The Salvation Army accepts furniture and will come to your house to pick it up. They will not carry it up or down stairs so make sure the couch is on the first floor before they come out.
I just played the “get rid of the couch game,” and I must say that depending on where you live, the Salvation Army does not necessarily pick up pieces (they don’t in the Twin Cities, MN). And sometimes, the Goodwill does, again depending on where you live.
The guaranteed picker-uppers are your trashmen. We paid an extra $50 to have them haul it away, and it was well worth the cost. Or, call the dump and ask them if they’ll take it, and if you’ll need to pay to dump it, and then borrow a large truck to take it over.
Yeah, I’m having the same problem, although so far I’m too lazy to call around to Salvation Army, etc. Any Chicago-area Dopers who want a free couch, please post here, and I’ll e-mail you with my contact info. I can’t move it downstairs myself - bad leg - nor is there anyone I want to pester to do it for me. But I’m happy to give it away to a good home.
Most family violence shelters have a thrift shop and will pick up usable items of furniture. Give them a call, your donations are sorely needed.
If you are too lazy to call around, then leave it out on the curb. Someone who needs it more than you do will usually pick it up before the garbage man comes.
I hope you don’t mind - I want to piggyback on this thread. When we bought this house the former owners had left a console stereo with an 8 track player (and some 8-tracks) turntable, and tuner. It still works. It is big (couch length) and heavy. A friend of ours claimed it was really neat, and he was sure someone would really like to have it, but he sure in the heck hasn’t came and hauled it away. I wouldn’t mind donating it, but how can I hook up with a collector or someone of that sort who might want it?
Is there a university/college near you? Put up an add on campus…a student might want it. Also, consider giving it to a club or dorm on campus…a lot of students complain that there isn’t much lounge space anywhere, and a good couch might be able to find a good home. Or perhaps a local coffee shop. Think of areas where there are so-called “poor starving students”, and I’m sure you’ll find an owner for that couch or 8-track player!
If you really want to get rid of anything, just put it out on your boulevard. A friend of mine bought an old house last year, looking to gut it, remodel it and then sell. We were spending a weekend getting rid of moldy basement carpets, old drywall, appliances and just general accumulated junk. All weekend long people were rummaging through the junk, taking this or that. They took so much stuff -even the moldy carpet- that we cancelled the Dumpster that was due on Monday and just used the pickup to haul the stuff that was left.
I put my old couch in the backyard once. Covered it with a blue tarp on rainy days. I put a coffee table out there, too. Hehe And a bathtub (tin kind) that I’d put calgon in and we’d soak our tired feet sitting on the old couch out side. Could be an Alaskan thing to do. On the way to Anchortown the freeway goes by a native village. On the hill overlooking the road are several old couches where they sit outside and watch the traffic. LOL I always wave!