Furniture catalogues are like porn for me. I fantasize about the feel of buttery, soft leather and the smell of a newly tanned easy chair. I mentally dive into the loft of overstuffed cushions, enveloped in coziness as I curl up with a good book. I redecorate my apartment a hundred times over with each turn of the page.
I saved for months for most of my big furniture pieces that, combined with the odd family heirloom and what I acquired with my spouse, form my current eclectic collection. From time to time I have also acquired gently-used furniture that quickly suited a budgetary need from online recycling sitesdedicated to reducing landfill waste, swapping, and giving stuff away free. Like that great coffee table that I purchased for $75.00 after one (or was it two?) of my guests took a face dive on my coffee table, snapping off all of its legs beyond repair. Yes, you know who you are.
You mean there is actually free furniture out there that I would be caught putting in my home? Yes, I swear it! There is also a myriad of other free or nearly free quality items available as well. Now you may have to sort through many ads, and return on a number of occasions, just like you do with racks at Winners. But I assure you that with a little time and patience you can find that one-of-a-kind gem at a fraction of the cost that you would pay at a store. I do add a caveat however, to just be wary of acquiring couches, mattresses, box springs, and rugs. Fleas and bedbugs are an unfortunate reality in a number of Toronto apartments and you definitely don’t want those critters setting up home in yours!
Check out the following sites for new, gently used, and free stuff in Toronto.
FreeCycle Toronto – Items that are freecycled include furniture, lumber, glass and computer components. Anything that a person has to give away that might be useable to another person is fair game. The primary rule of freecycling is that the item has to be given away, not sold. You must join the organization to take advantage of the freebies, but the approval process is simple and worthwhile.
Craigs List – The ultimate site for classified listings. It offers ads for cars, pets, home supplies, job advertisements, personal ads, and a plethora of other choices. Often you are able to barter with sellers to get a better price than what is listed.
Kijiji – Similar to Craig’s List. Beware of scammers on this site offering to deliver goods only after payment is made (especially for pets).
UsedToronto.com – A scaled down online forum where you can buy and sell used stuff.
Eclassifieds4u.com – an online forum for free classified ads in Toronto listing cars, apartments, jobs, services, electronics, community events and more.
www.plentyoffish.com – An online forum where you can trade used boyfriends and girlfriends. Beware of ads pitching goods for free as often they come with lots of invisible baggage
REDUCE, REUSE, FREECYCLE
with my spouse, form my current eclectic collection. From time to time I have also acquired gently-used furniture that quickly suited a budgetary need from online recycling sitesdedicated to reducing landfill waste, swapping, and giving stuff away free. Like that great coffee table that I purchased for $75.00 after one (or was it two?) of my guests took a face dive on my coffee table, snapping off all of its legs beyond repair. Yes, you know who you are.