Your first instinct when you need a piece of furniture might be to visit a local furniture store or department store. There can be scenarios, however, in which you don't want to spend a lot of money for this purchase. For example, maybe you need to buy some furniture for your cottage, or maybe your teenager is moving away to college and you need some inexpensive furniture for their apartment.

Whatever the case, a pawn shop can be a good place to shop for certain pieces of furniture. While you might be reluctant to buy used couches or mattresses, here are some pieces of furniture that you can buy with confidence.

Tables And Chairs

Buying a table and some chairs at a local pawn shop instead of at a furniture store can save you a significant amount of money. People often sell their old tables and chairs to pawn shops when they're upgrading to newer furniture, and this can mean that you may have a selection of products from which to choose. A small table with a pair of chairs can be suitable for a studio apartment or the breakfast area of a cottage. You may also be able to buy a larger table that could work as a table for playing games in your basement rec room.

Bookshelves

New bookshelves can be pricey, especially when they're made of real wood instead of lower-cost alternatives. There are several reasons that you might need some bookshelves. A student's apartment can benefit from a bookshelf for textbooks, while you might like the idea of this piece of furniture at your cottage to hold books, games, and other things that can occupy your family's time on a rainy day. Browse your local pawn shop to look for a bookshelf; in some cases, you may find a pair of matching shelves that you can buy together.

Dressers

While a lot of people buy their dressers as a part of a bedroom furniture set, it can also be advantageous to buy this piece of furniture on its own. If you're equipping your college-aged child with furniture, there may not be room in their apartment for a full set of bedroom furniture. Alternatively, you might think about buying an affordable dresser to use for storage in your home. If you have a room that is dedicated to your hobby of sewing, for example, a dresser can be a good option for storing a variety of supplies.

Don't hesitate to call a few pawn shops in your area to find out which has the best selection of furniture.