Where to find a file cabinet

[Azrael256]

I'm looking around at the gobs of paper flooding the place, and I'm thinking that it's time for a file cabinet.  So, like a total sucker, I get on the popular office supply store websites.  Now I'm not quite as poor as the average college student.  I could stand to spend maybe $50 on something as relatively frivolous as a file cabinet, but jeez...  you don't even get a kiss if you buy one from Staples.

So, anybody know where to find something in a nice steel cabinet, preferably brown or black, 2-drawer, vertical, 18 or 24", locks or not, for something more like $35-50?

[bratch]

I'd check wally-world they have everything

[Outrigger]

I just bought two 4 drawer cabinets from our state surplus depot. They are also available from recycle and reuse type places. I paid $40 each for them in good condition.

[garrettwc]

What Outrigger said. Check the local surplus places and office furniture companies. Companies regularly throw their old stuff away or trade it in to the office furniture place when they get new stuff.

[charby]

if you live near a univerisity go to one of their surplus equiptment sales. I work for a Uni and they have one once a week.

Charby

[Greg L]

I used to (in a prior life it seems ) sell used office furniture.  As others have mentioned that is your best bet.  There is a HUGE difference in quality between what is sold at WalMart/Office Depot & something that is sold to larger businesses.  The stuff from WM/OD is designed to be used every couple of days at most while the better quality is designed to be used multiple times a day & put up with the constant abuse of the drawers being slammed shut/used as stools/etc.  

We would sell nice 4 drawer units for $20 or so every day & go down to as low as $5 if we needed the floor space.

It's also near the end of the school year.  If you are near a campus keep your eye on the trash at the side of the street.  If someone is graduating & moving across the country they will probably just toss it out rather than haul it with them.

[Pebcac]

I'll throw in the warning against the Wally World cabinets.  I bought one, and it's a rickety POS.  I'm looking to replace it.

[El Tejon]

Purdue University's surplus office furniture.  Bought both of mine (huge suckers, three long horizontal drawers) for $50 a piece.

Second-hand stores is definitely the way to rock.

[Harold Tuttle]

http://www.freecycle.org/

[BryanP]

I don't think anyone makes decent filing cabinets anymore.  New ones are all flimsy crap.  Check out used office furniture places and surplus outlets as mentioned.  The basis of my computer desk is a set of battleship-grey two-drawer filing cabinets that weigh a ton.  I set them up, bought a solid-core door (plain) and laid it across the two.  Then I mounted a keyboard tray underneath and built a couple of units to sit on top to hold various items.  it makes a nice BIG desk that is easy to tear down and move if necessary.

[Azrael256]

Ah, the freecycle folks.  I hadn't even thought of that.  I thought of garage sales, but I usually ride a bicycle to those, as it keeps me from buying anything large.  I think there's a surplus place a few miles from here.  I'll have to drive over and give them a look.

Thanks, guys.

BryanP, I agree wholeheartedly.  The only thing I found new in my price range was that laminate pressboard junk.  I have three sheets of plywood in the garage.  If I wanted something that cheap, I'd just break out the saw and make it myself.  I guess people just don't like quality anymore.