Downsizing? Here’s How to Get the Most Money for Your Mid-Century Furniture

Downsizing is one of the most common reasons people find themselves selling furniture they've lived with for decades. Whether you're moving to a smaller home, transitioning a parent into assisted living, or simply editing a space that's accumulated too much over the years, the furniture decisions can feel overwhelming — especially when you suspect some of it might be worth something.

Here's a practical approach that maximizes what you walk away with.

Start With an Inventory Mindset, Not a Disposal Mindset

The instinct when downsizing is to move quickly — make decisions, clear space, be done. That instinct will cost you money. The better approach is to spend the first phase purely in inventory mode: photograph everything, document any labels or markings, and defer all disposal decisions until you have a clearer picture of what you're working with. This phase doesn't have to take long. A few hours of careful documentation can make a significant difference in what you recover from the pieces you choose to sell.

Keep What You'll Actually Use

This sounds obvious, but downsizers often hold onto pieces out of sentiment that they'll never actually use in the new space — and let go of pieces that might have been more practical. Be honest about what fits your new life. The pieces that don't fit — especially quality MCM furniture — have a market that will value them appropriately.

Prioritize the Pieces With the Highest Ceiling

Not all furniture deserves the same level of attention. If you have a credenza, a lounge chair, a sofa set, and a handful of side tables, the research and effort you invest should be proportional to the likely upside. Case pieces by known makers, lounge seating in original condition, and dining sets with strong attribution are worth researching carefully. Generic functional pieces — bookcases, utility tables, basic dressers — are fine to donate or list quickly at a modest price.

Don't Renovate Before You Know the Value

A very common and very avoidable mistake: spending $600 reupholstering a chair before knowing whether the original upholstery was part of its value, or before knowing whether the piece would have sold for $300 regardless of what the fabric looked like. For MCM furniture specifically, always research value before investing in any restoration. The work sometimes adds to value. Sometimes it subtracts. You need to know which before you spend the money.

Choose Your Sales Channel by Piece, Not by Convenience

Different pieces deserve different platforms. A designer-attributed lounge chair belongs on Chairish, 1stDibs, or with a specialist consignment shop — not on Facebook Marketplace. A solid walnut bookcase of unknown origin is probably fine to list locally. The effort you put into channel selection should match the value of the piece. Routing a valuable piece to the wrong channel is the same as leaving money on the table.

Give Yourself a Timeline That Isn't Artificially Short

The single biggest concession downsizers make is accepting low prices because they're under time pressure. If you can build enough lead time to do this thoughtfully — even three or four weeks — you'll almost always recover more from the pieces you sell. Start the process earlier than you think you need to. The market for quality MCM furniture is active; buyers are there. They just need a little time to find you.

Understand the Market Before You Price

The key to getting top dollar when downsizing is knowing your category. Our most actively sought pieces come from these collections — browse to see current market pricing:

• Mid Century Modern Bedroom Furniture
• Credenzas, Sideboards & Bar Cabinets
• Dressers & Nightstands
• Mid Century Modern Chairs
• Coffee & Side Tables

Also read: The 10 Most Collectible MCM Furniture Brands to identify if your pieces fall into high-value categories.