I need furniture

Cognisseur

Where do I get furniture at a good balance of cheap and quality?

Garage sales? Theoretically cheapest, but does the stuff usually fall apart or have some sort of issues? I heard some people avoid garage sale stuff because it could have bed bug eggs in it or something, any truth to that?

Online stores? Some sort of clearance furniture store? Are they actually better deals or just "This end-table is usually $100,000 but TODAY you can have it for ONLY $600"?

IKEA? It's trendy, it's nifty, and some of it was reasonably priced but a lot of it seemed way over my budget (graduate student moving in with graduate student girlfriend to our first NYC apartment).

Target? Sears? I seriously have no idea. I'd ask if I should check Taco Bell too but I was there earlier and had a look around to be sure.

korriander

Target has furniture that will cost a little more than garage sales but will last far longer and has the added benefit of not being soaked in a stranger's jizz. Ikea is another great source of furniture on the cheap.

witch_ie

For bookshelves and desks, you could check out office supply stores. As for garage sales and thrift stores, it's possible that there could be some reason that you wouldn't want a given piece of furniture, but that doesn't mean all the stuff you see there has issues. Really what you're getting by buying second hand is a lower price, but you have to shop around. You should also keep in mind that if you buy from a thrift store or garage sale, you have to figure out how to move the furniture. Most stores will deliver.

When I was in graduate school, I bought my bed from Sears on sale, my desk, chair, and bookshelves from Staples, and my dresser from K-mart. All of the furniture except the dresser worked out well. At the time, I considered IKEA, but it was pretty far away and shipping made it way too expensive.

Captain Vash

korriander wrote: »

Target has furniture that will cost a little more than garage sales but will last far longer and has the added benefit of not being soaked in a stranger's jizz. Ikea is another great source of furniture on the cheap.

Second hand shops are scary.
mostly because I have "broken in" every piece of furniture in my possession that can hold two people up.

I don't have a huge sample size to go on here, but at least amongst people my age that I know this is par the course.

HadjiQuest

I am also dealing with this, on a very constrained budget.

Couches at Big Lots are actually super cheap. I don't know what the deal with Ikea is, but I was just there the other night and almost nothing they sold could really be called super cheap or a great deal. The person I went with told me it used to be cheaper, but it seems as if they've cut back their low-end stuff and raised their prices somewhat. Their bedframes were about the only real bargain that I saw, and their shelving prices weren't too bad. Also, their desks are completely custom designed, so I may look into that as well.

I'm going to go to some outlet furniture stores this weekend, maybe. I'll report back what I find.

My biggest issue is a couch. It's really hard to find a cheap couch.

MushroomStick

The advice that I always give people about apartment furniture is that this is not a permanent residence. Do not get a lot of heavy furniture. You may have to move this furniture several times over the next few years. Folding tables and a futon are fine for now, a dining room set and a couch can wait until you get a house or something.

blah

Cinder blocks and planks of wood?

I got the majority of my furniture from family and friends. Just get the word out that your interested in their old stuff. So long as you're willing to haul it people should offer you stuff very quickly.