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Thread: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

  1. #1
    tattoo Guest

    Default Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    Hi Everyone-

    I am looking to buy some decent but affordable furniture.

    The sites I am looking Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock.
    For those of you who bought furniture from these sites, I was hoping you would answer
    the following questions.

    1. How was the quality of the furniture?

    2. Was it delivered in a timely manner?

    3. Would you recommend these companies?

    4. Is there certain types of furniture that one should avoid buying?

    Any other input is welcome.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    You're going to certainly get affordable at those places, but there will no quality. Its basically inexpensive Made In China or Vietnam pieces at a utility grade that will not have much functional lifespan. Personally, I'd rather buy high quality used pieces off Craigslist before buying low build pieces new from places such as those.

    Good luck.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    I am reluctant to buy upholstered goods I can't sit in, or for that matter from an unknown manufacturer, because you can't see the quality from the outside. For mail order, you can't get a sense of the quality of the fabric or leather (although sometimes you can order a swatch).

    My sister has a couch from Sam's Club that is nothing to write home about, but it seems reasonably solid. The one thing that's obvious is that it is covered with a really cheap, thick leather with a very thick, glossy finish. She has two kids, her husband has four - frankly, it's probably sensible for her to have cheaper furniture, and the finish on the leather has probably saved it from countless stains. I have to add, though, that some of the stories I hear about Chinese construction materials - contaminated drywall, particle board, leather goods, paint, etc. - make me wary of higher cost "Made in China" goods - see, e.g., "Is your leather sofa making you sick?"; "Don’t get burned by your leather furniture". There is some protection in working through a name brand retailer that can replace faulty pieces and can be relied upon to recall items that are determined to be unsafe.

    For case goods, I also like to touch and feel - a lot of low- and mid-level furniture is wobbly, even when new. Or odd corners have been cut in construction, such as the plywood "dovetails" discussed in this thread.

    That said, I've purchased high quality furniture from Duane without hands-on experience by virtue of knowing the quality. It's not that you can't find quality furniture made in Asia - it's that most of the companies ordering furniture from Asia are much more concerned with price point than quality, and that plays into material selection, choice of factory and quality of construction.

    Take a look at this close-up of a piece of furniture available online:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	MLA10872117.jpg 
Views:	350 
Size:	31.2 KB 
ID:	2046

    The oak used in that furniture is comprised of narrow strips that have been joined together. That likely does make for a heavy, "solid oak" piece, and based upon that feature alone I don't have any reason to believe that it won't last (although if that impression is wrong I'm prepared to be corrected). But that wood is, in essence, recycled scrap - strips too narrow to be used in more upscale pieces - and was selected to provide "solid oak" at a lower price point. I'm not saying that's a "bad thing", but I am saying that when you're shopping discounters you're likely to find compromises in the furniture, some of which are merely aesthetic (how wide are the oak strips) and some of which are structural (but may not be apparent without disassembling the piece).

    There are compromises in higher end furniture as well; everybody has to, at some point, say "It's good enough." But you get the idea.

  4. #4
    tattoo Guest

    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    [
    Quote Originally Posted by drcollie View Post
    You're going to certainly get affordable at those places, but there will no quality. Its basically inexpensive Made In China or Vietnam pieces at a utility grade that will not have much functional lifespan. Personally, I'd rather buy high quality used pieces off Craigslist before buying low build pieces new from places such as those.

    Good luck.


    Quote Originally Posted by aaron View Post
    I am reluctant to buy upholstered goods I can't sit in, or for that matter from an unknown manufacturer, because you can't see the quality from the outside. For mail order, you can't get a sense of the quality of the fabric or leather (although sometimes you can order a swatch).

    My sister has a couch from Sam's Club that is nothing to write home about, but it seems reasonably solid. The one thing that's obvious is that it is covered with a really cheap, thick leather with a very thick, glossy finish. She has two kids, her husband has four - frankly, it's probably sensible for her to have cheaper furniture, and the finish on the leather has probably saved it from countless stains. I have to add, though, that some of the stories I hear about Chinese construction materials - contaminated drywall, particle board, leather goods, paint, etc. - make me wary of higher cost "Made in China" goods - see, e.g., "Is your leather sofa making you sick?"; "Don’t get burned by your leather furniture". There is some protection in working through a name brand retailer that can replace faulty pieces and can be relied upon to recall items that are determined to be unsafe.

    For case goods, I also like to touch and feel - a lot of low- and mid-level furniture is wobbly, even when new. Or odd corners have been cut in construction, such as the plywood "dovetails" discussed in this thread.

    That said, I've purchased high quality furniture from Duane without hands-on experience by virtue of knowing the quality. It's not that you can't find quality furniture made in Asia - it's that most of the companies ordering furniture from Asia are much more concerned with price point than quality, and that plays into material selection, choice of factory and quality of construction.

    Take a look at this close-up of a piece of furniture available online:

    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	MLA10872117.jpg 
Views:	350 
Size:	31.2 KB 
ID:	2046

    The oak used in that furniture is comprised of narrow strips that have been joined together. That likely does make for a heavy, "solid oak" piece, and based upon that feature alone I don't have any reason to believe that it won't last (although if that impression is wrong I'm prepared to be corrected). But that wood is, in essence, recycled scrap - strips too narrow to be used in more upscale pieces - and was selected to provide "solid oak" at a lower price point. I'm not saying that's a "bad thing", but I am saying that when you're shopping discounters you're likely to find compromises in the furniture, some of which are merely aesthetic (how wide are the oak strips) and some of which are structural (but may not be apparent without disassembling the piece).

    There are compromises in higher end furniture as well; everybody has to, at some point, say "It's good enough." But you get the idea.
    Thank you very much for your responses. Both of you make some very valid points, which is very helpful.

    I understand that you get what you pay for.

    When it comes to the internet, what you see is not exactly what you get. I went to a JC Penny showroom and the furniture was decent. Unfortunately it was a very small showroom and did not have all their products.

    What is unfortunate about the "Made in China" label is that there is a possibility that the furniture that is made in America was created from materials from China. I am going to hold off on buying a couch for now since my current couch has a couple of years left. But I will be looking at getting an ottoman and a media center

    For now I just want something neat and presentable and there is no problem with having to dispose it in the near future.

    I am also looking at Sears and Home and Living.
    http://www.homeandliving.com/living-room-futons.html

    Is there anything I should be aware of in terms of delivery and if I have to do a return?

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    One of my very favorite sayings in this industry is: "Everything Looks Good When It's New". Where performance comes in is based on how well that pieces holds to the original spec as its being used. Most inexpensive pieces do not maintain their structural performance and gradually collapse as the months and years go by. And since it all looks about the same from the outside, how do you tell unless you know some of the tricks of the trade, such as pushing outwards on the arms of a piece to determine flex, or looking a the tightness of a webbed deck.

    Some components undoubtedly come from China in new USA-made furniture. Sometimes there is no other source for a product needed than made in China, such (items such as staples and screws and certain mechanisms, etc). One cannot be entirely sure, that's a given. So at the end of the day, some of the determination of quality comes from reputation and feedback from other consumers. In the internet age, if someone isn't happy with a purchase, the first place they go to tell everyone about it is an internet blog.

    As far as delivery and return policies, they all vary by store - you'll have to check theirs to see what is covered and addressed. Good luck.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    Keep in mind, rave reviews of a furniture brand from ten or even five years ago may not reflect a present reality - a lot of old, quality makers have gone out of business and had their names acquired by companies that want to put that famous old name on a much lesser product, and some manufacturers have outsourced production to china even though they know it means offering a lesser product. Alas, with consumer price expectations and the fact that for upholstered goods you often cannot determine quality from the outside, for some manufacturers that's been the only way to stay in business.

  7. #7
    tattoo Guest

    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    Also, is it worth buying a warranty if they offer it?

    Thanks again.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    I would say 'no', its not. If you do, read the policy carefully to determine what it covers and what it does not. Most things on upholstery do not break, they either wear out or fatigue.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  9. #9
    tattoo Guest

    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    Thank you for the recommendation. I won't bother with the warranty.

    How do you all feel about Costo? They send free swatch of the fabric of some of the furniture to get a better
    idea of the quality.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Looking for new furniture at Walmart, JC Penny and Overstock

    I think the box is worth as much as the contents of the Costco furniture. Where do you live? If you keep a vigil on Craigslist, you can eventually find some high quality lightly used furniture for pennies on the dollar.
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

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