July is a great time to find deals on furniture, as retailers mark down prices to make room for new inventory that arrives in August (see Best Buys of Summer). But what about those unique pieces you see in the pages of design magazines, the ones sold to the trade only? Is there any way to snag a discount on items you have to buy through an interior designer, who typically marks up merchandise 30% to 50% over the "to the trade" price?
Yes, there is, according to "Steal These Deals" in the August issue of Kiplinger's Personal Finance. Here's the scoop:
Now design centers, with manufacturer showrooms that sell to the trade, have begun to open their doors to consumers. If you go to a participating center, designers affiliated with its consumer buying service will help you locate what you’re shopping for and charge you a lower markup.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
For example, in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., you have a two-hour window to shop with a designer, who marks up products 20% if you buy within the first hour of service or 25% if you buy in the second hour. If the design center near you doesn’t offer its own buying service, look for an independent buying service that operates nationally, such as Decorative Buying Service.
DBS owner Michael Zarlin charges a flat 20% markup. But with any buying service, you won’t get a lot of hand holding. Zarlin says that you pay to get the items you want, not personalized attention. To find a buying service, call the design center nearest you (see www.id-d.com/interior_design_centers.htm) or do a Web search using “consumer buying service + interior design” (or “design center” or “designer furnishings”).
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally Despite Rising Geopolitical TensionThe main indexes were mixed on Tuesday but closed well off their lows after an early flight to safety.
-
What's at Stake for Alphabet as DOJ Eyes Google's ChromeAlphabet is higher Tuesday even as antitrust officials at the DOJ support forcing Google to sell its popular web browser. Here's what you need to know.
-
Five Reasons You Shouldn't Shop on Amazon Prime DaySmart Buying Think twice before getting lured into buying a bunch of stuff you don't need just because it's on sale.
-
Five Ways to Save on Vacation Rental PropertiesTravel Use these strategies to pay less for an apartment, condo or house when you travel.
-
How to Avoid Annoying Hotel Fees: Per Person, Parking and MoreTravel Here's how to avoid extra charges and make sure you don't get stuck paying for amenities that you don't use.
-
Best Cash Back Credit Cards November 2024Smart Buying Trying to compare the best cash back credit cards? Unlike most reviewers, we include cards from small banks and credit unions, as well as from large issuers.
-
How to Spend $1,000: Find Cheap (or Free) Online Courses to Build Career SkillsSmart Buying There's a huge array of skill-building online courses that can level up your career for under $1,000.
-
MoviePass is Relaunching. Should You Sign Up?Smart Buying The subscription discount movie card company has a checkered past and an army of disillusioned former cardholders. If you want to try the reboot, you’ll need to hurry.
-
HBO Max Is Offering Huge DiscountsSmart Buying Looking for a streaming service deal? Warner Bros. Discovery is cutting the price of HBO Max.
-
Are You Streaming Too Much? What the Discovery+/HBO Max Mashup MeansSmart Buying Fewer original scripted series? Maybe. And maybe it’s time to unsubscribe.
