If you have an old Ikea shelf sitting in a corner, September is the month to pay attention. That is when Ikea's used-furniture buyback program expands to every full-format US store.
The Brooklyn store will start the service then, according to Bryan Walker, who manages product quality for Ikea US. The program has been running for five years and has accepted about 53,000 pieces.
The process is built around convenience. You get a price estimate on Ikea's website, bring the item to a store, and get store credit after drop-off.
Ikea staff inspect each piece, and some need cleaning or repair before they land in the As-Is section. That is the part of the store where returned and damaged items get resold at lower prices.
The result is a simple loop. An old piece becomes credit toward something new, and the item itself gets another owner.
Secondhand commerce has expanded overall. Clothing resellers thrive on Depop, REI sells used outdoor gear, and Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are full of furniture.
Get the free Always Be Buying eBook and learn the simple system for building wealth on any income
Used furniture has a special draw because new pieces are costly and older designs can be hard to find in a big showroom. The pricing shows how much condition matters.
On Ikea's website, the price for a lightly scratched black Kallax in its large size comes to $69.65 at a Washington, DC-area store. A near-new version is worth about $10 more, a heavily worn one about $10 less, and the bookcase costs almost $300 new.
Paying almost $300 for a new bookcase is a big ask. Paying $69.65 for the same piece with light scratches feels like a find.
Most bought-back items are cheaper, used versions of products still sold new, which appeals to budget-focused shoppers. Others pull in design-focused buyers, and stores have taken back items from the higher-priced Stockholm line, including a sofa that costs $2,000 new.
Then there are the unexpected finds. A few months ago, a store bought back a post-modern Signatur executive desk from the 1980s, the oldest item acquired to date.
That decade also saw Ikea open its first US stores. Walker calls the desk "the perfect encapsulation of really simple form."
Walker said pieces like that appeal to customers looking for a specific style. An old desk from the 1980s can give a room a look that the current showroom does not have.
Walker sees the program as more than a resale bin. "I can't have a conversation about secondhand without talking about affordability," he said.
"A lot of businesses see secondhand as a side business," he said. "I do see this as a growth area for us."
The program also builds loyalty. Customers who use the buyback program visit Ikea stores 50% more often on average over the following six months, which Walker calls "a really significant impact."
For anyone shopping this way, the payoff works in both directions.
As more stores join, the odds get better that your next furniture switch comes with a little store credit. That old dresser might just pay for the new one.
Download the free Always Be Buying eBook and start putting your money to work today