People on Craigslist are ripping you off.

Why is it that people on craigslist think you should pay so much for used furniture from Ikea?

Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about (dont know how long these links will work):

1. Ikea Malm Dresser- $50 in "very good condition... used for 2 years" (okay i've used one of these and know for a fact that as you fill the drawers the bottoms, which are made from cardboard, begin to bow downwards), "best part is you don't have to assemble it!" (yeah uh huh, so part of the $50 is your payment for assembling it.) Now let's look here. So as you can see it was only $79.99 originally, may have been cheaper 2 years ago, or conversely our currency is worth less so if it was the same you are actually saving money ($30 saved for 2 years of use, of which you don't know what was spilled, whatever in it)
2. IKEA Cabinet - LEKSVIK Buffet with top cabinet (Used/fully assembled) - $180. Hey fully assembled! Awesome. Here's the link to Ikea. This time you have no idea what "used" refers to. Total saved: $69
3. Ikea Malm Bed Frame w/ Sultan Matress - $100: Alrighty, a bed with a frame. Sounds reasonable. However as you read the description you will see: "comes with a free sultan matress, but has a stain", eeeewww....... Also the bed does not come with any nuts, but they can be "mailed or given at Ikea, probably" Fantabulousness! Here are the links, for the bed frame, and the mattress. $79.99 for the mattress (without the stain) and $100 for the frame (with the nuts). Price saved: $79.99
   

So this really comes down to the fact that people buy cheap furniture and try to unload it on others for barely less than they payed. Lets assume that each of these people had this furniture for 2 years and used it normally (except for #3, that' s gross and stupid to try and sell, or give away and sell the frame at retail). #1 has used the dresser for 2 years and thinks it should only have cost them $30 dollars for that privilege. #2 thinks 2 years is worth $69. #3 says $80 is the price they should have payed. In addition, they believe that assembling it is some kind of bonus as though they would break it down before selling it to you. They needed to assemble it for it to work in the first place, so they are actually saving themselves time by not disassembling it (I wouldn't say anything about it being assembled and just disassemble it to spite the buyer.. no not really).

Now I love Ikea furniture and its great if your spending income is not that high. However, it is furniture that should be donated or set out to curb, not pushed back on people for a barely lower price. Plus you have to take into account that you need to drive and pick it up, presumably with a vehicle that can carry it, spending a certain amount of money on gas. In reality I should propose to these people that I will "rent" it from them for the same amount as they think they should pay for having it originally. Who wouldn't want a dresser for $15/year, a buffet for $40, and a bed set for $40? Ebay has the same problem and if you dont believe me just search for anything that is not obscure and compare it to the retail price, the difference is fractional. I will never sell my Ikea furniture on craigslist because I believe donating it is better for the population and I would feel too guilty selling it to someone.

Oh and stay away from stained mattresses, it's never worth it... never.