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I've never had to.

There's so much local on Craigslist (ie - no shipping charges and I can touch and see before paying) that I've rarely even been tempted except for really unusual stuff.

I have not run into any problems buying mid-century furniture on eBay. As Lisa mentions, you need to do your due diligence on the item and the seller. Check out feedback on the seller - I prefer to deal only with people who sell a lot and have near perfect feedback ratings. Most reputable sellers will include photos of any damage or wear on the piece(s) they are selling.

You can pick up bargains, but those pieces will probably not be in mint condition. Most mid-century pieces show their age and some wear but are easily and relatively cheaply refinished or re-upholstered.

I'm currently in the market for several specific pieces of furniture on Ebay.

I suggest careful examination of a listing before bidding. The seller should provide both a detailed description of the item, plus good resolution pictures, and from those pictures you should be able to evaluate construction, finishes, potential damage, etc. If the description or pictures are inadequate, don't be afraid to ask for additional pictures and if their response is lacking, consider something else.

When you ask the seller questions, send your query through the Ebay site, and save both your seller question and their answer. Should you need to dispute a sale, their representations in their responses are evidence.

Don't bid on items where the seller does not accept Paypal. The one exception to this is where you will pick up and pay for the item in person. That way, if the item is not what you expected you can literally walk away. By sticking to sellers who accept Paypal you can get your money back through Ebay's complaint process if they have misrepresented the item.

Be careful dealing with Ebay "Live Auctions" These are auctions held by antiques dealers and they are largely exempt from Ebay dispute resolution rules and require you to pay a buyer's commission to the dealer. If you choose to bid on a live auction item, make sure you've seen it in person before bidding.

Some sellers, usually furniture dealers, will ship items to you through shipping services. However, you can run into a situation where the promised shipping time exceeds the 30 days you have to file a complaint an initiate a refund. To preserve your refund rights, be prepared to initiate your complaint on day 29 if the item has not yet arrived (you can rescind it later). If the seller cannot quote you a shipping cost amount, call a shipper (some sellers have names listed) and ask for a quote.

If you see a piece that is being sold nearby, don't hesitate to contact the seller and arrange to examine it in person. This gives you the opportunity to thoroughly evaluate the piece before bidding.

Have fun and good luck.

Sure, buying used furniture is green, but it sure isn't green to ship it! It's much greener to find it locally.

I prefer buying from Craigslist where I can see, feel and test more expensive items. I got burned on a side table on ebay (arrived in less than satisfactory condition and was never resolved to my satisaction) and have resolved not to buy any piece of furniture more than $100.00. Ebay is great for the little things, though!

If you decide you do want to go with ebay for a bigger piece, be sure to use a payment method that has protection. I would never send a money order for an ebay purchase - prefer to pay with a credit card or paypal incase there is a dispute.

On the whole though my eBaying experience has been great.

I've both bought and sold furniture on eBay, and have had nothing but good experiences. Like others have said, make sure you ask questions, and get more detailed pictures if the pictures posted are not descriptive enough.

There are alot of good shippers (I've used Plycon and Craters and Freighters, mostly), but shipping can often exceed the price you pay for the furniture, so unless it's a good deal on an important piece, it may not be worth it if it's too large, or too far away.

I've purchased both a plasma tv console and a leather recliner club chair on eBay, and I absolutely adore them both. I think that it can really be hit or miss, though, so it's all about checking out their feedback thoroughly and doing your research!

I purchased a loveseat, a small side table and a gorgeous, almost mint condition coffee table on eBay, all from separate sellers. All are mid-century modern pieces. I haven't had any bad experiences. I always check a seller's feedback before bidding, and absolutely will not purchase from a seller who has fewer than 200-300 comments or significant negative feedback. To my mind, significant negative feedback is anything greater than .1% of the seller's total feedback, meaning the seller must have 99.9% positive feedback or greater. I also read any neutral or negative feedback to get an idea of the types of issues people may have had with the seller and/or the credibility of commentors. Also, I always check the types of payment accepted; I never bid on an auction if the seller only accepts wire transfers or doesn't take Paypal. Lastly, make sure to check shipping costs, as these can run quite high for large items.

I bought a great old Grundig console TV/Radio/Turntable on ebay a few years ago. I'm in NY, the seller in Chicago. She couldn't have been nicer and was very accurate on condition.

I agree with those who say use craigslist first! nearly every piece I've had a jones for--tulip table and chairs, danish coffee table, I've had luck finding them on craigslist. There is no way I could have gotten these items on ebay for anywhere near the same price--that shipping, it'll kill you. Be wary of those that don't list an estimate on the page and be sure to ask the seller before you buy.

I did have luck buying an emeco chair on ebay when I searched CL for weeks; I got a pretty good deal and all, though it took a while to ship. And hey--the seller even included a free dead mouse in the box!

A friend of mine has bought quite a bit on eBay and his one piece of advice to me has been to always inspect furniture before FedEx/UPS/etc leave so that if there is any damage he will not be left with a broken piece.

Other then doing research, asking the sellar lots of questions etc. buying furniture on ebay is a breeze and I have never had any problems or heard of anyone having any problems with it.

hello, we are a funriture restoration company from europe. I wouldnt buy furniture over ebay. maybe only very cheap because the most sell there tell you something what is not correct. Or some dont know exactly how old the furniture for real is. Its better when you buy at a dealer you know or an famous auction house.Christies etc..
Why is it so. i can tell this as seller. In ebay the risk is to high that you get not the prices for a restored antique furniture. Restoration is handmade work and takes much time.
If you buy furniture from someone its a base on trust. Because you can fake a 50s furniture piece to an old. when you know a bit from this. A normal costumer wouldnt see the difference.lA company must have time for the costumer and i think in ebay its not possible to spend the time with the costumer because the prices are less there and the fees high.
Then i think a seller will come under pressure to sell much and has no time to give the costumer a personal service.Sorry when im against ebay. but they are not the world:-) its my opinion.
greets bärbel