There are many reasons to buy second hand (more about that here) but there's no shying away from the fact it can take a little bit of know how and a whole lot of time to nail it.
Here are the best ways to secure a second hand find, no matter your budget.
Designer
Second hand designer pieces are honestly a no brainer, if you've got the budget.
These pieces are generally well looked after and if you use a curated marketplace, such as Curated Spaces or the Two Design Lovers, the figurative heavy lifting of checking the piece's quality and authenticity has been done for you.
Curated Spaces (@curated_spaces) is run out of the Sunshine Coast and is a second hand marketplace for vintage designer furniture. Pip Newell has curated the most beautiful vintage pieces that are swoon worthy and would certainly elevate your space.
Two Design Lovers (@twodesignlovers) also curate second hand designer pieces in an online marketplace and will organise delivery for metro areas in Brisbane.
Facebook Marketplace
There is Gumtree and eBay, but it's Facebook Marketplace that seems to be the preference.
Facebook Marketplace allows you to check the profile of the seller, their other listings and their star rating. We recommend paying cash on pick up and meeting in a safe place during the day.
Facebook Buy, Swap, Sell, Free groups
Joining your local Facebook Buy, Swap and Sell groups or Community Gifting group could see you picking up a bargain.
There are many variations of these groups, including Brisbane Buy and Sell, Northern Brisbane Buy Swap or Sell Anything for instance so join one or join them all. We recommend joining your local area group, and stick to pages that have a decent number of members, are super active and are well moderated.
Antique Shops
There are so many great antique shops peppered around our cities and towns. Some see it as a treasure chest to explore, others can feel slightly overwhelmed.
Nonetheless, if this is your cup of tea, check out some of the more popular antique shops in Brisbane listed below.
- Samford Valley Antique and Vintage
- Empire Revival
- Southside Antiques Centre
- New Farm Antique Centre
- Camphill Anitque Centre
- Paddington Antique Centre
Secondhand Shops
Secondhand brick and mortar shops can leave you wanting and look a little frozen in a 90's time warp.
If you've got an open mind however, it's worth a look.
Two Brisbane second hand stores that have generated decent Google ratings are:
- Petrie Secondhand Furniture
- Budget Furniture
Charity stores
There are a number of charitable organisations that take second hand furniture (more about that in our blog post here), and a top spot in Brisbane is the Salvo's store in Red Hill.
IKEA
IKEA is now taking back quality IKEA furniture and reselling it at second hand prices. If you've got a specific IKEA item in mind, be sure to check out their second hand offering before buying new.
Brisbane City Council's Treasure Trove
The Endeavour Foundation sells donated furniture items from Brisbane residents in their two Treasure Troves stores. All items are in a good, useable, clean and working condition.
The Treasure Troves are conveniently located on the northside and southside of Brisbane at:
- 46 Colebard Street West, Acacia Ridge
- 27A Prosperity Place, Geebung.
Along with household furniture, you can also find homewares, collectables, books, hardware items or sporting equipment.
The Treasure Troves open every weekend from 8am to 4pm each day excluding some public holidays.
Upcylers
Bow down to the upcyclers, who have the skills and ability to turn something that you wouldn't look at twice, to something you desperately want to complete the space in your home.
Thankfully, you don't have to look far on Facebook Marketplace for local upcyclers. Set your radius, search 'refurbished furniture' or 'upcycled furniture' and away you go. Check their star rating, their other listings and be sure to slide into their DM's, I'm positive they'd be more than happy to help.
If you can't find what you're looking for on Marketplace, search via Instagram or Facebook. A starting point could be @_theworkshopstudio_ or if stunning mid century pieces are your jam, search MoonFood Mid Century on Facebook.
At Lilo Living, we have sourced quality second hand furniture from reputable brands for you to grab at up to 90% off retail prices. Because we only carry items from top-rated brands, you can be confident that you’re getting quality furniture that will last. Inspired by trend and driven by quality, it's the confidence you need to transform your house into a home in a more sustainable way.
