Free free free (craigslist) but WHERE does this stuff come from??
By mommyboo
@mommyboo (13174)
United States
October 12, 2009 1:19pm CST
I put this in *internet* but I should have put it in 'ugly stuff'. I was going through some of the listings in the FREE category. I cannot figure out where this stuff comes from! There are the UGLIEST pieces of furniture, the likes of which I have NEVER seen! Why would anybody buy a couch with a pattern on it that looks like it came from your grandma's shower curtain or the place mats from a set that was sold in 1930?? How about a pair of lamps that are olive green and have some sort of cut out pattern on them.... or yellow with gilt trim?
I'm just curious. I look for pictures along with listings all the time because just the words without the pictures could mean anything. Comfy sofa, needs a little cleaning - would (in my opinion) call to mind something nice - but when I see a picture and the sofa is beat up all to shreds and some multi-colored pattern of orange and green, it makes it highly unlikely I will pay any more attention to the WORDS lol.
5 people like this
11 responses
@sderringer (303)
• United States
12 Oct 09
You would be surprised at how one man's junk is another man's treasure Mommyboo. Some of those items may be old, out-dated or ugly to you but to someone who is into the retro decorating craze or someone who likes antiquish look or even someone who just can't afford anything but "free", those ugly pieces of furniture are like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
2 people like this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
12 Oct 09
You know, even if I had nothing and needed free stuff I would still think it was ugly and wonder why people had ever been possessed to make something that looked like that. Not just the fabric choices but sometimes the whole frame of a piece of furniture...
Now if I found a nice leather sectional for free, I'd snap that up in a heartbeat lol!
@sderringer (303)
• United States
13 Oct 09
To each his own, Mommyboo. I find this very funny because Leather furniture is the one kind that I wouldn't snap up on......not even for free! Well, unless I could resell it of course. :)
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
12 Oct 09
I think everyone has their own opinion of what's ugly or not. I mean, obviously the people who are giving it away for free at one time thought it was an appealing sofa, or someone they knew must have. Now I myself have some strange tastes. I don't mind older patterened things. Now, if its' a wacky color that's one thing, but if it's actually a pretty nice design with pretty nice colors I like it. Lime Green is a pretty color, but I agree not so much on walls!(I think my grandparents bathroom is still lime green), or on lamps, or furniture unless it's for little kids.
I think that there are some things that are considered antique now but are pretty nice nonetheless.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
13 Oct 09
The things you describe are beautiful in their own way and I can see them in a sitting room, lol, I mean don't get me wrong I do enjoy a nice put together plain colored sofa with a pillow or throw of a different color for flair, maybe a nice curl type swirl in the middle of said pillow, or cover.... I'm just also much into antiques, though I don't understand their value etc like antiquers.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
12 Oct 09
Well... I am not antiquey. I'm not what you'd consider knick knacky or country or frilly either. My taste in spaces and decorating is kind of.... elegant minimalist. I like things that are very fuss free, very form follows function, things that are both beautiful AND comfortable, and durable. Because of that, I don't like a mish mash of prints and colors, I like monochrome things with colors for accents, like a dark brown leather sofa with maybe.... red throw pillows or an off white blanket tossed over the side.
I think my eyes get spasms when I see too many different patterns in one place, I don't like wall paper either lol.
1 person likes this
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
13 Oct 09
There are probably lots of things people find difficult to sell so they put them on the world market hoping somebody would taske it from them.
Obviously people sell things they don't want and as far as that is concerned here what can anybody say ?
@tdemex (3540)
• United States
12 Oct 09
The above response is correct! I've been in some homes that I think look like poop! Everyone has their own taste. My friend used to get junk couches and chairs and reupholster them, he'd make a real bundle doing this, also I did woodworking for many years and fixing up things would make me some cash on the side! So don't knock it til you try it! LOL! 
T-----
T-----1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
12 Oct 09
If it were inexpensive to reupholster, I would do it myself, but it seems to cost the same as replacing furniture 
. As it is, I don't know how to do things like that myself anyway, so trying it would probably be a disaster.
Most of the people I know have very tasteful decorating, so I have mostly been around very mellow tasteful decorating lol. Some of the things I see on craigslist are very tacky, and look like they haven't been taken care of either. Not everything, but a lot of the free or lower priced items.
. As it is, I don't know how to do things like that myself anyway, so trying it would probably be a disaster.
Most of the people I know have very tasteful decorating, so I have mostly been around very mellow tasteful decorating lol. Some of the things I see on craigslist are very tacky, and look like they haven't been taken care of either. Not everything, but a lot of the free or lower priced items.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
12 Oct 09
I expect it is a case of 'different strokes for different folks'. I am amazed at the types of furniture that some people have but their taste does vary. My taste is very simple because I believe that I came from a home that had a few good pieces of antique furniture so I have always gone for antique furniture with comfortable sofas etc. Nothing over the top or fancy whatsoever.
I expect that some of my friends would consider my furniture not to be of their taste. But I love my antique four poster bed and my dressing table is 150 years old pure mahogany. But I love my classic style. Classic but comfortable.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
13 Oct 09
I think I'm very plain actually.... I like furniture without embellishment, and I prefer ones where the cushions don't come off. I like them to be overstuffed and for the fabric to be leather or some type that is soft and not scratchy, and neutral colored. Antiquey stuff to me has never been very comfortable, and I always look at things I get from the point of view of being both kid-friendly and kid-safe, so most of my taste is very modern and includes stain-guard lol.
Some antiques are very beautiful, but a lot of them are also quite 'fussy'...
@mssnow (9484)
• United States
12 Oct 09
Hi . As you have heard before. One mans trash is another mans treasure. If one person bought it then it means there will be another who will also like it. We all have different tastes so who knows why someone who want a couch that resembles a shower curtain But they do.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
13 Oct 09
people's basements,garages,or cleaning out grandma's house probably.
i saw some tiered shelf top (only the top)that sat on a bureau the other day somebody was getting rid of..it said "brought up from basement" and when you looked at the pic it was fairly obvious-it had that dusty greenish funk wood gets from damp basements..nah,dude..you can keep it.
@LouieWpHs04 (4554)
• United States
13 Oct 09
Well, furniture for example is either in too horrid of condition to sell to anyone and selling furniture in general isn't exactly the easiest thing to do especially depending on how you sell it considering there are a lot of rules and regulations that come with it.
However I wouldn't say it's all bad. I've seen a lot of great free things on craigslist and a lot of great deals in general. I guess really you just have to check back every so often and some pretty nice stuff will pop up. On top of that, there are a LOT of people that can barely furnish their house so in a way, craigslist to them is like a godsend.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
13 Oct 09
hi mommyboo I bet that all that stuff is stuff that the
owners themselves could no longer bear to look at, what
we call a white elephant. white elephant meaning ugly'as sin
and hope someone is either color blind or just too needy
to care.
@taripres (1499)
• United States
12 Oct 09
Hey, if it's free, I guess they're just trying to get rid of it because they know it's hideous Then they probably don't want to throw it away because it has some sort of sentimental value! Look at it this way, some of that old furniture if reupholstered would be great, cause they don't make stuff nowhere near that sturdy anymore
Taripre$
Then they probably don't want to throw it away because it has some sort of sentimental value! Look at it this way, some of that old furniture if reupholstered would be great, cause they don't make stuff nowhere near that sturdy anymore
Taripre$