Printable View
What do you think of the heirloom sleigh stuff Mr. Collie? http://www.amishalley.com/Heirloom-S...ion_c_259.html We would like to have feedback on other makers too, if possible. Our budget is flexible but would like to stay below 10k. We are looking for a whole bedroom set, bed, dresser, nitestands, gentlemans chest, and a dressing chest with mirror. Thanks,Grant P.S, best site on the web for dummies like me looking for a wine type furniture with budweiser knowledge!:confused:
I can't really render and opinion on a furniture line without seeing a piece up close, or at least and exploded construction cut-away. Based on the pricing, I'd guess the pieces are largely bolt-up, not really hand-crafted. Their policies seem a little strict to me on their INFO pages, and the warranty is pretty poor. I suspect with the stringent policies and 25% restock fee after 72 hours, etc., they'd had their share of issues over the years, but that's just me reading between the lines. Before I'd drop $ 10K with them, I'd want to drive to go see their product and if that's not possible, then order a very small nightstand first to see how its made. I also have an aversion to anyone who trumpets "Made by the Amish" over and over. I've seen lots of Amish furniture over the years, and it ranges from poor to average, but never top flight.
Store #1; Store #2; Store #3.
All use the same stock photos. All speak of "solid wood" (what kind of wood?); a cherry finish can be applied to anything.
"Full extension side mount ball bearing glides" - not exactly "old world" craftsmanship. I have those in my cheap, production kitchen cabinets, not in my better furniture pieces; certainly not in my John Buchanan pieces.
Which company would you guys suggest I look at for a quality bedroom set? I had always thought amish was some of tha best built stuff you could buy. Remember I am from Alabama! ROLL TIDE!!!!!!!!!
I haven't found a company I'm in love with (and, for that matter, I'm not entirely sold on the concept of the 'bedroom set' as opposed to collecting quality pieces that look good in the same room). I agree with Duane, that it's really hard to gauge quality of furniture you can't lay your hands on.
Duane did a good job explaining what "Amish furniture" has come to mean in this thread. The "Amish furniture" stores that exist only online, honestly, make me a bit nervous because they tend not to close-ups of joinery or surfaces, tend not to do a good job explaining the woods they use or the quality of the wood, or gets into the nature or quality of finish. If something is described as "solid wood" I want to know what species of wood.
Granted, given what's in a lot of "neighborhood furniture stores" these days, I can understand mail ordering and hoping that it's better. I read a while back that some of these companies work by having kit furniture shipped to an Amish workshop where it's assembled; that may make the sales claims on their sites technically accurate, but anybody doing that is being intentionally misleading.
Keep in mind that the Amish do not market or sell their own furniture - the websites are by non-Amish businessmen who source their pieces from Amish workshops.
If you are inclined to try a different direction, given how antique prices have been coming down lately, I'm finding some high quality "nobody makes them like that any more" pieces that are in really good shape, often for less than a new piece of average quality.
Best tip I can tell you is to remove the word "AMISH" from everything you see and then decide if you'd still buy it.
I've had plenty of dealings with Amish and Mennonite suppliers over the years. Yes, they dress quaint. Yes, they are plain. And yes, they are as shrewd in business as they come. You better know what you're doing when you purchase from them and treat them like any other Joe, or you WILL be taken advantage of. Make no mistake, they are business people and realize they have a trade advantage being 'Amish' and will use that marketing to make sales. They do not particularly like outsiders, and hence will be firm to deal with. I have yet to find any that are freindly in supplier relationships - they are all business.
I was at a trade show some years ago looking at 'Amish Quilts' for my store. Lots of quilts in the booth....the ladies were all in their Amish dress, too. The quilts were expensive, $ 600 at wholesale and up. They said they handmade them all. Well, I started to look hard at the craftsmanship and the stitching wasn't so good on them. Regular machine stitching, and threads not every tight. At $ 600 dealer cost I expected to see hand-stitching, wouldn't you? Visions of a circle of Amish women quilting while the men built a barn, etc. As I'm flipping through the quilts, wary - I find my confirmation on one. They forgot to clip out the MADE IN CHINA tag on one of the quilts. I handed it to one of the Amish women there and said "I think you missed one".
Caveat Emptor!
I saw Duane's post, and it was dead on concerning the amish furniture. I get a lot of people here at Furnitureland South that assume amish made is the best made. There are really only two that I know of, and we carry that have a solid reputation in the retail trade. That is Canal Dover who I believe Duane carries also Conrad Grebel.