We heard from Laura: "So far my furniture is stuck in the worlds of mid-century classics along with pieces everyone has seen in the window of CB2 or Ikea. I'd like to get some more unique items but my obstacle is that I don't have a car- it seems like if I were to go to the flea market and find some beautiful chair I'd have no way of getting it home. Do you know of shops where I could can dig for low-cost vintage/used pieces that also deliver?
Thanks! Laura"
We also live a car-free life so we know the challenges of shopping for larger items well. Thrift or antique shop vintage shopping might be a good time to consider trying a car-sharing service for a few hours, like zipcar or i-go, both feature some larger vehicles perfect for hauling goodies home. Rates start at around $8. an hour, gas and insurance included.
If you don't want to be behind the wheel at all, the Chicago Antique Market offers a Home Delivery Service on items purchased at the big seasonal market for an additional fee. The market features over 150 dealers and is the last Sunday of the month (May - October) on Randolph Street. Access for non-drivers is easy - there are even free trolleys shuttling shoppers from Michigan Ave. to the market and back.
Any other suggestions for Laura? Let her (and us) know in the comments below...
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Comments (7)
Well,
Of course if you have some good friends... I'm always willing to loan out my wheels provided it's returned with a full takn of gas...in fact most times I am more than willing to help!!
There are a few "trucks-for-hire" on craigslist...a search will yeild results and from what I've heard and read they are quite good and rather cheap.
For big items and comprehensive shopping trips you might consider renting a van from Budget for the day- during off-peak (non-moving) seasons it shouldn't be more than $80 or so... get a friend to chip in and go furniture shopping, to home depot, the grocery store etc... and it's worth it...
You can rent pickup trucks from Lowes, Home Depot and U-Haul here in Ohio. I would assume you could do the same there?
Ask at antique/vintage store, they might have someone they deal with who will deliver for a fee. I too am car-free and bought a larger piece at Edgewater Antique Mall last fall. When I purchased it, I asked about delivery and they gave me a name of guy who they recommended.
My experience has been that almost anywhere you can buy antiques in the city, they can also either arrange delivery or put you in touch with their preferred delivery person. It's not usually free, but it's always been cheaper (both in $ and in time expenditure) than renting a truck or van. I'm don't think we've ever paid more than $50 for delivery.
Our favorite place for digging is the Edgewater Antique Mall (6314 N Broadway). There's usually a nice selection of furniture, they're open to bargaining (and will call the vendor for you to see if they'll take a lower offer), they can set you up with delivery, and if something needs repair or reupholstery they can recommend a good place to take it.
The Broadway Antique Market a few blocks south (6130 N Broadway) also has tons of furniture and a whole section devoted to midcentury-to-modern. It's bigger than Edgewater Antique Mall and more furniture-centric, but may be a bit more expensive.
I believe the Granville stop on the Red line is the closest one to both of these. It's definitely worth a trip to the neighborhood to visit them!
I think zipcar (www.zipcar.com) has larger vehicles available as well, including pickups (this varies by location).
I've never used this service but I've heard good things.
Example:
http://www.zipcar.com/chicago/car-location?location_id=29256837
I've found that even cheap second-hand stores can usually recommend someone in the neighborhood who will deliver for a reasonable price (less than the cost of a half-day Zipcar or I-Go reservation). It's in their best interests if they want to make the sale.
Thanks for posting my question! It sounds like most places have someone to do deliveries, very good to know.