Can a Home Be Furnished By Online Auction Alone?

Almost immediately she found three French Louis XIV couture-style Bergere chairs from a Philadelphia antiques dealer. The chairs required reupholstering, but that was fine with Cohen since she preferred to choose her own fabric. She purchased the cloth in Manhattan, shipped it to a Philadelphia upholstery service, and within a month she picked up the chairs to use in her living room. Cohen estimated that each chair, complete with shipping and upholstery, was about one third of what she would have spent in a Manhattan antiques store.

Next, she purchased dining room chairs from a homeowner in Oklahoma. The seller shipped them by Greyhound bus and Cohen and her son picked them up at the Port Authority Terminal in midtown Manhattan. They carried the chairs through the station, and when they got outside, in spite of curious looks from passersby, they plopped the chairs down on 42nd Street and waited in comfort to flag down a cab (see photo of her kids above).

The next time Cohen logged into eBay, a former interior director's private collection was up for sale. Cohen loved his Italian cocktail table and, because he was moving, she was able to pick up the piece at less than 50% of local antiques store prices. She also bought paintings, mirrors, lamps and pillows -- all on eBay. "It's more fun than retail shopping," says Cohen. "I got to know the background and history of where each piece had come from and where it had been. In addition, there was a connection with the seller that you don't get an in an antiques or furniture store."


Shelley Clark, a communications and public relations consultant for Platform Communications, is also an eBay convertee. She shopped for many of the accessories for her Upper East side Manhattan home through eBay, including a Victorian chair, a chic mirror, an area rug, an antique corner wall clock, a set of vintage china and glassware, a cast iron dutch oven and new stainless steel flatware. Clark says she saved well over 50% over antique store prices and even more compared to what these items would cost new at retail.

But cost is not the only advantage. Clark likes that her accessories are unique and don't "feel like everything else" she would find at a retail store.

When Lynn Blumenfeld (shown above, right), a partner at boutique advertising marketing and design firm blumenfeld + fleming, moved to a larger Long Island home, she and her husband needed more furniture to fill empty spaces. They sourced most through eBay, including some items you might not expect to find on the online auction site.

Their first score were Eames chairs (shown above). When they found them, the chairs had ugly turquoise pleather and linoleum coverings that her business partner said "belonged in the dump." After reupholstering, "they looked great and had more charm than the furniture I see in all the other houses around here that all looks the same -- either Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware."

In addition, the Blumenfelds moved to a traditional shingled beach cottage, and Lynn didn't want her house to have that new feel. When she chose lighting fixtures, she checked out eBay too. The result? Used chandeliers from Paris, antique sconces and lighting fixtures from the Midwest for next to nothing. "I saved a bundle," she says.



The only problem was that most were so old that the wiring was shot. And since her small town had just one local electrician, it took a little longer than she would have liked to get all the lighting fixtures rewired. "I overheard the electrician, in his thick Long Island accent saying, 'Can't you just buy somethin' noahmal from a regulah stowa?'"

So what did she learn? "Carefully check shipping costs and returns policies," she says. "It's also smart to check and see if sellers have other items you want. Most sellers will combine shipping for multiple items, greatly saving on transportation costs." Her final recommendation? "Read the customer feedback to see that the seller is reputable and is willing to resolve issues if any arise."

Cohen admits she learned from a few mistakes. She found the better quality pieces when purchasing from a dealer, store or decorator, but prices were less expensive when working with an individual. Also, professional dealers, stores and designers had more knowledge about shipping, knew how to protect pieces during shipping, and were more likely to know the history of the item. "Always call or email the seller to ask more questions," she advises. "Measure your room dimensions instead of just using visual gut feel and ask for additional pictures from different angles before you commit."

So would Cohen do it again? "If I ever moved or got a summer house, I'd do it through eBay. It was a great experience. I love every piece in my home. Everything has a story, and that makes me appreciate it that much more."

For more great ShelterPop stories, don't miss:
Top 5 Flea Markets in the Country
Best Flea Markets in the World
Antique New Furniture

Here's how to download the eBay app to monitor deals all day long.