Good question – and it is probably one you have been asking yourself from time to time. If you are on a strict budget you will probably want to get second hand ones. But you should be aware that used filing cabinets aren’t always the bargain they seem to be.
For example you can get rusty locks, dented sides and bent fixings inside if you aren’t careful. You can certainly get good quality ones as well if you know where to look, but even then you are very restricted on what you can get hold of.
Compare this to getting brand new filing cabinets. You have the choice of everything you can find on the market. This means you can choose something that will fit your needs exactly, instead of getting a compromise that may not be quite what you wanted.
For instance let’s say you have just redecorated your office and you have gone for real wood everywhere. You would want your filing cabinets to fit in with this. But if you look locally for second hand models you might only be able to find metal ones, and they won’t look at all good for your new office. This is a real advantage of buying brand new cabinets. Whatever type of wood you want, you simply have to look round until you find something suitable.
The same applies to thinking about how many drawers you want. Filing cabinets are available in all kinds of sizes. If you want a four drawer cabinet but you spot a bargain second hand one that only has three drawers, you’ll always wish you’d bought a brand new one that fitted your needs instead. For one thing you will outgrow the smaller second hand cabinet very quickly indeed. You’ve then got the problem of trying to match another cabinet with your old one.
So you see, old cabinets can seem like a real bargain and give you the ability to save some cash. But you can end up disappointed too, as you realise they don’t quite meet up to your needs. Think carefully before you buy anything that isn’t brand new. How soon will you outgrow it? Can you buy more than one the same, or will you have to mix and match them in some other way?
There are plenty more reasons to get new cabinets than there are to get second hand ones.