I wouldn't rule out Craigslist. In the past couple of years I've bought a nice leather couch for $250 (probably well over $5k new), and a couple of Ekornes recliners, $275 for the pair (they start at around $1500 retail).
If you live anywhere near an Amish community, I find their furniture to be fantastic quality, definitely the kind of thing you buy once and keep forever. We stopped at a fair in rural PA one day, and the Amish had a big tent set up with furniture on display. They offered us an amazing kitchen set (table and six chairs) for $1300, which was 50% off the marked price, but only if we took it home that day. It didn't fit in our CR-V, so that was that. However, the quality was so far above anything I've seen in a big box store that I would have gladly paid the original $2600.
My SIL (who thinks cheapest price is always best) just bought a dining room set from Big Bob's -
http://www.mybobs.com/The first time my BIL sat on one of the chairs the front legs snapped off. I'd say they got their money's worth.
