In this modern age of supercomputers, every office still has a file cabinet.  There are still confidential and important documents that need to be stored in its hardcopy form.  Filing cabinets serve that functional purpose.   But over time, like any other office furniture, it takes quite a bit of abuse.  Most offices would simply throw the old one away and make way for a brand new file cabinet.  But for small start-up companies with very limited capital, buying new file cabinets can be very expensive.  A viable option instead is to get their hands on these used filing cabinets.

When buying a file cabinet, one has to take into account a number of things.  First, what do you intend to store in it? This will determine the size of the drawers and the level of security you’ll require.  For important “impossible to replace” papers, a high quality lock and fireproofing may be required.  Second, determine the volume of things you intend to store in the cabinets.  This will help you decide on the size of the cabinet and the number of drawers that you will need.  It is best that you overestimate rather than finding our later that you require a bigger storage space. Third, determine the amount of space you have available in your office.  Filing cabinets come in two types, vertical and lateral.  Lateral file cabinets are generally longer in length but shorter in height than vertical ones.  Lastly, you might wish to consider a unit that will blend with the room and its surrounding furniture. You can choose from a wide variety of metal and wood models.

In buying a used file cabinet, the most important thing to consider is its working condition.  Do the drawers still open and close properly?  Are the locks, if any, still working?  One thing to remember if you are buying a used fireproof file cabinet is that you do not want one that has been through a fire. Most likely, these are no longer effective for its purpose.  Next to check is its cosmetic condition.  For minor fixes you can easily restore old filing cabinets rather inexpensively with a little bit of work and some imagination.  For some suggestions and instructions try checking eHow’s many informative articles.  Keep in mind that the money you save from buying these cheap units can go to more productive operational purposes.

To find this good quality used furniture, you can visit your local thrift stores, garage sales, or you may know of offices disposing of their used filing cabinets.  These maybe businesses that are shutting down their operation or moving to another location and doesn’t want to pay the cost of transporting it.  There are also many sellers that you can find through the classified ads section of your daily newspaper or by searching online.  You can also post an advertisement that you are looking for one.  Usually, you can do this at no cost.