[numerik_meister]

I buy used furniture. There is an insane amount of good quality used furniture that is sold or even given away for free. What you have to look out for is that it is made of good quality wood i.e. not particle board or other engineered woods. Everything else is then up to your taste.

I do not do it because I am cheap. You literally cannot find the same quality as new. I know because my uncle is a carpenter. The only way to get the same quality new is to commission the piece yourself, but then it takes lots of time and lots and lots of money. And I refuse to furnish my house with IKEA particleboard crap.

[matt_s]

Things to try and identify better quality:

* Look for signs of veneers. A veneer is a very thin piece of wood glued to the surface of particle board or plywood. If a piece of used furniture has some wear spots it should be easy to see if the wood beneath the wear is the same (fibers/grain of wood follow the top) or different.

* Another sign of veneers is large spans width wise that are the same grain pattern. Grain pattern follows how a tree grows and they peel veneers from a tree like you would peel the skin off an apple. A kitchen table width of like 30 inches that appears from one side to another with the same grain pattern might be a veneer. A solid wood table will likely have different boards laminated side-by-side to get a 30 inch width.

* Look at the joinery of drawers or doors. Joinery is where 2 pieces of wood are, well, joined together. If you find a piece with dovetails that is good - search online for dovetail joint for examples. It could be machined which is fine, its just a stronger joint. If you see nails/screws that indicates less craftsmanship.

* Look at the bottom or back and/or bottom/back of drawers for markings from the builder of the furniture. Look the name up online, it could be a manufacturer name.

[rdtwo]

Even modern high end furniture is often veneer. The reason for this is manufactured lumber (plywood) is dimensionaly stable and won’t shrink/expand with the seasons. That can allow for more unusual shapes better finish with fewer gaps. Also you can have finish with more exotic wood like teak that’s simply not available in quantity anymore.

[giantg2]

"The only way to get the same quality new is to commission the piece yourself, but then it takes lots of time and lots and lots of money."

Certainly expensive. There's Bassett Furniture. I'm not sure about the materials in the standard stuff, but they do have a custom order site.

[brtkdotse]

This was my modus operandi as well until I realized it’s a great way to get bed bugs.

I still buy used furniture, but never from goodwill markets or student housings.