What Office Furniture Dealers Actually Pay (And Why They Won't Tell You)
Every dealer in the UK will happily tell you what they sell chairs for. Almost none will tell you what they pay.
There's a reason for this. And it's not what you think.
The gap between what we pay and what we sell for looks enormous at first glance. A Herman Miller Aeron that retails for £395 might fetch £100-150 as a dealer buy price. A Steelcase Leap selling at £345 might generate a £80-120 offer.
Most dealers stay silent because they know this looks like highway robbery if you don't understand the economics. So let me explain exactly what happens to your furniture after we collect it, why the margin exists, and what you should actually expect when selling.
Why the Buy-Sell Gap Exists
When you sell a chair to a dealer, you're not just selling a product. You're transferring all the risk, cost, and effort of getting that chair back to market.
Here's what happens after we make you an offer:
Collection and logistics We send a vehicle and team to your location. Depending on where you are, this costs £50-200 per trip. Rural Scotland? More. Central Manchester? Less. If you're selling 2 chairs, we're absorbing that entire cost. If you're selling 50, it spreads.
Full strip-down and inspection Every chair gets completely dismantled. We check every mechanism, every adjustment, every weld. Roughly 1 in 4 chairs we collect doesn't make the cut and goes straight to recycling. You got paid for it. We didn't.
Parts replacement Gas lifts: £15-25 each. Arm pads: £10-20. Castors: £8-15. Lumbar mechanisms: £20-40. Mesh panels on Aerons: £80-150. Most chairs need something. Some need everything.
Refurbishment labour Each chair takes 1-3 hours depending on complexity. That's real labour cost, not volunteer time.
Deep cleaning Industrial cleaning equipment, proper sanitization. Not a quick wipe down.
Storage We hold stock for weeks or months. That's warehouse space, heating, insurance.
Marketing Photography, listings, website hosting, SEO, paid advertising. You're reading this because we paid for it.
12-month warranty We guarantee everything we sell for a year. If a mechanism fails at month 11, we eat that cost.
By the time a chair sells, our actual margin after all costs is typically 15-25%. Not the 200% the headline numbers suggest.
What We Actually Pay: By Brand
These are typical ranges. Every quote depends on condition, specification, quantity, and location. Treat these as guidelines, not guarantees.
Herman Miller
Aeron Classic (Size B, good condition) £75-200
The most sought-after used chair in the UK. Classic models from 2000-2016 hold value well if they're not worn out. Size B is most common and easiest to sell. Remastered models (2017+) command higher prices. What affects price: Lumbar support type, arm condition, mesh condition, whether it has all original parts.
Embody (standard model, good condition) £200-400
These hold value because they're hard to find used. Gaming editions with extra padding fetch slightly more. Poor condition examples drop to £150 or get rejected entirely.
Sayl £50-120
Good entry-level Herman Miller. Lower buy price reflects lower retail demand.
Mirra 2 £80-180
Solid chairs but less iconic than Aeron. Pricing depends heavily on spec.
Steelcase
Leap V2 (fabric, good condition) £80-150
Excellent chairs that we sell quickly. Leather versions fetch £100-180. Headrest models add £20-40 to the offer.
Think V2 £60-120
Good volume chair. Easy to refurbish, steady demand.
Gesture £120-200
Newer model with strong demand. Limited used availability keeps buy prices relatively high.
Humanscale
Freedom (with headrest) £100-180
Self-adjusting mechanism is either perfect or broken. No middle ground. We pay for condition, not brand alone.
Liberty £60-120
Good chairs but less distinctive than Freedom.
Orangebox
Do Chair £40-100
Popular in UK offices. Plentiful supply keeps prices modest.
Joy £25-50
Depends heavily on condition and fabric type.
Other Premium Brands
We actively buy HAG, Sedus, Boss Design, Kinnarps, Giroflex, and Interstuhl. Offers range from £40-150 depending on model and condition.
What We Don't Buy
Budget office chairs from Staples, Amazon basics ranges, no-name imports, or anything from Ikea. The refurbishment cost exceeds the retail value.
Bulk Pricing vs Single Items
If you're selling one chair, you're covering the entire collection cost. If you're selling 50 chairs, that cost spreads.
Typical bulk uplift:
- 10+ chairs: +15-20% on individual pricing
- 25+ chairs: +20-30%
- 50+ chairs: +30-40%
- 100+ chairs with desks and storage: negotiated separately
We've paid £15,000+ for complete office clearances where the furniture quality justified it.
When Selling Makes Sense (And When It Doesn't)
Sell when:
- You have premium brands in reasonable condition
- You have quantity (10+ items)
- You're upgrading and want to offset costs
- You're relocating and don't want to pay clearance fees
Don't sell when:
- Furniture is budget quality (you'll get rejection or £10-20 per item)
- Condition is genuinely poor (broken mechanisms, torn fabric, structural damage)
- You only have 1-2 items (collection costs kill the economics)
Alternative: Donate or clearance If we quote £200 for your furniture and a clearance company quotes £400 to remove it, selling makes sense. If we quote £50 and you need it gone tomorrow, clearance might be simpler.
How to Maximize What We Pay
1. Provide accurate information upfront Send photos. Tell us about damage. List quantities. The more accurate your initial information, the closer our quote will be to the final offer.
2. Clean basics We're going to deep clean everything anyway, but furniture that's clearly been maintained commands better prices than visibly neglected items.
3. Have all the chairs (or desks) together If you have 20 Aerons scattered across 4 floors in different buildings, collection costs go up. If they're all stacked in one room, costs go down.
4. Be flexible on timing If you need collection next Tuesday specifically, we might need to make a dedicated trip. If you can give us a 2-week window, we can route you efficiently.
5. Know your specs "20 black office chairs" gets a cautious offer. "20 Herman Miller Aeron Size B Classic with lumbar support" gets a proper offer.
6. Combine services Selling old furniture and buying refurbished for your new office? We'll often increase the buy price to offset against the purchase. This works particularly well for relocations.
The Questions We Get Asked
"Can't I just sell on eBay for more?"
Maybe. But then you're handling enquiries, arranging viewings, storing items, dealing with time-wasters, managing payments, and covering collection or courier costs. Most businesses don't want that hassle. We've seen Herman Miller Aerons listed on eBay for £300 that sit unsold for months. We buy them for £120 and they're gone the same day.
"Why don't you just rent them or sell on commission?"
Because rental means ongoing liability, maintenance, and collection logistics that don't work for occasional one-off deals. Commission selling means we hold your stock indefinitely with no guarantee of sale. We buy outright because it's clean: one transaction, money in your account, done.
"What if I think your offer is too low?"
Get other quotes. We're not always the highest bidder, particularly if another dealer specialises in specific brands we don't focus on. But we are typically among the most transparent about why the number is what it is.
"Do you ever pay more than these ranges?"
Yes. Rare specs, bulk quantities, perfect condition, or strategic stock we specifically need can all push offers above the typical range. We've paid £400+ for perfect-condition Embody chairs in specifications we couldn't otherwise source.
How to Get a Quote
Contact us with:
- Brand and model (photos help if you're not sure)
- Quantity
- Condition (be honest - we'll see it when we collect)
- Location
- Rough timeline
We'll give you a ballpark figure within 24 hours and a firm offer after inspection if needed.
If we can't make an offer that works for you, we'll tell you why and suggest alternatives (donation, different buyers, or clearance options).
The Uncomfortable Truth
Most dealers won't publish this information because they're worried about two things:
- Customers getting angry about the margin
- Competitors undercutting them
We think that's backwards.
If you understand the economics, you're not angry about the margin - you're making an informed decision about whether selling makes sense for your situation.
And if competitors want to operate on 5% margins after covering all these costs, they're welcome to try. We've been doing this for 40 years because our numbers work.
The office furniture resale market isn't transparent because nobody wants to go first. So here we are, going first.
Now you know what dealers actually pay, why we pay it, and how to maximize your return if selling makes sense.
Want a quote for your office furniture?
Contact us with details of what you have. We'll give you an honest assessment of value and whether selling, donating, or clearance makes most sense for your situation.
📞 01995 606414 ✉️ info@coggin-sos.co.uk
Disclaimer: All pricing in this guide is indicative and based on typical market conditions as of February 2026. Actual quotes depend on inspection, specification, condition, quantity, and location. We reserve the right to revise any quote after physical inspection. Not all items will receive offers - some furniture is worth more as recycled material than as refurbished stock.
