Used Furniture

[quote=”Danceman”]I was rather astounded to learn that there are basically no used furniture places which makes furniture sky high and hard to afford. But …. am I wrong? There is one such store I found in Grecia but the prices are so high, it hardly counts. Is there any way to get cheap furniture in Costa Rica. And while we’re at it, how about thrift shops generally?[/quote]
Planning on leaving CR, I’m selling mine. Some high but of higher quality than in any stores here or in the USA. Some cheap and also of excellent quality. 2446-6724 (Atenas).

There is a used American furniture store in Sarchi on the main drag between Grecia and Sarchi. If you’re driving from Grecia, it’ll be on the left just next to a big souvenir place. The only time I was in there, they seemed to have mostly things cleared out when a hotel was refurnished. It wasn’t pretty.

In general, domestically made furniture is very, very durable and is probably handed down from generation to generation within the family, so there’s no need for a resale market.

You may be able to save some money by ordering custom-made furniture in a large quantity (several pieces in one order) and asking for a discount, by specifying simple designs with no fancy work, and by specifying less expensive woods. Wood is expensive in Costa Rica despite the domestic sources.

The only thrift shops commonly seen are those marked “[i]ropa Americana[/i]”. Those are outlets for used or cast-off clothing from North America. Often, good bargains can be found there.

generally most of the used furniture here is sold by expats fleeing the country. i didn’t find the furniture here expensive at all considering the quality of craftsmanship and the wonderful hard woods they use so i did not bring any furniture with me. i had everything custom-made here and it is of a higher quality than anything i would’ve brought and is actually appropriate for the climate. one friend brought a container of furniture that was of mediocre quality and it literally fell apart, molded, or came unglued and had to be thrown out. there are a few consignment shops along the pista where they sell stuff gringos have left, but generally, those stores do not exist here, at least in my area.