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Buying Furniture at Auctions Caveat Emptor

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Author: Don

The same rules apply at all auctions. "Caveat Emptor!" That's Latin for "Let the buyer beware." The general rule is that items purchased at auction (any kind of auction) don't come with a guarantee. You'll usually note that there is always an "as is" stipulation. I'm not trying to discourage you from bidding for furniture at auction here. You can get some excellent bargain prices on furniture at auction, but you need to educate yourself before you submit a bid.

There are basically three things that you need to be aware of before you bid on furniture at auction:

1. The ratio of the size of the furniture to the space you have available. You don't want to buy a piece of furniture that will take up half the floor space in your small apartment. Size is important.

2. The condition of the furniture is important, too. You need to physically inspect furniture that is offered at auction if at all possible. You need to look for defects in workmanship. You also need to inspect the furniture for wear that is over and beyond what would normally be expected.

3. Verify authenticity of specialty furniture. For example, if the furniture is described as "Amish," then all of the pieces need to have the characteristics of Amish furniture. If the furniture is described as a particular style (French Provincial, Early American, etc.), you need to know the characteristics of that style.

Other than these three things, you need to do your homework. You need to know what the retail price of the furniture that you are bidding on at auction is actually worth at regular retail prices. The prices of furniture vary greatly, and you cannot always determine the actual value of a piece of furniture just be looking at it.









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