[Caged Great]

Typically, the addage you get what you pay for holds true in furniture. The difference between a $1000 sofa and a $3000 sofa is in most cases the quality of the materials used. The difference between the two is that the $1000 sofa might last you a year or two before it begins to fall apart, whereas the $3000 sofa will last 5-10 years before it begins to fall apart.

It has always been my opinion that it is always better to wait for a sale at a higher end store, at one of the boutique shops on 11th ave than to purchase something at the Brick or Leons etc.

For example, at the shop that I worked at, we had a sofa that was regular $2500, on sale for $1500. That sofa was of good quality and from a good manufacturer and yet it was only marginally higher in price than a sofa that would fall apart in no time.

When you decide to go shopping, and you find a piece of furniture that you like, go to another 10 stores. The reason being is that you will be able to make sure that that piece of furniture is what you really want as you might be able to find something better.

Another good thing to do is if you see a piece of furniture you like, as the people in the store what the manufacturer is in order to research that company.

There are many different ways to determine the quality of a piece of furniture based on it's construction.

Typically with sofas, 8 way hand tie is the best in terms of durability but is not as comfortable (it's stiff), whereas an sinuous springs will not be as durable but more comfortable (softer).

With cabinetry, if it has drawers, open the drawer. If it does not have dove tail joinery, the piece is not very good quality wise. In addition, the wood in the drawer should be the same as the external wood. If not, it's a sign of poor quality. With all the case goods coming from China, examples of that kind of poor workmanship is increasing.



If you have any specific questions, I'm here.