Take a tape measure to a tip shop. Two drawer handles can look identical from the front yet require holes drilled a different distance apart. A buyer replacing six kitchen handles will want that measurement before they want the name of the finish. Knowing what to measure can make a handful of second-hand fittings easier to sell than the chest of drawers beside them.
Where to find Salvage & Save
Mobo operates Salvage & Save, a social enterprise that sells reusable goods and provides employment for people with disability. It lists furniture, building materials, hand and garden tools, homewares and more. The goods on the floor change with donations. These are the shop locations and hours the operator listed on 5 November 2026. Mobo shop details
| Shop | Address | Usual shopping hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth shop, in Edinburgh North | 5 Bellchambers Road, Edinburgh North | Mon–Fri 8:30 am–4 pm. Sat 9 am–2:30 pm. |
| Windmill Hill, Adelaide Hills | 1 Windmill Lane, Totness | Mon–Sat 9 am–4 pm. |
Both shops close on Sundays and public holidays. For the northern shop, look up Salvage & Save Elizabeth when planning your trip. NAWMA also operates a resource recovery centre at Pooraka, but it directs reusable household, building and garden donations to the Mobo shop at Edinburgh North. Use the shop’s hours for shopping. Mobo locations · NAWMA resource recovery centres
Look for the detail a replacement buyer needs
Cabinet hardware. For a two-screw pull, measure from the centre of one screw hole to the centre of the other, in millimetres. Then measure the overall length and how far it stands proud of the drawer. Count matching pieces, check the threads and keep the screws with the set. If the finish looks brass-coloured, describe the colour until you can establish the material.
Hand tools. On a small bench vice, look for a maker’s mark, measure the jaw width and ask to wind it gently through its travel. Check whether the jaws meet and the mounting feet are intact. A photographed casting number or cracked mounting foot gives a buyer more to work with than the word “vintage”.
Small furniture. Slide each drawer out far enough to inspect the runners, check the back and measure the widest point. Put that width against your boot opening before paying. A local-pickup listing will also need the depth and height so the next person can make the same decision.
Price the six that match
Suppose a shop has eight loose handles at $3 each. Six measure 96 mm between hole centres and two measure 128 mm. You can find a comparable sale for six matching handles. The odd pair has a different finish and you haven’t found a buyer for it.
Using hypothetical figures, say the six could bring $48 delivered. Allow $12 for the parcel and packing, $5 for selling costs and $6 for cleaning and photographing them. You have $25 left before paying for stock. If you want $9 profit after allowing for that work, your buying limit is $16. The six alone cost $18, leaving $7. Buying all eight for $24 leaves $1 unless the odd pair sells too. For this visit, leave them or ask whether the shop offers a price for the six. Check a purchase with the reseller ROI calculator
Before you go home with a bigger piece, price the whole trip once. If the table needs a second car or a trailer, add that cost to the table. If it goes into a garage for three months, it also occupies a space another item could use. On an early visit, one measured set that fits in your bag is enough to learn whether this source works for you.