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A used chest of drawers is a good second hand buy when the drawers run smoothly, the joints are tight and the carcass is square. Pull every drawer all the way out before you agree a price. And whatever you buy, fix it to the wall: chests of drawers are the piece of furniture most likely to tip over onto a child.
The drawers are the whole point, so open each one fully, close it and push it in again. It should run smoothly without catching or dropping when fully extended.
Pull a drawer out and look at the corners. Dovetail joints (interlocking fingers) mean good, solid construction and are typical of older and better furniture. Stapled or glued corners on particleboard drawers are found on cheaper modern pieces and can come apart. Rock the whole chest gently: it should not twist. On older pieces check the back panel and feet for woodworm, small round holes with fine dust. Old holes without dust are usually inactive.
Check the top as well. Ring marks and scratches on solid wood can be sanded out, but on veneer you only get one careful attempt. A glass plate on top is a common way sellers hide damage, so lift it or ask about it.
Dutch and Danish teak dressers from the 1960s and 70s are popular and priced accordingly. Look for veneer that is lifting at the edges or bubbled from water, which is repairable but fiddly. Antique oak and mahogany chests are heavy and solid, and often cheaper than vintage teak because they are less fashionable.
Modern chests from IKEA (Malm, Hemnes, Brimnes) are everywhere. Hemnes is solid pine and holds up. Malm is particleboard and fine for a bedroom, but loses strength after dismantling. Dutch design pieces from Pastoe and Spectrum hold value.
Watch for the word dressoir in listings. In Dutch that usually means a sideboard with doors and a few drawers, not a chest of drawers, so search ladekast or commode to get what you want, and check the width and depth against the spot in your bedroom.
A chest of drawers with heavy drawers pulled out becomes front-heavy and can tip. IKEA recalled millions of Malm and other chests in the United States and Canada after fatal tip-over accidents, and the advice since then has been simple: always anchor it. Most chests come with a wall fixing kit; if it's missing, a hardware store sells anti-tip straps for a few euro. Use plugs that suit your wall type.
This applies to vintage pieces too. A solid oak commode is heavy, but with three drawers full and open it can still tip.
Take the drawers out and move them separately, it makes the carcass much lighter and stops them sliding out on the stairs. Tape the drawers' order on the back. Carry the carcass upright and protect corners and veneer with blankets. On vindje.com you can ask for a vintage teak ladekast up to 120 cm wide with smooth drawers, and it reads the listings for width and condition.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| IKEA Malm 3 or 4 drawers | EUR 20-60 |
| IKEA Hemnes 8 drawers | EUR 60-140 |
| Antique oak or mahogany commode | EUR 100-350 |
| Vintage teak ladekast, 1960s-70s | EUR 150-500 |
| Pastoe or other Dutch design | EUR 200-650 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Vintage teak chest of drawers, max 120 cm wide, smooth running drawers, under 350 euro, within 25 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Rub candle wax or paraffin on wooden runners. If drawers still stick, check for a loose runner or a drawer bottom that sags.
Often yes if the veneer is intact and the drawers run well, as they resell easily. Be careful with lifted or water damaged veneer, which is costly to restore properly.
Yes, always. With open drawers it becomes front-heavy and can tip over, especially if a child climbs it.
Look at drawer sides and the back. Solid wood shows grain on the edges and inside, and old ones often have dovetail joints. Veneer has a thin top layer over a different core.
In Dutch both mean a chest of drawers. Commode is often used for a lower, wider piece, sometimes with a changing top for babies.