October 2015 Market - one day blast

I left my house at 5:05 a.m. and spent the whole day at Market, finishing up at 7:20 p.m. and back home at 2: 15 a.m, 618 miles Roundtrip. I have to tell you, I think I have to split the next trip into a 2-day, I was pretty punchy driving back home in the dark....a 21 hour day is a young mans game. I will detail more about the trip in the next few days, but here's a few thoughts and highlights.

* I looked at many other brands this trip. Century, Durham, Vanguard, Giles Creek, etc....at the request of customers. I was fully prepared to buy a new line, but I could not find anything I liked. I just cannot get past many of the production shortcuts I see in the builds, as I know they will lead to issues down the road in longevity and performance. And this defines the struggle as the retailer. I know everyone is price-conscious and as a consumer I am as well. These manufacturer's also know as well and build to a price point. However, many buyers and store owners don't know fine woodworking as I do as they were never skilled in it and as a result they don't know what to look for and buy a style or a pretty polish, etc. based on the appearance of the piece, not the guts of it. Not me! I buy structural build and workmanship. Just because its 'Made in America' doesn't mean its great. Of all the lines I looked at that were new, probably Century was the best - and as they are now the owners of the Hancock and Moore companies I spent some time in their showroom. They build a good product, but I don't think the dollar value is not there. For what they charge, I can find a product I like as good or better from an existing supplier. That's based on what I saw on their price tags, I don't know if they offer stocking dealer discounts over and above their tagged prices (they were very busy, I didn't get to talk to their Sales Reps). I was fully planning on buying the Century line but just didn't see it after looking at the products and prices wanted for them. Oh well.

* Never wear new shoes to Market. What was I thinking? Everyone dresses up for Market, to the 9's....women and men. So I forgo my super-comfortable Clark's shoes I normally wear in favor of a new pair of Allen Edmunds, much more handsome than the Clark's. About 1 p.m.on the 10th floor of the Commerce Wing building - just after finishing my Bradington Young visit in the IHFC main building, and 3 miles from the car my new shoes are killing me. It was a long, slow, painful trudge back to the car to get my New Balance Runners that (thankfully) i threw in the back and finished the Market with those. I won't make that mistake again!

* I picked up a line of very nicely made clocks for the store. Some quartz, some 8-day mechanical movements. Made in Virginia and Germany both, I think they will be great for the store. Also, silk flowers for centerpieces for my display and the coolest LED candles you will ever see. That was it for new lines. Of course I bought many pieces of Bradington Young as well as Hancock and Moore for the store. I have photos to follow that will require a bit of time to post, so they will come slowly.

* Jimmy Moore of Hancock and Moore may be one of the world's great story-tellers. He had me off to the side for about an hour with tall tales, most of which I do believe were true <G>. What a guy - 83 years old and still going strong, he has the energy of a man half his age.

* The Hancock and Moore companies are now officially owned by Century Furniture Brands, the final deal was signed a few days ago. The current owners of H&M will stay in the company and do what they do for the next two years, that was part of the deal. There are absolutely no changes - none - being made to the existing ways of doing business. In my opinion they are the best of all the upholstery makers in the industry - bar none - and they are profitable. No new owner would want to tamper with that formula.