sales. Stores abound where the cost-conscious consumer can pick up a sofa, dining room table, or bedroom set for a fraction of what the same piece would have cost new. Combine that with delivery for a fee, and it's very much like buying brand new furnishings.

Convenient sources to search for used furniture bargains are outlets that work in conjunction with retailers who rent furniture to corporate and other clients who only use the specific pieces for a designated length of time. One such place is Brook Furniture Clearance Center in Elk Grove Village, one of seven distribution centers the company has throughout the United States.

Brook rents furniture, primarily to corporate clients, who furnish living quarters with the expectation that the company will get the pieces back. When furniture is returned to the company, it must determine whether the pieces in question are still usable.

"When we look at a piece of furniture, we have to determine if we can refinish it, clean it or repair it (in the case of an upholstery flaw) to determine if we can sell it," said Mike Jacoby, Midwest general manager for Brook Furniture.

In other words, just like that pre-driven car, if a piece of furniture is in good condition, it can be sold again.

Jacoby indicated that there are several ways that Brook determines when pieces will be placed for sale. One is when the company's third party clients, who rent furniture for temporary employee housing and the like, decide that they want to change their furnishings. The second is when Brook itself determines that its rental lineup needs to change. In the case of the latter, the company will buy sample pieces, some of which end up on the sale floor without ever being used. These are determined, for one reason or another, not to be viable rental pieces, but are perfectly good furnishings.

Another vendor that acts as a rental furniture outlet is Second Time Around furniture, a Michigan-based company that entered the Chicago market last summer with a store in Schaumburg. Retail Manager Barbara Hagy noted that Second Hand Furniture is an outlet for Cort Furniture Rental, but also accepts pieces on consignment.

"Typically, 40 percent of our furniture is previously rented, 40 percent is on consignment, and 20 (percent) are new pieces," Hagy said.

The fact that Second Hand Furniture accepts consignments makes it a hybrid of sorts. Consignment pieces are clearly indicated with a markdown schedule where the original price is reduced by 20 percent on the 15th, 30th, 60th, and 90th day after arrival. When a piece sells the client receives half of the sale price. If the piece remains unsold after 90 days, it must be picked up, or it will be donated to charity.

Although you may find a scratch or two on some of the consignment pieces, Hagy is picky about what the store will take.

"What I tell people is the furniture must be structurally sound with all drawers working, if it has drawers, and no major gouges," she said. "The upholstery should have no major stains or pet damage or damage from cigarettes, either burns or tobacco smells, because people notice that right away."

In addition to outlets, consider visiting a privately-owned store that deals in secondhand furniture. These are not thrift stores. In fact, many such as Barrington Resale, which moved to Algonquin in early December, deals in high-end pieces.

"We concentrate on getting really good products," said store owner Aaron Muller. "I'm very particular with what we buy - it has to be in very good condition and preferably a brand name."

Muller, who has more than 20 years' experience in the furniture business, specializes in acquiring furniture from the Barrington area market because of its inherent quality. Although high-end is his specialty, Muller indicated that Barrington Resale carries furniture in every price range.

Those involved in the pre-owned furniture business agreed that customers come from all income ranges and varied backgrounds. The market is not geared toward the down-and-out individual, but to savvy consumers who are trying to save money. Since Barrington Resale's move to its new traffic-heavy location, Muller indicated the store has received many comments from walk-in customers who are ecstatic to see such selection and quality.

"We furnish people who have just moved into the area," Hagy said. "I have a lot of people come in here who just don't want to spend a lot of money. People are always looking to furnish guest rooms and rec rooms."

Crystal Saunders of Rolling Meadows is a typical customer, having relocated back to the area last year after living for a number of years in Seattle. Shipping her furniture here was not an option. Saunders furnished her entire townhouse primarily with pieces from Second Hand Furniture, along with a purchase made at Treasure Hunt, another used furniture store in Schaumburg.

"I was looking for furniture that was interesting and different," Saunders said. "If you have a vision, Barb (Hagy) will help you find what you want."

Savings are considerable, too. Brook's Jacoby said prices at his outlet center are often 50 to 90 percent off retail. The outlet center runs monthly dock sales and also posts coupons on its Web site that people can clip for even greater savings.

Sale policies vary among the stores. Second Hand Furniture, for example, adheres strictly to the price on the tag. On the other hand, Muller will not take furniture on consignment at Barrington Resale and only buys outright, which allows him to offer periodic price reductions such as the grand opening sale that's going on through the end of this month to move inventory from his former location.

Due to the nature of the pre-owned furniture business, inventory is always changing, thus one must be patient when searching for that must-have piece. Just because it isn't there one week, doesn't mean it won't be there the next. It also takes time to go through the respective stores because inventory can be quite varied.

"We put customers on waiting lists and notify them when something comes in," Jacoby said. "We also tell our customers to check our Web site because we don't have everything out on the floor."

Inventory at stores that take consignment pieces or purchase outright can often yield interesting finds. Barrington Resale recently had an Art Deco style bedroom set made of mahogany, as well as pieces of a custom Century bedroom set.

Similarly, Second Hand Furniture was the recipient of an oriental screen and a set of carved water buffalo tusks when Mark and Julie Puccio of Hoffman Estates agreed to consign the pieces after they changed the décor in their house. The carved tusks were made by a Vietnam veteran who learned the craft while stationed there.

"We would just love to see these be used again because they are such nice pieces," said Julie Puccio.

Discovering unusual items, not only in furnishings but in decorative accents, is another reason why these stores have regular shoppers. Dilara Ozgur stops in frequently on her way home from work.

"I love the store because it gets my creative juices flowing," Ozgur said. "It's a treasure chest because you never know what you will find when you go in there."

Ozgur has furnished much of her Hoffman Estates home with previously used furniture from Brook and Second Hand Furniture. Admittedly, she easily tires of her furniture and likes to change it often, so not only has she bought items from Second Hand Furniture, she has sold pieces there, too.

"What's exciting is if you bring your check back there and apply it to a new purchase, you'll receive 10 percent off, so you save even more," she said.

Not only does purchasing used furniture save money, it fits in with the concept of green living.

"Instead of spending $5,000 to furnish a house, you spend $1,000 and you are using something again, which is so much more environmentally responsible," Saunders said. "I think more people should be aware of these stores because the furniture is of such good quality."