We all know how expensive mattresses can be. We spend such a huge part of our lives sleeping on our beds, it's important that we get the best mattress possible, right? Sometimes it's a bit hard to afford an amazing mattress. Luckily I have compiled some tips for the terrifying task of finding a mattress on Craigslist.
About a year ago I asked How Do I Make a Futon Work as a Bed? Hilariously enough, you all told me to never try and use a futon mattress over a regular mattress. Well...I didn't listen! Last year I purchased a dingy futon off of craigslist for $50 and struggled through back pain (hey, I'm only 23!) and sleepless nights. I feel as though I may have to apologize to you, my trusty readers, for not listening to your advice.
I'm always trying to save money and do things the cheapest possible way. I now know the importance of owning a great mattress, but what if I can't afford one? So, it's time to look to Craigslist again. I think everyone is a little wary of buying something like a mattress of of Craigslist. Might as well be purchasing someone's used tighty wighties right? Well, I've come up with a list of tips to make your Craigslist mattress search much easier!
Look for honesty: You want to seek out the listings where the seller is completely honest. It's okay if they mention some minor wear on one of the corners. The best option is when they state how old the mattress is, what brand or manufacturer, or an explanation as to why they are purging.
Look for personality: Find a seller that seems to give a little personality into their post. You want to interact with a seller that is going to be personable. That way you can feel more comfortable asking questions and hopefully they'll be nice enough to give you answers!
Quality of photographs: This one is super important. Look for the posts where the mattress is well photographed. Never go for a mattress where the image is clearly the stock photo taken off a mattress store website. Bonus points if the seller takes a photo of the minor damage or label of the mattress.
Search "By Owner": If you select "By-owner" rather than "By-dealer" you won't get those cheap looking ads that almost always look like a scam. Yes, they are trying to sell you brand new mattresses, but usually from a warehouse or back alley. If you've had experience with the "by-dealer" option, let me know in the comments. I've always been curious to see if these mattresses are authentic. I would personally rather buy my mattress from a real person who can tell me the history of the mattress.
Watch grammar: A lot of bots that post spam on Craigslist use weird grammar or throw in sentences that don't make sense. Unfortunately, you may just be looking at an ad coming from someone with terrible grammar.
Be wary of bed bugs: Check the mattress for tell-tale signs of bed bugs — small red or brown spots and other signs of the little critters. If you see even the slightest indication, run the other way!
Image: Flickr member robotpolisher. Licensed for use by Creative Commons.
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I apologize for being "that person" but I think buying a used mattress from a stranger is really gross.
Stains, bugs, sweat, no thanks!
i honestly thought the list was going to be comprised of "do not"....
i am on a budget as well... trust me.
but am i the only one that thinks you should budget yourself at least a mattress?
good 'design' needs a great foundation. i am wary of this article.
i second the above two.
i don't think a mattress is something one should thrift on. just like what the author mentioned, undies.
As long as the mattress is not made from foam, memory foam, or goose down, you could consider renting a RugDoctor and cleaning it well after bring it home ... just make sure not to get it too wet http://www.rugdoctor.com/faqs.html#faq_using3-5
http://housekeeping.about.com/od/bedrooms/ht/cleanmattress.htm
I share antxoa's view.
That said, I -- like many others -- stay in hotels when I travel. On those occasions, I exercise extreme concentration on NOT thinking about the (hundred+ ? ... thousand+ ??)previous occupants of the bed where I sleep.
In North Carolina, it is illegal to sell (as a buisness or individual) a used mattress. Not that it doesn't happen, but ... yeah. Yuck.
It does seem a bit off-putting to buy a used mattress. But when you think about it, most of us think nothing of spending one or more nights in motels/hotels. Lord only knows the history of the mattresses in some of those places, yet we inspect the sheets, sniff the blanket(sometimes) and crawl in! My own mattress is 10 years old and needs replacing. It's pristine - clean as the day I bought it. I've kept a plastic mattress cover on it and a thick, mattress fabric pad/cover.
I have bought used mattresses in the past when I didn't have two dimes to rub together. Now, I can buy new. But if I knew the person and came across a super deal, who knows? I might save myself a few hundred and buy it.
I would rather sleep on a worn out old mattress while I save for a brand new one than buy a used mattress.
I guess if you got a good mattress cover to enclose it, that would be fine but it would be a last resort.
When I got a new mattress we put the old one out on the curb and it was gone within 3 hours. Want to know why? Those who can't afford a mattress are not picky about taking one off the street in a nice neighborhood. Yes I wouldn't do it, but I understand why some poor people would.
I once sold a mattress that was in my guest bedroom...which got minimum usage...the buyer said it was for his inlaws who are staying with him while they are renovating the house.
I personally would never buy a mattress from craigslist....
When i am staying at a hotel, i make sure i don't touch the cover...my husband always get yelled at because he just lies right down on the cover...
It wouldn't be my first choice. I think I'd only buy from a stranger if their house was immaculate and they cited a good reason for selling. It seems wasteful to suggest buying a new just-for-now mattress since it seems from this thread that it might be hard to unload a used mattress later.
Trust me, it's worth $250 credit card debt. Used mattresses are lumpy, possibly sweaty, and could have bed bugs. Even renting a rug doctor and getting the mattress to your apartment is more of a painful experience than a mattress on sale w/ free delivery.
I bought all furniture on craigslist when I first started up. Just not a mattress!
I think I would first send a message to my friends asking if they or their families are in the market for a new bed or looking to sell an old one. A lot may have an extra after combining homes with their significant other or their parents might have an excess from the kids moving out. My guest bed is my best friends little sisters old bed, My sisters bed is my old bed from my parents house, Free beds from family and friends kind of beats used from a stranger.
Used mattress = asking for bedbugs...at least in NYC where I live.
Ewww.
I'm extremely frugal and buy almost everything second hand. But a mattress is not something I would buy used.
Maybe if someone is really broke they could buy a (new) memory foam pad and sleep on the floor or couch until they save up enough to get a new mattress.
These comments are pretty privileged and judge-y. Some people don't have families or friends who are able to give away mattresses, because they themselves need them. And some people can't sleep on their old mattress while they save up for a new one because their income just covers their living expenses without allowing anything to be put aside. Is that really so hard to conceive of in this economic climate?
I've gotten a bed on Craigslist from a seller who was very nice on the phone and turned out to be incredibly neat. When I upgraded after getting married, I passed it on to a friend of mine who still uses it. Most of the gross is just in our minds.
Yeah, I would just go to Ikea for a cheap but new mattress. This from someone who has purchased about 75% of her furniture on Craigslist.
I agree! Bedbugs are a HUGE problem here in the city! Just go to sleepys - they often have promotions for 1 year interest-free purchases w/their card.
Not a fan of this article. Somethings are better to do without a used mattress from CL being one of them. I really got a kick out of the tip suggesting we to be wary of bad grammar and spelling...especially after reading the intro...tighty wighties.
WHY? WHY? When you can buy a new mattress for $99 at ikea? WHY?
While my own personal reaction is "ick," I do have the financial means to buy new.
Some people don't. Sheesh. I've been that broke in the past.
It's a good list. Good luck and happy mattress hunting to anyone who needs one!
Yeah, truth be told, earlier in my life I have both bought and found used mattresses and used them happily for years. Bedbugs have definitely changed the game these days, but I could still see a situation where buying a used mattress from someone you know and trust would make a lot of sense. Mattresses are expensive and they actually do hold up a long time if properly cared for. That said, there is no way I'd buy one off of craigslist. Also one warning to those thinking about buying used: I've seen mattresses on the street with a ripped corner only to reveal the original fabric underneath. They had been RECOVERED. Now that is yuck, imo.
Here's a tip, how about you dont.
The icky factor is probably why one city alone disposes of 3000 mattresses every month, which seems like a really high number to me.
I don't think I've ever replaced a mattress (though I'm only 26 so that's not unusual). It's always been hand-me-downs. So maybe it's not surprising that my futon is actually more comfortable than the bed hahaha.
I don't know... We've even had bed bug problems in the past, but I just don't feel like a new mattress is worth all of that trouble and waste of getting rid of an old one. Yet.
Hmmm. I wouldn't buy a used mattress but I sleep in hotel rooms all the time. Life is full of inconsistencies! (I readily admit)
Go Craigslist mattress! I recently moved across the country, and decided not to bring along my one piece of furniture. My $600 mattress and box spring set. It was the only thing that wouldn't fit in my car for the move, and didn't make sense to pay to ship. I'll admit, I never once regretted spending $600 (when I was in college too!) on the mattress, but knew I could make it happen in CA without it.
When I got here, I thought I would be able to afford new soon, and boy was I wrong. My boyfriend and I did the air mattress thing for as long as I could stand (which is pretty much when it completely deflated in less that 3 hours). We ended up craigslisting our mattress.
The woman selling was very honest, and even sold us the mattress in advance. She wasn't ready to give it up til her moving date, but we went to "meet" our new mattress in advance, no pressure to buy on the first date. We ended up paying 60 bucks for a nice, comfy double pillow top mattress and box spring. Throw on a nice zip up bug/allergen bag for $40 on amazon, and you have a steal!
I'm sorry... not happening. I couldn't afford a mattress when I first moved out on my own and I slept on an air mattress for several months...
Seriously? Just spend the $25. It's not ideal, but I'd rather shell out $25 upfront than lose all of my possessions in a bed bug infestation.
http://www.trailsedge.com/products/18469-quickbed-airbed-twin?gclid=CMi3kcXd6KoCFYJx4AodP1_zPQ
And for those who can't put anything aside to save up? I just don't buy it. I worked 3 jobs to make it happen.
wow..everyone seems to be very judgmental. you must all have cash just flowing out of your pockets, or at least the mindset that you are 'too good' to stoop that low.
i purchased 2 (count them 2) mattresses from craigslist in the past. the first time, it was because i was flat broke and did have one. it was clean, nearly new and a steal. when you don't have something that is necessary, you will do whatever you have to.
the second mattress i purchased from craigslist, i actually DID have the means to purchase new from a store. but i couldn't beat the price of a queen pillowtop from a clean home, the sellers were just moving out of state.
oh...and all the comments about IKEA being 'oh so affordable'. one, i've slept on IKEA mattresses, and they aren't all that great. two, I live 400 miles from an IKEA store, so the drive alone, plus the cost of a rental truck would have bumped up even the cheapest IKEA mattress to the cost of what I spent on a name brand pillowtop, in town, that i could borrow a truck for a pick up same day.
step down from your pedestals.
Yeah, I bought a mattress off of Craigslist a year ago from a fellow college student who had just used it for a year and was only selling it because it wouldn't fit in the space she was moving into. I came over, checked it out--no stains, no marks, zero smell. Awesome. It was $20 for the mattress, box spring (also great, clean condition), and wheeled frame. I was already up to my elbows in moving costs and just trying to get my first apartment, and I literally did not have the extra money. It was a summer of ramen and working my ass off to build up the funds for proper groceries. It was a blessing to be able to sleep in a bed and not on an air mattress on the floor.
Never!!
Veto-ing the craigslist mattress advice. Another poster had a good idea - check with relatives and friends before getting an old mattress from a stranger. You never know if someone has an extra one from their kids leaving the nest, or downsizing houses, or ready to buy another one and needed a good excuse. If someone asked me for a queen mattress right now I would gladly give them mine and go buy another one since I have been debating a new one for a while.
I bought a mattress for my guest room off Craigslist. Just because it's on CL doesn't mean it can't be in great condition or barely used. The one I purchased was from a family who used it in their guest room too. Before committing, I went to their house, checked it out for wear, etc. My husband and I are fastidious (yet frugal) and if it even remotely smelled weird or had any stains, we wouldn't have bought it. I paid $100. It's much nicer and more comfortable than any new $99 Ikea mattress. In fact, all of my house guests have commented about the comfort.
Wow, judgmental.
I wouldn't buy a mattress on CL now, because I make enough money to go out and buy a new one if needed. However, when I was the poster's age (college-ish) and broke, I got my bed anywhere I could manage -- be it hand-me-downs or CL. And yes, I even slept on an Ikea futon for ages, until I decided the back issues wasn't worth the awesomeness of having a bed that folds up. Not everybody is as privileged as you, so think twice before being judgmental.
As far as CL advice goes, I'd say to vet the seller....when you show up to their place, how clean is it? How do they seem? etc. It won't necessarily save you from bedbugs but it does help a little.
Ewh, no way in hell that I would buy a used mattress. Please. Germs, mystery stains, semen, bed bugs, and/or lice/scabies/other creepy crawlies, no friggin' way! That is one area in life you don't cheap out on. That and decent shoes. You can go without coffee for a year if you have to, but you gotta have a decent bed.
Before the dawn of bed bugs I think people would have been more open minded to the idea of a used mattress. Now things get a little hairy.... I think if you bought one and put one of those feather toppers or memory foam it would solve the hygiene concern however, nothing can be done about bed bugs.
Buying a used mattress is like buying a used tooth brush.
I bought a king-sized mattress set from a rummage sale years ago for $50. I never had any problems with it and it was the most comfortable mattress I've ever owned. When I got divorced a few years back I passed it on to friends who are still using it as the main bed in their home. It's held up remarkably well.
I understand that for many people the thought of using a mattress someone else used is gross, but for many of us it's the only option and I'm not embarrassed about that. This article has good tips on how to go about getting a good mattress deal if used is what you're looking for.
Just like MCM style, used is not for everyone. ;)
If it is new or barely used I might consider it. Otherwise, no. IKEA mattresses are a few hundred dollars... they are comfortable on their own, even moreso with a mattress pad. I'd go that route until you are ready to invest in one you plan to have for a long time.
Don't do it.
BTW, I'm so tired of reading comments that others' comments are judgmental. It's my opinion and I'm sticking with it, even if it counters yours. If people are that sensitive, STAY OFF THIS SITE. Better yet, stay of the Internet. Grow up.
I think we've heard enough from the folks who would never buy a used mattress. Good for you that you're wealthy, are fortunate to have super-clean friends/relatives who are just ready to get rid of a hardly-used mattress, are willing to go into debt, live near IKEA, or are a germaphobe. Some people would find advice on how to find a used mattress on Craigslist useful, and don't need to plow through the 90% of comments that don't offer such advice.
Ask why they are selling it.
Ask if they remember when and where it was purchased.
Check corner seams for bed bugs.
For those of us who have travelled the world and know that a used mattress from an affluent house is not the worst place to rest your head. Happy Hunting!
@ales.ag
It's obvious from the article why she wouldn't get the cheapest ikea mattress possible. Do you really think it would be more comfortable (for her) than a futon?
That said, I am lucky enough to be able to sleep on most things... I spent about 2 years sleeping on 2 different ikea beddinge futons (with different mattresses--probably the 2 in the middle of the 4 available) and was v comfy. Not so different from buying a real mattress, I'd think, depending on who the sofabed came from (for all I know it was used as the primary bed beforehand, too). Although I could fit the fitted sheets on top of the washable covers, and just did that.
The biggest thing - for me - is knowing the history of the mattress. I definitely wouldn't buy one from someone I didn't know, and I acquired mine from a former roommate.
Her room was next to mine, and I was sleeping on a pull-out couch. So, when she moved in with her boyfriend and had no use for it, it became mine. She bought it new before moving in, and probably only slept in it for two months worth of nights (as most nights, she was with her boyfriend).
I had no problems picking it up from her when she moved and my now husband moved in. My husband's old mattress was worn and gross. With our topper and mattress pad, the mattress itself is still practically new.
I think it depends more on the situation how you attain the used bed: Did they have a mattress pad? How well do you know the person? Were they generally clean?
All things considered, I would never buy a used bed from someone I didn't know.
It can be done.. carefully.
I was lucky enough to find a eco-mattress on CL that was only 3 months old, from an Aussie that had to move back unexpectedly. I knew I wanted an environmentally friendly mattress, and CL had the brand I wanted. Basically, I got a $1000 mattress for $500.
His posting included picture proof of the super high-quality mattress protector that had been on it since day one. If I ever decide to sell it, I will be sure to post proof of my mattress protector, as well! Really helps put fears to rest.
I don't think there is anything wrong with buying a 2nd hand mattress, if you know what to watch out for. There are people out there who take good care of their things and need to sell them. It happens :)
Good luck to you!!
How many of you who wouldn't buy a used mattress have unprotected sex with a virtual stranger?
I know I'm beating a dead horse, but in no way, under no circumstances, should anyone ever buy a used mattress.
Especially in cities where bed bugs are making a resurgence, it's just dumb.
Huh. My first mattress when I moved out of my parents' home was a freebie that someone was getting rid of. I can assure you I am not "dumb." We have become so wasteful as a society. Yes, bedbugs exist. You can check for them, and are far more likely to pick them up at a hotel than you are from a mattress. Hell, you can pick them up from anything used. I find it interesting so many people will buy anything else used except a mattress. I can guarantee you that sofa or chair or rug you can buy on Craigslist is just as likely to have blood, semen, urine, or bedbugs. You should always carefully check your potential purchase, no matter what it is. I imagine that if this article substituted the word "sofa," "chair," or "rug" for "mattress" there wouldn't be such an uproar.
If you wouldn't do it, fine. We are all aware that there are plenty of people too good to purchase something used. For everyone else, who wants better quality but is on a budget, used is the way to go. It is certainly better than sending something that has plenty of life left in it to a landfill.
"BTW, I'm so tired of reading comments that others' comments are judgmental. It's my opinion and I'm sticking with it, even if it counters yours. If people are that sensitive, STAY OFF THIS SITE. Better yet, stay of the Internet. Grow up."
Bingo
uhhhh yuck! how bout let's buy one in NY so you get lot's of fun bed bugs
Big thanks to all the folks calling out people on their privilege. I didn't realize I was marked as such a poor person just by buying a used mattress. I work. My boyfriend works. In fact, we both work on our feet all day, so when we go home we want to lie down on a nice comfortable mattress.
Our mattress was not from craigslist (though we totally would) but from a used furniture store. We looked at it under good light, we smelled it. We laid on it. It is amazingly nice, and a million times better than a cheap ikea mattress, and we still got to buy groceries and pay our rent.
Best wishes to those of you who are so far removed from ever having to do that. I hope you always have enough money to maintain the luxuries that keep you comfortable, and you don't ever have to sit on a bus, or any other place where we dirty poor people have touched, but most of all I hope you learn to realize that your strong reaction to this is a luxury.
Man, what is up with all the bitterness? If you want to buy a used mattress, bully for you. It's not for everyone but you're the one sleeping on it every night. I don't get what privilege has to do with it. I'm not rich, I take the bus every day and buy most of my crap used. Everyone has their own priorities, friend.
I have to laugh at all the ridiculous "it must be nice to be rich and privileged and not have to buy used mattresses" and all the whining about "judgmental" comments.
As tequila red says above, just because people have different priorities than you do doesn't make them rich or privileged or snobby. I'm sure most people who claim to be so "poor" can afford to smoke or drink or have a latté or whatever. Most people reading this site on their nice computers with internet access aren't "poor", let me remind you.
And so what if we're judgmental? The very act of having an opinion and sharing it here in a public forum requires judgment. Those who get all defensive about people who wouldn't touch a used mattress (or couch or X) with a 10-foot pole are also being judgmental.
What is it with people posting on the internet that have to get all pissy because, God forbid, someone on the internet DARES to disagree with them and has a differing opinion? The comments section is here for readers to engage with the site and share their opinions (and, cynically, to drive more traffic to the site with keywords, google rankings, etc., etc.). That's a feature of a blog, not a bug, people.
And frankly, the defensiveness of many of those who don't like reading (legitimate) opinions from those who wouldn't buy a used mattress seem to indicate that they have some sort of inferiority complex.
I wouldn't buy a used mattress and can afford not to have to BUT after 9/11, when I had to live in a short term rental, I bought a used futon from the Super for $25. It was pre-bedbugs but I needed it for only a couple of months so I didn't think twice.
Re: hotel rooms - read about the DNA they found in Dominique Straus Khan's room - mostly not his, and everywhere - or in movie theaters and you'll never go anywhere.
Lol LoveThisSite.
I have a friend that was given a beautiful mattress. Not sure if it was the mattress or someone else in her building, but long story short.
BED BUGS, over a year later and having gotten rid of absolutely everything she owned, I'm of the thought process that a new mattress from a reputable dealer and even then using a bug bag are the best options. It was really sad having to help her throw out things she inherited and just wasn't comfortable trying to keep after months of trying to be rid of them.
No judgement to those who do, but I could never buy a used mattress. My current mattress isn't top of the line, it was just $200 but it was new, jus how I like it.
One is the icky bodily fluid factor but another is a very real concern about my allergies to dust mites. So I tend to stay away from used upholstered furniture as wel but I'd buy a great antique desk or table in a heartbeat.
Nothing wrong with a futon either but you need a good one and it needs to be replaced every so often. I would love to have an authentic futon and bedding set from Japan. Which is also a small space solution, the futons in Japan are made to be put away during the day so the room can be used for other activities. Sadly the Amercian made ones are just not the same.
Hmmm, I think if some states and countries (Austrailia) prohibit the sale of used mattresses or require a sterilization process, there is something to the concerns of those who won't do it.
Yeah, I think you should just save for a new one. We have been on the same one for 20 years (11 with my husband & 9 more growing up!), but we're waiting until we move to a bigger space to splurge on a Tempurpedic or organic mattress. The risk of bed bugs in mattresses or anything upholstered is just to great.
I actually bought my pillow top mattress and matching box spring from Craigslist when I first moved out. $150 for a high quality set that would have cost at least $600. It was clean and barely used in the seller's guest bedroom. 4 years later, it's still the comfiest bed I have ever slept on and have never had a problem with bed bugs.
Look, I'll be perfectly honest...we have a mattress from Craigslist. I'm a total snob about a lot of things, and I never would've bought a mattress of Craigslist myself, but my boyfriend got one on there. Now that we live together, it's our mattress. And it's perfectly fine. Don't you people go to hotels? God knows what happens on some of those mattresses (even in, gasp...nice hotels!)
He met the couple who was selling their one year old mattress...they were a young couple like us, and she just hated how stiff it was.
He bought is used because he'd just moved across the country for grad school and was pretty broke. We had to fit all of our possessions into our cars (along with 2 cats!) and drive across the country...no room for a mattress. Honestly we could afford a new mattress at this point, but this one is fine, so why sell it?
When we moved a few months ago and couldn't fit the box springs up the stairs, guess what we did? Yup, we sold it on Craigslist!
Hang on a second---
how is buying from friends/relatives better than buying from CL... because you personally know the person who's had sex on it, drooled on it, etc...? That doesn't make any sense.
I bought my first bed in 2007 from a thrift store, it was refurbished and wrapped in plastic, pristine white. Everything for $100... thinking I would buy a new top mattress in a couple years when I could afford a better one, 4 years later and I still don't really have the extra cash... but this article is reminding me to put that closer to the top of my list.
I sold a mattress set on Craigslist about 5 years ago to a college kid who just couldn't afford to buy one anywhere else. I was moving to another city from a 2 bedroom to a 1 bedroom place. The mattress was used maybe 8 times a year when visitors stayed over.
The kid emailed me to ask about it and said, "My girlfriend says this is a horrible idea." I told him she was right but he should bring her to check it out. It really was completely clean, unstained, bugless and they left with it. Not all used mattresses are a germ-fest but you do have to be careful.
lfr@ these comments. only on AT are you called judgmental and snobish for saying "don't buy a used mattress".
i live in a university town. lots o mattresses for sale here..
i say take a look at college/university ads. i live in a particularly "rich" college town (a lot of parents buy their kids condos while they are here)...and the parents buy their kids really nice mattresses too. and when they leave? they'd rather sell it.
go for it. you don't sound stupid.
the one thing I would NEVER buy off craigslist is a used mattress. I bought used mattresses from friends but never from a stranger (and I am not american-paranoid about germs). Just the thought is gross.
PS: after reading the comments, I might actually print this out and keep in mind for future mattress buys. I am just so paranoid about bedbugs (Vancouver has a huge problem) and probably was lucky enough to have friends who got rid of their mattress in time.
Used mattress = begging for trouble. (Also disgusting, but that's another matter.)
Good lord people. Buying a used mattress is like anything else: just be careful. I've bought all of my mattresses on craigslist, and have had a great experience.
*raises hand*
My response to "what if the person is living paycheck to paycheck and can't afford a new mattress and doesn't have anything left over after rent and utilities and food?"
is...well, if they can't afford anything after rent, utilities, and food, how are they paying for a used mattress on Craigslist, let alone a brand new one from a store?
The point a lot of people were making is that instead of buying a used mattress, save for one that is new and guaranteed to be bedbug-free.
hmmmm.
In this economy, some (most?) people can't just fork over $600+ dollars for a mattress.
I got a brand new mattress on Craigslist for $75 and it was the best decision I've made.
In my opinion, if you buy used, zip a mattress cover over it, throw on your own *BRAND NEW* sheets, maybe add a topper for extra cush if you wish, and enjoy youre new bed.
At the end of the day, no one sees your mattress, so if its comfortable and its in great shape, then it doesn't matter where you got it or how much you spent.
@drcourt777
There's a difference between having a rational discussion between adults with differing opinions, and throwing your opinion out there as rudely as possible by treating people like idiots because their opinions don't agree with yours, and getting huffy when people call you out on it. Obviously you don't know the difference.
Goodwill! They legally cannot sell used mattresses, so they sell factory-made scrap mattresses - meaning the sides of the mattress don't match the top of the mattress...both of which will be covered by two layers of sheets, a blanket, and a duvet. In other words: you'll never see them unless you're changing the sheets.
My mattress and boxed spring (full) were about $250 together for a brand-new sewn down pillow top and box. There's a reason donation companies and discount stores can't sell used mattresses...
When I was just out of college and needed a mattress, I found a free one on Craigslist. I was afraid, even with the nice photos and good grammar in the listing, but since the owner lived in Pacific Palisades, a very well-off part of Los Angeles, I took a chance. When I arrived at this adorable house on a hill with a panoramic view of L.A., a nice old couple answered the door. They were just trying to get rid of their barely used, good quality spare bedroom mattress. Guys, sometimes it's worth sifting through all of the bad dirty old stuff in the free section.
You guys are a bunch of irrational, judgmental babies.
When I stay at hotels it's a treat. Slap on some crisp white sheets and a used mattress is no different. For all the New Yorkers afraid of bed bugs, don't you have a bed bug cover on your mattress anyway? I would rather buy a mattress from someone who will let you into their home and look you in the eye than a Sleepy's salesman. People claim they got bedbugs that way too.
I could afford a fancy new mattress, but I'm the sort of person who would sleep on hardwood if left to my own devices. I simply don't need one. To the person who suggested we ought to work three jobs to make the money -- Jesus Christ, get a grip.