Like many green, budget-minded consumers, Fayre Makeig, of Belfast, Maine, furnishes her home only with secondhand furniture. “I can’t imagine buying a new piece of furniture,” said the wife and mother of two. “I wouldn’t want to pay that much.”
Until recently, however, her furniture search never went beyond her immediate area because she was the one picking it up. That changed when her 100-year-old grandfather died, and she had the chance to inherit several heirlooms.
“He was so elegant and had great taste,” she said. “The thought of having my children grow up around furniture that reminds us of him meant a lot.” The hitch was how to get these pieces from her grandfather’s home in Georgetown, Texas, to hers.
The answer came through a family member who told Makeig about uShip, an online platform that virtually connects folks who want items shipped with a network of drivers who have room on their trucks. The need for such a business first occurred to uShip founder Matt Chasen in 2001 when he was moving from Seattle to Austin to start MBA school and driving a large, rented truck, full of empty space.
The wasted space gave him the idea, which blossomed into his MBA project, which became an international business, which inspired a long-running reality TV show on A&E called “Shipping Wars.” The show pitted independent truck drivers against each other to see who could deliver challenging items like a six-tier wedding cake to a life-size animatronic T-Rex most efficiently.
But back to Makeig whose haul was less exciting but important to her. She posted photos and descriptions of the furniture she wanted shipped — a tall, solid wood dresser, two large bookcases, and an antique birthing chair —and found a driver who would drive the items cross country and deliver them in just a few days for $850.
Wait. A what?
You heard right. Makeig sent pictures of the antique wooden birthing chair, which her aunts believe dates back to 19thCentury France. The uncomfortable looking perch has grip handles that allegedly “helped” women in labor. All righty then. Thanks to the online driver-matching service, this conversation piece now sits in Makeig’s living room.
The desire for affordable, unique and environmentally friendly furniture is behind the growing popularity of secondhand market platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and AptDeco, said uShip spokeswoman Jami Caruso. However, shipping is often a deal breaker.
In a recent survey, almost a third of secondhand-furniture buyers said that transporting the item was complicated, and over half of sellers said coordination for pick-up was their biggest challenge.
“We close the gap,” Caruso said. “For those who want vintage or unique furniture and who care about sustainability and the environment, this could be the answer. It’s also a wonderful option for elderly family members who want their heirlooms to go to relatives far away.”
“Now that I know of this option,” Makeig added, “I can start shopping for furniture out of my area.”
Caruso then offered the following tips for sending items you love long distance:
· Who should ship? Although shipping isn’t cheap, if a high-value piece is priced low, then a service like uShip could make the secondhand furniture market a lot bigger for buyers. Meanwhile, sellers of secondhand furniture who want to attract long-distance buyers can integrate uShip pricing into the checkout process, so prospective buyers can get a shipping estimate, she said. Getting a price estimate is free.
· What to ship? The most common shipments include household furnishings, cars and light trucks, heavy equipment, such as tractors, and the occasional rescue pet, Caruso said.
· How it works. Customers list what they want to ship, including dimensions, weight and where it’s going. The system calculates a price range, say from $200 to $400. The customer can offer to pay a driver a price in that range, like $250, or can just ask for competing bids. The listing then goes out to a network of curated drivers, many of them small independent business owners, who can submit bids. Depending on how attractive the job is, requests typically get a driver within 24 to 72 hours. Deliveries to rural areas, or super heavy or fragile items get less interest.
· Take good pictures. Carriers love photos. When posting your listing, include good pictures from different angles. Take photos in good lighting and capture flaws.
· Provide details. Let drivers know whether they will need to carry items upstairs, or park on a steep driveway.
· Ask questions. Ask potential carriers if they have the right supplies, such as blankets, straps, and dollies, to load, protect, transport and unload your items. Ask what their delivery policy is, whether curbside only or to “room of choice.” Ask if they have or will need help unloading the item, and whether their shipping price is all inclusive, or if they charge additional fees. Ask what sort of vehicle they will be driving, what kind of insurance they offer, and how will you be compensated if the delivery is lost or damaged.
· Get protection. Although 99 percent of the time, customers have a great experience, Caruso advises shippers to read carrier reviews. Book with a carrier who has a decent number of reviews and a high rating. Don’t hire any shipper who asks to work with you offline. Transacting on the uShip platform offers several protections, such as safe payments, tracking, customer support, dispute resolution, and optional insurance.
CAPTION: Heirloom express — More family heirlooms, like this antique birthing chair, are making their way to the next generation thanks to online shipping platforms that help those who want an item shipped book empty space on trucks. Photo by Kendra Lindsay