As hotels around the globe redecorate their rooms with slick new flat-screen televisions, the inevitable has happened: the market for entertainment armoires has become saturated. Juliet Chung of the Wall Street Journal reports on the sad fate of the unwanted furniture pieces:
Industry analysts estimate that as many as 40,000 armoires could be looking for new homes by the end of the year.
The rejects are ending up in some unlikely spots. Some are retiring to the Dominican Republic, where they’re being used in bed-and-breakfasts and private living rooms. Craigslist and eBay have hundreds of postings by people trying to unload the units. But most are gathering dust in warehouses from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The result: price drops. Chung reports one hotel-liquidation company is unloading armoires for $50 each; Hotel Surplus Outlet in Los Angeles has been refusing to accept any more for several months now.
“We don’t want to have a warehouse full of buggy whips,” says Michael Grimmé, owner of AMC Liquidators in Fort Lauderdale, where unsold armoires from luxury properties are piling up. Mr. Grimmé says he has cut prices by about 25%, which has attracted buyers who need to outfit lower-end hotels and motels.
Plenty of used old-style 27-inch televisions are available too, but of course that doesn’t make for as interesting reading. If you’ve still got one, or want a place to put one, or want to convert a former entertainment armoire into a computer desk or a nightstand or even — what a concept! — an armoire you can actually hang your clothes in, now’s your chance. The article lists four sources where you can buy used armoires for cheap:
- Au Revoir, Armoire [RealEstate Journal]
Photo: Doug & Michelle Smithwick, Country Cottage Chic
