So you've decided to sell your used office furniture, and you'd like to know how to make the transaction as profitable as possible. First of all, let us congratulate you on doing your part to save the planet. Selling your furniture, instead of dumping it in the landfill, saves space and prevents chemicals from leaching into the ground water. And secondly, we'd like to offer our kudos to you on doing it the smart way: If you can make money on something you don't need any more, why not?
The good news is that it's pretty easy to make a buck from selling your used stuff. You just need to follow these simple steps.
1. Clean Your Office Furniture
This one seems obvious, but you would be shocked at how many people go to sell their office furniture without giving it even the most basic once-over with some Windex. Try to put yourself in the place of the buyer: Would you want to buy something that looks like it's been sitting in the lounge of a frat house for a few years? And if you're dealing with a company that will resell your furniture, you want to show off the merchandise to its best advantage. Sort of like how you'd tidy up your living room before a real estate broker stopped by.
2. Photograph It Well
Whether you're selling it yourself or sending pictures to a reseller, it pays to spend the extra time to take good pictures. This means arranging the furniture to its best advantage (no overturned chairs or conference tables stacked on top of one another) and making sure you have plenty of light. Point and shoot digital cameras are fine, as long as the picture quality is good, but don't rely on your camera phone. Sure, it takes great pictures of you and your pals out at the ballpark, but most won't give you a professional quality photograph … and that's what you need.
3. Shop Around
Once you decide to sell, you might be tempted to go with the first company you speak with — or just put the whole lot up on Craigslist and take your chances. Resist this urge, as it will cost you money. Take the time to contact a few different companies to see who will give you the best deal.
4. Ask a Lot of Questions
Don't be afraid to ask the furniture dealers you're speaking with what's included in their quote. Will they come to pick up the furniture, or do you need to transport it yourself? Is pickup included, or is it extra? Will they give you a flat fee, or do they operate on a consignment basis?
5. Pick a Company With Experience
New great companies start up every day, but for something this big, it pays to go with an organization that's been around for a while. At the very least, you know where they're located, so it's harder for them to take your money and run. Of course, this is where we must modestly point out that Arnolds Office Furniture has been buying and selling high-end office furniture from our headquarters in beautiful Bristol, Pennsylvania, since 1929. If you'd like to browse our inventory or talk about liquidating your office furniture, you can reach us here. We'd love to speak with you.
