Have you ever shopped at a scratch and dent furniture store, a warehouse outlet, or factory return center? Sometimes, you can find really great deals on furniture using these options. Even a small scratch or a dent that isn’t too noticeable can drastically reduce the retail value of a piece of furniture.
You do need to look items over carefully to make sure there is no severe damage, but in many cases you’ll find that small imperfections are the only problem. This works out really great if the damaged area is going to be facing a wall or otherwise hidden from view, because you can take advantage of the lower price without sacrificing the look of your space. Even if the imperfection is not completely hidden, it may not be a problem if it is low on the piece or simply not something that immediately catches the eye.
I once found a pair of small bookshelves that were priced around $40.00 each. I was able to purchase them for a remarkable $12.00 each. One was marked down because of a chip in the wood near the bottom on one side and some scratches on the back. You wouldn’t notice the chip unless you were specifically looking for it and no one is going to see the back, since it’s up against the wall. The other bookshelf made it to the clearance section because it was missing some shelf pegs. These were not difficult or expensive to replace and I soon had a great set of bookshelves for less than what one would normally cost.
It can’t hurt to look around, so if you’re in the market for some furniture, check out those scratch and dent stores, outlets, and clearance centers. You might just find some amazing deals. In some cases, you might also find that the markdowns are not that impressive considering the furniture has been damaged or rejected.
If you’re not familiar with typical furniture prices, a good way to make sure you’re getting a great deal is to look at catalogs, showrooms, and websites, and get a good feel for prices. You’ll have a better idea of what is appropriate and you won’t get talked into paying too much for imperfect pieces. No matter how slight the damage, the piece is imperfect, and it should be reasonably discounted.