It’s Their Love of The Flip
In my business you get to know a lot of furniture flippers, people who find or purchase furniture for the sole purpose of rehabbing it and reselling it. I know and do business with a ton of these folks. I sell flips for John, Judith, Kaisia and Steve, Tony and Mary, Dominick and Beverly. The list goes on and on. They all flip furniture and they all make money doing it. But money is not the only reason? You may be surprised why they flip…
Why Furniture Flippers Flip: It’s About The Creative Process
My friend, Judith, flips a fair amount of furniture. When I asked her recently about her why, she said, “I enjoy the creative process.” I can see that in her work. She rescues pieces and then gets to re-imagine them. An old brown wood chair, with a less-than-stellar finish may become a sea-foam green one, with a coastal fabric seat. A drop-down desk might get a coat of paint and then drawers lined with fun wall or contact paper. She looks at a piece and sees all the possibilities for what it might become. And because she’s flipping to sell, she gets feedback about her creative choices when items sell, or sometimes when they don’t.
Why Furniture Flippers Flip: Saving Something “Good”
Some of my flippers say that they “can’t see a quality piece of furniture go to waste, or worse, into the landfill.” They flip to rehab and rescue these pieces from that pile of furniture trash that is currently about 12 million tons a year (just in The U.S.). They make necessary repairs, maybe change the hardware or add paint or stain to give the piece a second life and make something good good again.
It’s Emotional For Some Flippers
Some of my furniture flippers say that they HAVE to rehab certain pieces because they remind them of someone of something from their past. I’d rescue any red plaid lunchbox in existence because it reminds me of my very first day of school, so I get it. Maybe they are repairing old Victrolas because they remind them of turning the crank and dancing around their Gramma’s living room? Or they are turning thread cabinets and sewing machine bases into tables because their Dad was a tailor? It’s personal for these flippers and they enjoying doing it for the memories it brings to fore.
Why Furniture Flippers Flip: It’s A Great Side Hustle
Lastly, flippers flip because it’s a great way to make a little extra cash. At my brick-and-mortar store, Consignments Ltd., we sell 93% of all the items that are consigned. And our biggest and best category is furniture. So my flippers are definitely being rewarded for their efforts. Whether they are retired with a little extra time on their hands, or just starting out and saving for something big, furniture flipping can be lucrative as well as creative and rewarding.
If you’re considering flipping furniture yourself or you’d like more information about flipping, check out this Real Simple article: Furniture Flips Are Trending on TikTok. Should You Try It Out? And for more on furniture and consignment in general, check out my previous blogs: Key Furniture Pieces Everyone Should Own, Part One and Part Two as well as Consignment Shop Best Buys.
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