Buying a local flat file. What should I look out for?

[abfmsportscards]

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to buy two used 5-drawer Mayline flat files measuring 53 3/4" x 41 1/2" x 15 1/2" from a local furniture store. I stopped by the store today to take a look at them, but unfortunately, I was only able to look at them while they were stacked on their sides (the place was cramped with furniture all over the place). The owner had orginally listed them for $700 on FB marketplace for , but I brought him down to $450. He said he’d be willing to make space so he can lay them down flat so I can actually get a better look at them tomorrow before I commit to buying them.

What stuff should I look out for to ensure that it’s a good quality flat file? Do I need to look for signs of rust, dents in the metal, anything like that? I plan on storing giclee art prints of various sizes in them, interleaving them with buffered, acid-free paper. I’ll also probably enclose them in archival folders for adding protection and stability. I don’t really care about how the exteriour of the flat files look; I just want to make sure that they protect and preserve my art prints for decades to come.

I’ve attached some photos below from the FB listing.

Thanks!

[talkingdeads]

Just make sure the drawers open and close well. You can go to home depot and have them cut a piece of plywood to put on top.

They take up a huge amount of space and are a pain to move. I would probably rent a uhual for a couple hours

[talkingdeads]

And depending on what city you live in if you keep watching marketplaces you can often find flatfiles for super cheap or free as long as you pick them up

[abfmsportscards]

Just make sure the drawers open and close well. You can go to home depot and have them cut a piece of plywood to put on top.

They take up a huge amount of space and are a pain to move. I would probably rent a uhual for a couple hours

Thanks for the advice! Yeah, these two flat files are huge, but luckily we have the room for them.

What would the piece of plywood be for? Wouldn’t the top of the flat file itself be good enough for counter space?

Thanks!

[fredo]

You should look out for crazies.

[talkingdeads]

I use them to help flatten prints before putting the prints in the drawers

[jjttdw]

I suppose condition matters more for where you are going to have them. Mine are in a storage room so I didn't mind a couple dings or scratches so long as the drawers worked. Some folks on EB have repainted theirs so if you don't like the color then maybe that is an option. The ones you posted look to be in nice shape overall.

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I will say that they are a hell of a lot easier to move with the drawers out.

[cotis]

is the top caved in? in the photo looks like it's bent. might just want to take out top few drawers and look at the "roof" to see if there's any rust up there.

[abfmsportscards]

I use them to help flatten prints before putting the prints in the drawers

Gotcha, thanks!

[abfmsportscards]

is the top caved in? in the photo looks like it's bent. might just want to take out top few drawers and look at the "roof" to see if there's any rust up there.

It looks like it is; I’ll definitely check for rust. If there is some rust, is it definitely a no-go? I wouldn’t want to run the risk of damaging my prints.

[abfmsportscards]

I suppose condition matters more for where you are going to have them. Mine are in a storage room so I didn't mind a couple dings or scratches so long as the drawers worked. Some folks on EB have repainted theirs so if you don't like the color then maybe that is an option. The ones you posted look to be in nice shape overall.

.
I will say that they are a hell of a lot easier to move with the drawers out.

I wouldn’t have thought about taking the drawers out when moving them; thanks for the tip! Yeah, they look to be in pretty decent shape; I’ll be sure to get a better look at them next week. I don’t mind the dings and scratches so much. I’d consider repainting mine, but I wouldn’t want any of the paint fumes/chemicals to seep in the drawers over time and degrade my prints long-term. I’m probably overthinking it since the steel is inert anyhow, but idk. I guess I’ll do a little research.

[cotis]

is the top caved in? in the photo looks like it's bent. might just want to take out top few drawers and look at the "roof" to see if there's any rust up there.

It looks like it is; I’ll definitely check for rust. If there is some rust, is it definitely a no-go? I wouldn’t want to run the risk of damaging my prints.

I mean rust isn't going to "ruin" your prints just being there. but the flakes of metal falling off over time of closing/opening drawer might.

just something to think about.

[abfmsportscards]

is the top caved in? in the photo looks like it's bent. might just want to take out top few drawers and look at the "roof" to see if there's any rust up there.

It looks like it is; I’ll definitely check for rust. If there is some rust, is it definitely a no-go? I wouldn’t want to run the risk of damaging my prints.

I mean rust isn't going to "ruin" your prints just being there. but the flakes of metal falling off over time of closing/opening drawer might.

just something to think about.

Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the heads up!