Who Buys or Collects Used Furniture in Singapore Today?

lisa A
Jun 28
3 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

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Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with “free disposal” companies that charge after collection using bait and switch tactics. We offer honest, legal and accountable junk removal services across Singapore

Who Buys or Collects Used Furniture in Singapore Today?

🛋️ Do People Still Collect Used Old Furniture in Singapore? Here’s the Truth

If you’ve ever Googled “used furniture collectors” or asked, “Do you collect old items?”, you’re not alone.

Many Singaporeans assume that there are still hobbyists, recyclers, or garang guni uncles who collect used furniture — especially bulky wooden items or vintage-looking pieces — for free.

But is that still true today? And should you expect someone to pick up your entire home’s worth of unwanted furniture without charge?

Here’s the real story from the ground.

🏚️ Why People Think Furniture Collection Is Free

You may have grown up seeing:

🚛 Garang guni men collecting old TVs or radios
♻️ Neighbours giving away bulky furniture before a move
🪑 Hobbyists repurposing antique chairs or cabinets

So naturally, when it comes time to clear out your own items, you might ask:

“Do you collect this? Can someone take it off my hands?”

Unfortunately, in most cases today — the answer is no, not for free.

🔍 The Modern Reality of Furniture Collectors

Today’s “collectors” fall into several categories — and they don’t all mean free removal.

1. 🧑‍🔧 Furniture Buyers or Resellers

They’re only interested in very specific items:

Branded, good-condition pieces
Rare hardwood furniture
Vintage designer items

Most of them:

Expect you to deliver it
Offer very low prices (if any)
Take 1–2 items max per pickup

❗️Many customers try this route for weeks, then get no buyers or only time-wasters.

2. ♻️ Recyclers or Upcyclers

These are often part-time sellers, or small businesses like SG Preloved to JB (our sister brand) who:

Sort, clean, and resell items
Need to pay for storage, manpower, diesel, moving crews
May offer free collection only if the item is:
- Light
- Resellable
- Accessible (e.g. ground floor, no stairs)

They do not remove an entire household's worth of junk — or take items with water damage, broken drawers, or infestations. So who does collect used old furniture in Singapore?

3. 👷‍♂️ Junk Removal Services (Like Junk Value)

This is where Junk Value comes in — for:

Entire property clear-outs
Furniture in any condition
HDB, condo, landed, and no-lift buildings
Urgent timelines or disposal needs

Because we cover:

Truck rental
Driver + 2-man team
Stairs, dismantling, diesel, and NEA-compliant disposal

...we charge a transparent, fair fee — not a profit margin, but to cover real costs.

⚠️ Why “Free Collection” Often Leads to Problems

Many customers:

Expect full removal
Assume there's resale value
Get frustrated when told there’s a cost

We often hear:

“But I paid $800 for that dining set!”“I saw someone on Facebook giving away sofas for free — why can’t you?”

Here’s the issue:

✅ Yes, some items can be given away

❌ But that doesn’t mean your item will be picked up

❌ And it definitely doesn’t mean someone will carry it down four flights of stairs and dispose of it properly — for free

📦 Real Stories From Our Customers

🔹 One client listed 5 old cabinets on Carousell — no buyers for 3 weeks. We cleared it in 1 hour.

🔹 Another was ghosted by a buyer, and left stranded on her condo move-out day. Our team stepped in with a last-minute booking and cleared it professionally.

🔹 A family tried donating a 3-seater sofa. After 4 rejections, they called Junk Value.