moving on up

[cadalano]

dear veeshanvault forum,

I'm moving soon - I need lots of boxes on the cheap. anyone recommend a site?

I also need a lot of furniture. I don't want expensive furniture but i also dont want shit that is going to fall apart. is ordering online a bad idea? failing that- will going to Ikea make me a bitch?

[miir]

Ikea isn't bad for inexpensive furniture... just don't get the absolute cheapest stuff from them. It's total shit.

[rhyae]

Locally we have a 'freecycle' site, people list items to give away for free or trade. My friend just got some big moving boxes for free. Check and see if you have anything like that in Fla.

Overstock sells furniture, I've never found anything I like there, but shipping is always super cheap, not so with other sites.

[Boogahz]

I am guessing there will be some available on craigslist in your area like there always are on the Austin site.

[Xatrei]

I sympathize. We've been packing up for a move for the last couple of weeks, and after seeing the prices for moving boxes at various places, I've decided that I should be in the cardboard box business. 5-10+ bucks for 1 cardboard moving box makes my head hurt. The two best suggestions have already been made, I think. Check your local freecycle.org mailing list on yahoo, and craigslist. Post "wanted/needed" notices on both, and I'd be shocked if you didn't come up with a lot of boxes. Also, check with local retailers for any boxes they might have to give away. I found that "Banker Boxes" are relatively cheap and great for packing up lots of little things. If you were in Birmingham, I'd give you a few dozen boxes in another week heh.

For furniture, I'm not sure what you consider to be inexpensive, but places like Pier 1 Imports and World Market seem like they have relatively decent inexpensive things like tables and beds. They sell sofas and chairs, too, but I personally could never buy something like that that I couldn't sit on first. I've never bought any furniture from either, but their stuff doesn't seem flimsy. Unless you have an Ikea nearby, shipping on heavy flat-pack stuff can quickly eat up any savings on it. We were thinking about buying a cheapo TV stand from there to use until we find one that we really like, but shipping on a $300 item was almost $150 bucks, so we didn't. If you don't mind used furniture, craigslist is a good suggestion for that, as well. We've got a few pieces of furniture that we won't be using in our new house, that will be listed on the bham.craigslist soon (Nneena decided we needed new furniture for our new livingroom and bedroom).

On the subject of furniture, I've been amazed at how difficult it is to find a decent platform bed at any of the local furniture shops that doesn't cost a couple thousand bucks. Even mail order, they're hard to find at a tolerable price. If anyone has a suggestion for that, I'd love to hear it.

[Sylvus]

One of my friends owns an appliance store, and they are always throwing away boxes, every day. You might go into a local shop like that and see if you could just have some of them before they break them down and toss/recycle them.

[Truant]

I'm a fan of ikea furniture, but not everyone likes the style.

Also, for boxes, liquor stores have tons and will give them to you (they're also super sturdy double reinforced boxes!).

It kind of depends on what size boxes you need to determine where you go to ask for them. Liquor store boxes have never failed me in my many, many moves.

[Fairweather Pure]

I used to work for a moving company, and yes, boxes are very expensive.

Boxes are to the moving business like popcorn/candy are to movie theaters.

I work at a hospital and all I had to do was go to our purchasing department and ask them to save me "x" amount of boxes everyday of various sizes. They are really good about setting them aside. I could also go straight to the carboard recycling dumpster behind the hospital and take as much as I want if I desired.

Many places like grocery stores and such have the same type of recycling bins behind the stores. I would warn anyone to really look at your boxes though. Roaches love to live in corrugated containers. If you are dumpster diving for your boxes, make sure they haven't been there long, and be extra careful of the location and what was being transported in the boxes. When I was working in a grocery store in AR, we would have roaches in our recycling bin within days of the previous pickup.

[Aevian Dreaklear]

Working for Old Navy, I just make sure whatever employee I have breaking down boxes save some aside from me. We have these 1-2-3 boxes which are very nice for moving. You can't fit a ton of crap in them though, but its a decent sized amount. Your local Old Navy should have at least 2 shipments a week, between the 2 shipments, I would imagine you could score enough boxes for your move. I would just call ahead and see if you can get ahold of whoever runs their shipment.

[cadalano]

thanks for the tips kids. i will probably try hitting up some liquor stores for the added benefit of looking like a hardcore alcoholic

[Ashur]

Make the place you buy furniture from throw in a bunch of boxes!

[Truant]

thanks for the tips kids. i will probably try hitting up some liquor stores for the added benefit of looking like a hardcore alcoholic

Yeah, that's a hilarious bonus of those boxes.

[Fairweather Pure]

Make the place you buy furniture from throw in a bunch of boxes!

The moving company I worked for did something like this. We would offer used boxes for free, but it was an "as available" basis. Our salesmen would lure people in with that and when they showed up to thw warehouse we usually wouldn't have any. The customers would usually fork over the cash and buy new ones.

If a moving company is going to supply you with new boxes "for free", I promise you they are working it into the price somewhere else.

[Truant]

well duh.

[Boogahz]

Make the place you buy furniture from throw in a bunch of boxes!

The moving company I worked for did something like this. We would offer used boxes for free, but it was an "as available" basis. Our salesmen would lure people in with that and when they showed up to thw warehouse we usually wouldn't have any. The customers would usually fork over the cash and buy new ones.

If a moving company is going to supply you with new boxes "for free", I promise you they are working it into the price somewhere else.

Why would he buy furniture from a moving company?

[Xouqoa]

I got a bunch of boxes when I moved from Florida to Texas via Craigslist. Just do a search on there for boxes and typically there are many people who have moved previously who want to get rid of their boxes.

[Zamtuk]

if you're on the east coast still, go to rooms to go (maybe roomstogo.com). 1k-1.5k will get you an entire living room set.

[Fash]

I get rid of them in the trash... I break them down and pack them tight.

I can't imagine listing boxes on craigslist.

[cadalano]

damn zamtuk- that looks like its just what i need.. and I'm just moving to Delray so still in FL. i guess i should have been paying attention to the commercials they run every 2 seconds. thanks boss

[Truant]

I get rid of them in the trash... I break them down and pack them tight.

I can't imagine listing boxes on craigslist.

I actually collapse mine and store them for my next move. But I move a lot.

[Xatrei]

I get rid of them in the trash... I break them down and pack them tight.

I can't imagine listing boxes on craigslist.

Some people would rather find someone that can reuse them than to just send them to a recycling center or worse yet, a landfill (reusing > recycling). Freecycle and the free section of craigslist are perfect venues for people get reusable items like this into people's hands that need them.

[cadalano]

liquor store for the win. the guy said he gets requests like that all the time and they go through tons of boxes every week. its a total upscale boca raton wino shop too so i'll look like i'm a sophisticated motherfucker. thanks!

[Canelek]

Zomg! That dude is moving his shit in Franzia boxes, yo. He is a BADASSMOTHERFUCKER!

Enjoy yer move dude.

[laneela]

Ikea ftw. Go to the one close to Sawgrass so you can see and feel the furniture. Also, while you're there go to the Crate & Barrel, Le Creuset and Bed, Bath & Beyond outlets at sawgrass. For a fee, I'll go and take care of your shopping and decorating. =P

I also have a trick for boxes which I wouldn't suggest to anyone with a conscience - you shouldn't have a problem with it. Let me know if you still need.

[Arborealus]

I also have a trick for boxes which I wouldn't suggest to anyone with a conscience - you shouldn't have a problem with it. Let me know if you still need.

HER BOXES ARE MADE FROM PEOPLE!!!!!!!

[laneela]

I also have a trick for boxes which I wouldn't suggest to anyone with a conscience - you shouldn't have a problem with it. Let me know if you still need.

HER BOXES ARE MADE FROM PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Jews aren't people! ><

[Clatis]

I don't know if this has been said or not (don't feel like searching through 30posts)

but if you need small / medium sized boxes, the liquor store throws out a lot of boxes and they usually don't care if you take them

[miir]

I don't know if this has been said or not (don't feel like searching through 30posts)

That's kicking lazy up a few notches.

[Aslanna]

I actually collapse mine and store them for my next move. But I move a lot.

Yeah... That. They don't take a lot of space. I've used the same boxes for 3-4 moves now. And as long as you don't keep buying a bunch of shit you don't need you should have enough for the next move. I've actually been working on getting rid of some of the stuff I still have sitting in boxes so I may have a surplus for the next time I hit the ole dusty trail.

[Spang]

I don't know if this has been said or not (don't feel like searching through 30posts)

That's kicking lazy up a few notches.

What's wrong with the youth of today?

[miir]

I don't know if this has been said or not (don't feel like searching through 30posts)

That's kicking lazy up a few notches.

What's wrong with the youth of today?

They're too damn young!

[Canelek]

It's that damn nintendo videogames that fucks their brains up. Need to get outside and play with the other kids. When I was that age, we'd be outside till Ma rang the dinner bell and boy-howdy, we'd come a-runnin for some vittles.

[Clatis]

I don't know if this has been said or not (don't feel like searching through 30posts)

That's kicking lazy up a few notches.

What's wrong with the youth of today?

i had just woke up and my eyes were still fuzzy.

[Dregor Thule]

I saw Clatis had responded to this thread and figured he had given some totally awesome advice on making your own furniture out of rotted out tree trunks and roadkill!

[Noysyrump]

Milk crates bitches. I used to make fun of my dad for it... but there is like a cult following for this crap.













Even make teh artwork!