Volunteers loaded up the furniture for its journey to America

All 160 pieces, such as wardrobes, sideboards and bureaux, had been donated to raise money for families in Powys.

But no one wanted the furniture - which dates mainly from the 1940s and 1950s - as it is bulky and is considered old-fashioned.

However an Oregon charity said they would be snapped up in their US shops.

The cost of shipping is �2,500, but both the Welsh and American charities hope to make a profit, and more furniture could follow.

Kate Croker, from the Builth Wells Re-Use Furniture Scheme, said the furniture was "a bit of everything".

We consider them very beautiful and they look very British - it is very different from anything we have in America Sophia McDonald, St Vincent de Paul

"We have got sideboards, we have got cabinets, we have got bureaux, we have got wardrobes - you name it, basically we have got it," she said.

"They are really larger bits that aren't suitable for accommodation locally - a lot of people live in bedsits and flats and maybe sheltered housing, so unfortunately, we just can't sell them.

"It is not a case of not being good, they are just not people's style - apparently people in America people fall over backwards to have stuff like this."

'Win-win situation'

She said they could only keep furniture for so long, before they had to be sent to the dump.

The units are expected to sell for up to �200 in the US

"This is a win-win situation for us - it's good for the environment, it helps less well-off people in the US, and it helps us raise money from something we would eventually have to throw away."

The American charity St Vincent de Paul, which helps homeless and low income families, stepped in to help move the furniture.

Spokeswoman Sophia McDonald said most of the items being moved were solid wood.

"Some of them have mirrors, a lot of them have some kind of decorative accent or carving," she said.

"These are all popular in the United States, they will sell for between �50-200 in our charity shops. "We consider them very beautiful and they look very British - it is very different from anything we have in America.