When most college students set out in search of furniture for their new pads, they're looking for one only kind: cheap. While being stylish doesn't hurt, the less digits in the furniture's price, the more appealing it often looks to many students. \nIn Bloomington, there's no shortage of cheap furniture up for sale -- or up for grabs as the case might sometimes be -- if students know where to look. Now that loans are coming in and students know what their roommates did or did not bring, it's time for furniture shopping.
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE \nBeing in the right place at the right time definitely has its advantages when it comes to finding furniture. If you've got the guts -- and a big enough car -- you might be able to find free furniture that others have thrown out on the side of the road or next to a dumpster.\nSenior Lindsey Coppola spotted a loveseat while driving and made her roommates stop the car to pick it up for their living room. \n"I was like, 'We have to have that,'" she said. "The best part is the upholstery on it. It's ugly, but in a beautiful way." \nAnother spot to watch is the furniture classifieds on Onestart where cheap, fast-selling furniture abounds. Students post messages about furniture they're selling or interested in buying. Recent items for sale have included a twin size bed for $35, a sleeper sofa for $20 and a computer desk for $30.\nSenior Ara Towns sold a couch and chair within one day of posting a message. \n"I went by first come first serve and the guy came by and got it within an hour," she said.
CHEAP SEATS\nFor in-store shopping, some of the cheapest places to find furniture are thrift stores. Salvation Army, 111 N. Rogers St., sells most of their furniture for $10 and up, including coffee tables, desks, dressers, and entertainment centers. Couches, the store's most popular item, usually cost between $20 and $40, said manager Doug Skinner. \n"They're all in good condition," he said. "We don't sell anything old looking, just some funky colors."\nJunior Henry Chang and his roommates bought a couch for $30 at Salvation Army. \n"We're broke," he said. "We didn't want to spend that much money." \nHe said they plan to put a cover over it to hide the color.\nThere are also several stores in town that sell used furniture in addition to their stock of new furniture. At Long's Landing, 5167 E. Third St., the entire second floor is full of used goods. Mattresses, the most popular items, start at $50. \n"We're one of the few places in town that sell used mattresses," said owner Brad Ragsdale. Sofas, another popular used item, usually start at $99, he said. \nRows of used furniture stacked several items high wind through the back rooms of Dan's Furniture, 620 S. Walnut. \n"Students always want desks, chests, sofas and coffee tables," said owner Dan Baugh. "Anything you would need to eat on, sleep on or sit on." \nSofas usually start at $75, desks start at $20, coffee tables start at $20 and chests start at $30, he said.
GOOD AS NEW \nIf another person's trash is not your idea of treasure, you can also find new furniture at Dan's Furniture and Long's Landing (www.longslanding.net). The most in-demand furniture pieces this year at Long's Landing are black Durahide couches for $399 and five-piece bedroom sets, which include a headboard, dresser, mirror, nightstand and chest of drawers for $500 and up, Ragsdale said. \nThere are also stores selling only new furniture such as Comfort Solutions, 3120 W. Susan Dr., where you can find bedroom, living room or dining room items.
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED\nIf you're willing to put some time and sweat into your furniture to save a few dollars, several stores offer good deals on unassembled furniture. Bed, Bath and Beyond, 280 N. Gates Dr., and Target, 2966 E. Third St. each sell several low-price furniture items that require assembly. Debby Patton, a Target team leader, said a popular item among students this year is a cubby hole set to put behind desks. \nCoppola swears by IKEA for her new furniture shopping. Although there's no IKEA store in the area, students can shop on-line at www.ikea.com. Coppola picked up an end table from her local IKEA for $12.99, a set of four mirrors for $6, four tall kitchen chairs for $15 each and four placemats for 50 cents each. \n"I went to IKEA specifically because we needed tall chairs because the table we have is so tall, and we knew they'd be inexpensive there," she said. \nWhen it comes to furniture, a little creativity mixed with an open mind is more important than an open wallet, Baugh said. \n"You can furnish an apartment real inexpensively and make it not look too bad"
