Old furniture remains popular
Even though the city boasts of magnificent international furniture stores with irresistible products in amazing designs, the 50-year-old used furniture market at Ek Minar, Nampally, makes a killing as thousands of middle-class customers throng the market to have a comfortable bargain.
You name it and you will get the best deal, at this one stop shop destination where people from across the twin cities and their suburbs throng to purchase the furniture of their choice.
Though the market functions seven days a week, on Sunday, it displays the best collection. The demand for used furniture is so high that it has beaten the sales of furniture market that has exclusive showrooms selling new, branded items.
Discerning customers who value the original teak opt for this market that has a variety of collection of sofa sets, divans, dining tables, teakwood door and windows, executive
chairs, office furniture etc.
The unique selling point of this market is that it has imported high quality luxurious carpet flooring from Iran and Turkey, antique carved furniturechandeliers, which is not available in any other market in the twin cities. This limited stock is not displayed in the market but sold to regular customers who do not negotiate.
“Whenever our relatives or friends come to my house, they first look at the sofa set and dining
table. They are surprised when I tell them the price,” G. Manjulatha, a customer said. “Last time I had purchased a rocking chair made up of pure teak for only `6,000 from here. Its real cost in the market is `18,000. We only need to bargain,” she said.
Only one has to do is to bargain before buying, and he gets the best deal. The dealers pick up lots directly from houses who wish to sell their old interior household items. “I bought an executive chair that is hardly used for only `1,100, the same chair
costs `3,800 in a showroom,” Raja Rao, a blogger said.
“We have pure teak, rosewood carved furniture, only a bit of scraping and a coat of polish will make it brand new.
People are not aware of Burma teak, Assam teak and the Indian teak that are very expensive. If a sofa set costs `40,000 in a showroom, I can give a sofa set far better with first quality Indian teak for only `20,000,” Mohammed Aleem, who has been in this business for the last 40 years said.