IKEA launches secondhand marketplace to compete with eBay(ft.com)
ft.com
IKEA launches secondhand marketplace to compete with eBay
https://www.ft.com/content/4b18236f-f2f0-43eb-bb65-5f8d2f30a734
63 comments
I have always used a generous amount of wood glue to the joints of any self-assembly furniture with the result being the furniture stays in one piece long after the finishing material has become worn and shabby.
The fixings supplied and the material construction are just not capable of providing a solid, permanent result otherwise.
The fixings supplied and the material construction are just not capable of providing a solid, permanent result otherwise.
I would think that applying glue contributes to the reason why the furniture doesn't survive the first owner/disassembly.
Unless this is meant for subsequent owners/houses?
I've never had an issue with IKEA disassembly/assembly having moved/lived/purchased across 3 continents, but I have always done my own assembly/disassembly.
Unless this is meant for subsequent owners/houses?
I've never had an issue with IKEA disassembly/assembly having moved/lived/purchased across 3 continents, but I have always done my own assembly/disassembly.
For bulky furniture that can not be easily transported in one piece you are correct.
There’s evolutionary pressure here. IKEA quality ranges from cardboard to excellent and the stuff that self destructs won’t be resold
I bought a couple of those cardboard desks [1] and I like the idea it's made of paper so it's more recyclable.
I read the reviews and a lot of people attach heavy monitor clamps without realizing what the desk is, and it crunches in over time. Maybe it's a lack of communication on Ikea's part as it's meant for simple table/desk stuff, not a full wood computer desk. And it kinda looks like wood. But it's super cheap and looks nice, serves a particular purpose.
[1] tear down video shows the honeycomb material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNRY6natiY
I read the reviews and a lot of people attach heavy monitor clamps without realizing what the desk is, and it crunches in over time. Maybe it's a lack of communication on Ikea's part as it's meant for simple table/desk stuff, not a full wood computer desk. And it kinda looks like wood. But it's super cheap and looks nice, serves a particular purpose.
[1] tear down video shows the honeycomb material: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNRY6natiY
What is an example of an item you consider excellent?
I bought a simple square pine table (I think it's 'Ingo') for maybe C$50 about 15 years ago. We used it as a dining table for a few years, then when we moved and bought a fancier marble tulip table it was shuffled out to the balcony to be patio furniture. We did a longer move across the country and almost got rid of it but it's easy to disassemble with just 1 angled bolt for each leg so I kept it for an extra work table for odd jobs. The top has been used as a sacrificial surface for drilling and hundreds of circular saw cuts, and it's covered in paint. It's been outside for the last 4 or 5 years, often as a table for splitting kindling. I was using it last week in the garden to save me bending down when repotting seedlings. It just goes on and on.
All the stuff I've brought from Ikea has been pretty good, quality-wise.
I've got a set of billy bookcases, a metal-framed desk from their 'desks for office' range, two double beds with mattresses, and a 5-seater sofa. It's all lasted fine.
Of course, as a veteran DIYer and woodworker, my furniture has the benefit of being assembled right and treated with respect. And nobody in my household weighs over 150 lbs, which probably helps this stuff last longer.
I've got a set of billy bookcases, a metal-framed desk from their 'desks for office' range, two double beds with mattresses, and a 5-seater sofa. It's all lasted fine.
Of course, as a veteran DIYer and woodworker, my furniture has the benefit of being assembled right and treated with respect. And nobody in my household weighs over 150 lbs, which probably helps this stuff last longer.
Billy are great and easy to customise to fit- I made a wall of black shelving in a bedroom and shelves for a built in closet with them (before IKEA started doing closet furntiure). I've found that they don't re-assemble well, they're never as tight after that.
I know of a kallax shelf and some cheap 3 seater sofa that has been in the wild for under 10y. They survived college living and a few moves. I gave the sofa to a neighbor. I'm not sure if he's still using it or has since gotten rid of it...
I have a few IKEA metallic tables, for which I do not see any reason why they would not outlast me.
Even the IKEA swivel chair on which I sit all day in front of a computer is about ten years old and it is still good enough. It was however one of their more expensive models.
When my mother was alive, she has also used an IKEA armchair for about a decade and she was very satisfied with it.
Even the IKEA swivel chair on which I sit all day in front of a computer is about ten years old and it is still good enough. It was however one of their more expensive models.
When my mother was alive, she has also used an IKEA armchair for about a decade and she was very satisfied with it.
Slightly off topic answer, but - I’ve been sleeping on a king sized IKEA mattress for about ten years now and I have absolutely no complaints. No moving parts or assembly required obviously, but nonetheless never had a bad nights sleep on account of this mattress.
We have a modular sofa system that has moved with us two times already and there are no connector or stability issues at all. Same for a large dining table and various bed frames.
Everything that has metal connectors with fasteners on both sides still works well on 2nd or 3rd assembly in my experience.
Everything that has metal connectors with fasteners on both sides still works well on 2nd or 3rd assembly in my experience.
Don't remember the product names, sorry for that, but this story happened probably 8 if not more years ago:
I was looking for a new work desk, planning to spend no more than 500 PLN - because IKEA is cheap... All desks within that price were wobbly pieces of glue and wood dust; then I found one for I believe 1500 PLN, 3x my intended budget, but imagine that: actual full metal frame! I could sit on it and it didn't even squeak, much less wobble. So I got it...Really love that desk, no problems with it over the years.
So yeah, they have cheap temporary stuff, but usually also have at least a couple of higher-end pieces per category... with accordingly higher prices.
I was looking for a new work desk, planning to spend no more than 500 PLN - because IKEA is cheap... All desks within that price were wobbly pieces of glue and wood dust; then I found one for I believe 1500 PLN, 3x my intended budget, but imagine that: actual full metal frame! I could sit on it and it didn't even squeak, much less wobble. So I got it...Really love that desk, no problems with it over the years.
So yeah, they have cheap temporary stuff, but usually also have at least a couple of higher-end pieces per category... with accordingly higher prices.
The office furniture market is incredibly competitive and, as a result, a lot of budget level stuff is far superior in quality (in terms of durability) than you'll find at ikea.
Of course, the downside being that it does look like utility office furniture and is not exactly stylish.
Of course, the downside being that it does look like utility office furniture and is not exactly stylish.
On the notion of lack of durability, I have come across a substantial number of people for whom that is a feature: change your furniture every 2/5 years to "keep it fresh", where spending money on anything durable wouldn't make any sense.
Note: definitely not my hobby, and I'm not going to consider waste and other impacts. So please, don't pitchfork.
Note: definitely not my hobby, and I'm not going to consider waste and other impacts. So please, don't pitchfork.
I don't understand how lack of durability is a feature for people who want to "keep it fresh". After all, one can still replace a perfectly usable table.
It seems to hinge on this, but inexpensive doesn't imply a lack of durability. A sibling thread has many examples of durable Ikea products. Additionally, if cost is an issue, one can defray the cost of a fresh new table by selling their current perfectly usable table via a secondhand marketplace vs throwing out a broken one.
It seems to hinge on this, but inexpensive doesn't imply a lack of durability. A sibling thread has many examples of durable Ikea products. Additionally, if cost is an issue, one can defray the cost of a fresh new table by selling their current perfectly usable table via a secondhand marketplace vs throwing out a broken one.
I moved multiple times with my IKEA furniture, including disassembling some. They’ve lasted fine these past five years+. Not sure why people think IKEA furniture is “disposable” and do not last.
There are few different levels of Ikea furniture quality.
If you buy the lowest quality, it is composed of "particle board" (AKA pressed sawdust) and "corrugated cardboard" (https://youtu.be/24F5JlKkxR4?t=76). This furniture is incredibly easy to break and it will often not support being screwed together twice.
If you buy the higher quality furniture, which is often soft wood like pine (which is still incredibly low quality compared to traditional hard wood-based furniture), it will stand up a little better. It still scratches easily, because it is soft wood, but at least you can reassemble it after it has been disassembled.
Does Ikea sell any traditional hardwood furniture that is made out of things like maple, oak? I think not. Did they ever? I think they might have early one, but I could be wrong.
To be honest, it is likely a net environmental win that Ikea uses these cheap and low quality woods and sawdust and cardboard. Pine grows so much faster than hardwood, and reusing sawdust and cardboard is really low impact on the environment. I guess you have to balance that against the shorter lifespan of its furniture.
If you buy the lowest quality, it is composed of "particle board" (AKA pressed sawdust) and "corrugated cardboard" (https://youtu.be/24F5JlKkxR4?t=76). This furniture is incredibly easy to break and it will often not support being screwed together twice.
If you buy the higher quality furniture, which is often soft wood like pine (which is still incredibly low quality compared to traditional hard wood-based furniture), it will stand up a little better. It still scratches easily, because it is soft wood, but at least you can reassemble it after it has been disassembled.
Does Ikea sell any traditional hardwood furniture that is made out of things like maple, oak? I think not. Did they ever? I think they might have early one, but I could be wrong.
To be honest, it is likely a net environmental win that Ikea uses these cheap and low quality woods and sawdust and cardboard. Pine grows so much faster than hardwood, and reusing sawdust and cardboard is really low impact on the environment. I guess you have to balance that against the shorter lifespan of its furniture.
I like to use their uncut kitchen countertops and drill holes for legs to make tables https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/butcher-block-countertops-464...
But yeah, I think thats the closest you'll get to hardwood anything at ikea
But yeah, I think thats the closest you'll get to hardwood anything at ikea
IKEA uses acacia for some of their outdoor furniture. From the comfort of my Poäng-chair from the late 80ies I disagree strongly with the sentiment that IKEA furniture scratches easily.
Poang appears to use oak and beechwood-based plywood - at least from a quick Google search.
Both Oak and Beechwood are considered a hardwood.
So yeah, it should be more durable than their pine-based furniture.
Both Oak and Beechwood are considered a hardwood.
So yeah, it should be more durable than their pine-based furniture.
Many compare it to furniture made out of solid wood (how everything was before IKEA). Those things are of much higher quality (they could easily be used over decades, sometimes over centuries); compared to them, IKEA stuff is cheap (in price and quality).
However, if you just look at IKEA stuff and compare how it evolves over multiple rounds of assembly and disassembly, there are products that are very hard to disassemble without breaking them and products that are fairly okay to disassemble and reassemble. As others have commented, it varies.
However, if you just look at IKEA stuff and compare how it evolves over multiple rounds of assembly and disassembly, there are products that are very hard to disassemble without breaking them and products that are fairly okay to disassemble and reassemble. As others have commented, it varies.
Depends on what you get, and how you build it to boot. Some people will just use a drill or force the screws in too much. I did botch my current desk, but I just kept it, it's still sturdy. I too have kept plenty of Ikea products. When I bought my house they left some Ikea stuff, so it's at least 5 years or older and still sturdy.
It varies. IKEA sells amazing things and utter rubbish at the same time. I don't know if they use different processes to create new items, because sometimes the item is just fantastic and cheap, and sometimes it's just crap, like nobody even tried to test it before they put it into mass production.
What is the reason for the variation in experience of commenters here?
Several are saying that they've successfully disassembled and reassembled all sorts of IKEA furniture, while others insist that isn't possible.
I've had IKEA furniture for 10+ years, and it's survived several house moves and reassembly cycles.
That includes some of the cheaper products like LACK, KALLAX, and LINNMON.
Several are saying that they've successfully disassembled and reassembled all sorts of IKEA furniture, while others insist that isn't possible.
I've had IKEA furniture for 10+ years, and it's survived several house moves and reassembly cycles.
That includes some of the cheaper products like LACK, KALLAX, and LINNMON.
Skill issue imo. The lower quality means that you need to be careful assembling and disassembly. Brute forcing easily destroys the furniture, often near joint areas.
Location would be my bet. Not sure if IKEA has the same source for their products (might have change sources because of taxes, logistic costs, local incentives etc...); and as a commenter specified in this thread, different regions have different conditions (climate, cleaning culture, etc) that might also impact the durability of the products.
Is there a way to know what "quality tier" each product falls in?
The price, if your table cost less than crossing europe by place it usually isn't a good sign. More seriously, look at the composition of the parts, avoid the cardboard honeycomb stuff ("Honeycomb structure paper filling"), &c.
The best is to go in a store and check by yourself, if you can do a bicep curl with your coffee table chances are it's not very sturdy
The best is to go in a store and check by yourself, if you can do a bicep curl with your coffee table chances are it's not very sturdy
Outside of expectation and care which differ per person; maybe humiditity ?
IKEA furniture quality has dropped severely in recent years. Even their solid wood pine furniture has dropped in quality. You can find better quality furniture at Walmart these days.
IKEA was never top quality, but used to be good enough for the price. But prices have gone up and quality down to the point it's no longer worth it.
IKEA was never top quality, but used to be good enough for the price. But prices have gone up and quality down to the point it's no longer worth it.
The problem with most IKEA furniture is that it's just not meant to last or be disassembled and reassembled for resale, otherwise it just falls apart. It fits with the disposable lifestyle of young urbanites who move in the big cities rentals and want to buy modern looking furniture on the cheap.
IKEA sells a lot of furniture that is not modern looking at all, even reviving some retro lines recently. I'd describe it as a healthy mix.
I moved around ten times with a lot of IKEA furniture, changing countries even and the IKEA furniture definitely did not fall aparart. There are specific products, like the back of a wardrobe, that never fit properly - a move won't help there, but also isn't the deciding factor.
That is also why a second hand market for IKEA furniture is such a good idea. That stuff is sold second hand repeatedly anyway, can't hurt to add a bit of structure to that.
I moved around ten times with a lot of IKEA furniture, changing countries even and the IKEA furniture definitely did not fall aparart. There are specific products, like the back of a wardrobe, that never fit properly - a move won't help there, but also isn't the deciding factor.
That is also why a second hand market for IKEA furniture is such a good idea. That stuff is sold second hand repeatedly anyway, can't hurt to add a bit of structure to that.
Most of it is not meant to be disassembled at all, e.g. bookshelves with those circular cams and screws into particle board. Flat pack assembly is just a cheaper way of getting the furniture to you, if you move or sell it, keep it whole. I bought some fancier Crate & Barrel bookshelves recently that were being discontinued and the things arrived whole in wood reinforced heavy duty cardboard. They wanted C$300 or something for shipping and 2 bookshelves filled a 6.5' truck bed.
My problem is it's overpriced for what you get. I do own an IKEA dresser, was good enough for the price I paid a few years ago, but it's more than doubled in price since then. I have a little $25 bookshelf from Walmart that's sturdier than 80% of the crap at IKEA.
It would be one thing if their furniture was actually cheap (inexpensive), which it used to be, but it's not anymore. Now most of their stuff is way overpriced.
It would be one thing if their furniture was actually cheap (inexpensive), which it used to be, but it's not anymore. Now most of their stuff is way overpriced.
Note that disassembly for resale doesn't have to be complete and sometimes is not necessary at all. E.g. a lamp, a chair, or a free-standing cabinet may need little to no disassembly.
> It fits with the disposable lifestyle of young urbanites who move in the big cities rentals and need modern looking furniture on the cheap.
Ive heard it described as furniture for college kids and divorced men.
Ive heard it described as furniture for college kids and divorced men.
Something I wasn't aware of until I went shopping there for furniture last year...everything is 3/4 sized.
Maybe everyone just knew this and I was out of the loop, but at least for me as soon as I noticed this, I saw it in everything. In the store it's kind of hard to tell because everything is scaled that 75%, but it's kinda funny when you notice it. Even things like mixing spoons or tea pots are 75% size or 25% less material.
Maybe everyone just knew this and I was out of the loop, but at least for me as soon as I noticed this, I saw it in everything. In the store it's kind of hard to tell because everything is scaled that 75%, but it's kinda funny when you notice it. Even things like mixing spoons or tea pots are 75% size or 25% less material.
In my experience it's been very hit and miss with their furniture. As an example my parents bought me a Markus chair and a desk when I was in middle school. The desk broke when I slammed my math book on it one time and as for the chair, I'm still using it to this day (I'm 30)
An underrated benefit of IKEA is the consistency of their product names. Having products that have had the same names and characteristics (approximately) for decodes makes buying and selling much easier than other furniture.
A consistent name does not guarantee backward compatibility. 2024 BILLY plates are not compatible with my 10 year old BILLY shelf, for example.
This is the link to the platform (spanish version for Madrid):
https://preowned.ikea.com/es/en
https://preowned.ikea.com/es/en
My experience with IKEA furniture is that they are not made for being disassembled, nor do they handle it well.
So anything that can be moved as is, maybe, but not anything else.
In addition, considering the cost of nww IKEA furniture I would expect a huge discount for second hand ones that I need to move whole myself in order to make it worthwhile at all.
So anything that can be moved as is, maybe, but not anything else.
In addition, considering the cost of nww IKEA furniture I would expect a huge discount for second hand ones that I need to move whole myself in order to make it worthwhile at all.
I can't read the article because it's paywalled but I have a feeling this is more about competing with Facebook marketplace. eBay is for cross-country selling, which is very expensive to do for furniture with all shipping cost and trouble of trying to pack things within a box. However on Facebook you have dozens of people ready to go pick it up at your home, no disabling needed.
If I'm moving a long distance (which I've done a few times in my life so far), I usually try to sell as much furniture as possible rather than moving it with me.
It's already easier to sell Ikea furniture as people will search for a specific Ikea item that they're looking for.
If Ikea makes this process even easier, that's all the more reason to prefer Ikea furniture.
It's already easier to sell Ikea furniture as people will search for a specific Ikea item that they're looking for.
If Ikea makes this process even easier, that's all the more reason to prefer Ikea furniture.
Is IKEA stuff made to be disassembled repeatedly?
I never had a problem disassembling, moving and reassembling even their cheapest pieces of furniture. I think their reputation for falling apart comes from trying to move them fully assembled.
Last week I had to move a 3 door kleppstad from one room to another, and I think I made a good decision to take off the doors to reduce the weight as much as possible without fully taking it apart. But if this piece of furniture needs to move any further then I'm fully disassembling it. I would rather not risk taking it down the stairs fully assembled.
Last week I had to move a 3 door kleppstad from one room to another, and I think I made a good decision to take off the doors to reduce the weight as much as possible without fully taking it apart. But if this piece of furniture needs to move any further then I'm fully disassembling it. I would rather not risk taking it down the stairs fully assembled.
I assume so, because I've done it (repeatedly) and there's never any glue involved. The Billy book cases used nails for the back board, but it's easy to get those out by tapping the board from the front.
> easy to get those out by tapping the board from the front.
Or just pushing something to the back of a shelf in my experience. Billy's biggest fault I think.
Or just pushing something to the back of a shelf in my experience. Billy's biggest fault I think.
It depends which items. They're not designed to be re-assembled but some pieces will re-assemble just fine. You have to be careful as it's easy to strip the screw holes e.g. in particleboard. I'd try to remove any shelves, doors, drawers, etc. and move the rest as one piece, giving it a quick tighten when you arrive.
i ve split and moved my bed at least 10 times. Everything else has been disassembled at least twice moving.
Most stuff can be disassembled once or twice.
I'm all for the concept. I'd be interested to see how it pans out. There are a few key things that I'm skeptical, but hopeful for.
1. The scope being limited to Ikea feels like it would decrease the user base notably enough where it wouldn't be worth it for users to sell or buy, ending in a downward spiral.
2. Maybe this is just me, but dealing with any potential liability of P2P sales sounds like a real PITA. Not sure where/how you can draw the liability line (probably depends on the country).
I'm guessing that they decided that they had no piece of the P2P used pie, so they're trying to grab a sliver.
I'm all for used furniture. I've had a really good experience with Ikea quality if you buy above the absolute bottom tier. I'm using a desk that's been taken apart and put together for the last 5ish year and it looks and feels new still. Same with a small loveseat and some metal night stands.
1. The scope being limited to Ikea feels like it would decrease the user base notably enough where it wouldn't be worth it for users to sell or buy, ending in a downward spiral.
2. Maybe this is just me, but dealing with any potential liability of P2P sales sounds like a real PITA. Not sure where/how you can draw the liability line (probably depends on the country).
I'm guessing that they decided that they had no piece of the P2P used pie, so they're trying to grab a sliver.
I'm all for used furniture. I've had a really good experience with Ikea quality if you buy above the absolute bottom tier. I'm using a desk that's been taken apart and put together for the last 5ish year and it looks and feels new still. Same with a small loveseat and some metal night stands.
Giving ikea furniture resale value also increases people’s willingness to buy new. The second hand market may be worth propping up because of the core business.
On that note; I've found that if you add glue or contact-cement to the joints of the bookcases when you assemble them, the resulting bookcases are substantially more durable.