Now we've moved into our 'new' house (built 1938) all our furniture is either too big or too small for the spaces. And, as we're downsizing, we have duplicates of some items - even six different types of desk!  Here are details of the desks:

1. There's a very old piece of oak furniture with a desk part top middle, with a small cupboard underneath and glass display cupboards at each side.   
2. There's a modern computer desk with shelves for tower, printer, paper and a drawer for pens etc.
3. Another items has three drawers and a roll down lid covering the pigeon holes - everyone who see this absolutely loves it!
4. A four desk has three drawers at the side and big top surface.  It's very useful for crafts and is unique as someone has applied marquetry to the drawers.  I'm loathe to part with this as it has a matching coffee table and I'll never be able to get another one like it.
5. The fifth one was probably originally a gramophone cupboard with lift down lid at the front for desk and speaker, and storage below for records.  This items has intricate Chinese-type carving on the front.  It looks like the sort of piece which is either valuable or two-a-penny - not sure which at present!
6. The sixth one is delicate looking side table with a leather top, one drawer and spindly legs.  It would look very good in a window or perhaps in a hall.

No 1

No 3

No 5 - with beautiful Chinese-type carvings

Elegant desk no 6

As you can see, all these desks have different functions and are nice in their own right, so at the moment we're hanging on to all of them.

A friend said that if we can't decide what to keep and what to get rid of then put the items for sale at a good price.  Then if they go and we subsequently regret it then at least we didn't just give it away.



Ideas for getting rid of the furniture include:

• eBay
• Local auction houses - Bamfords and Hansons (both charge about 18%)
• Local advertising: newspapers, newsagents, local magazine.
• Gumtree, Preloved and similar sites.
• Charity shop
• Freecycle.    

Already a large dining table with six chairs and a two-seater sofa have been sold on Preloved.  

This site seems to take longer to sell things than perhaps on eBay. But it's free and I don't get bombarded with queries.  In the past we successfully used Preloved when we sold the wheelchair and the two mobility scooters.

Several small items have been given away on freecycle.

We also have a beautiful china cabinet which just doesn't look good in our house.  It should do as it's from a similar era to the house, but somehow doesn't look its best, but at present am not sure how to best sell it.

And then there's this rather nice sideboard: