Wanted: Recliner Recommendations

[deskjockey]

Might be worth a shot to try the Costco product. If you decide to, please report back when you get it and at the 5-year mark. I've never been very impressed with the furniture I've seen at Costco, however I think the piece you are looking at is an on-line only one and not in the stores.

Agree, the furniture I have seen in Costo stores is not impressive and the subject recliner is online only which means that no furniture salesman or saleswoman is involved.

I think that the problem is how the furniture salesmen are compensated. When they get a base salary plus commission, they are willing to lie without any inhibitions to make a sale because their livelihood (and of their kith and kin) depends on it. This also applies to used car salesmen, real estate agents, independent medical practices to some extent, etc.

Thinking about driving down to Columbus to check out furniture by Bauhaus this weekend.

[drcollie]

I think that in furniture sales, they are not so much being dishonest - moreso they tend to not be well-versed in their product lines. A typical furniture store has (50) lines or so, and each changes every 6 months because we are a 'fashion' industry <rolling eyes> so its a constant struggle to stay on top of them all. In my store, I only carry half a dozen suppliers in upholstery for that very reason. I can then pack my brain with retention knowledge from those six suppliers rather than trying to recall the nuances of fifty. Even so, I can't recall everything - but pride myself in knowing 90% of each line 90% of the time - which is about as good or better than the customer service reps know the product line for their companies.

I am a 'furniture salesperson' as well, but I never lie - EVER - to make a sale because at the end of the day a Man's integrity in himself is all he really has, and is his legacy to the people that know him. I don't need the money badly enough to mislead people. That doesn't mean I don't get it wrong! Sometimes I goof up and I do make mistakes or tell someone something that isn't accurate - but its based on the best knowledge I had at the time, however its never intentional.

If you want a hot deal on a recliner, I have ONE Bradington Young 4114 in a Blue Leather for $ 899 that is still in the box and can be shipped. These were closeouts on leftover hides and I bought a bunch of them - I'm down to the last one. If you want to drive to Youngstown OH to fetch it up, I can put it on the J.L. Treharn Truck which will be delivering to my store next week and have them backhaul it at no charge. Just pick it up on their loading dock Mon-Fri. You can't beat that deal for a genuine B-Y recliner brand new in all top grain leather - but you have to like dark blue. Here's one out in the sunlight...

[Southersnaps]

I am considering the "Satchel" in a swivel glider. I have narrowed the color options down as best I can with the limited information and swatches. Please submit any pictures you have of, "Maverick Park Brindle" (9417-88), and "Halona Deer" (9818-88), and "Chateau Walnut" (9058-88). Also, which of these two do you prefer?

[drcollie]

Any photos I have of any pieces are here in the forum under LEATHER > RESOURCE PHOTOS>BRADINGTON YOUNG.

Myself, I like the 9055 series leathers from B-Y (GR5). They're pretty nice.

[deskjockey]

I think that in furniture sales, they are not so much being dishonest - moreso they tend to not be well-versed in their product lines. A typical furniture store has (50) lines or so, and each changes every 6 months because we are a 'fashion' industry <rolling eyes> so its a constant struggle to stay on top of them all. In my store, I only carry half a dozen suppliers in upholstery for that very reason. I can then pack my brain with retention knowledge from those six suppliers rather than trying to recall the nuances of fifty. Even so, I can't recall everything - but pride myself in knowing 90% of each line 90% of the time - which is about as good or better than the customer service reps know the product line for their companies.

I am a 'furniture salesperson' as well, but I never lie - EVER - to make a sale because at the end of the day a Man's integrity in himself is all he really has, and is his legacy to the people that know him. I don't need the money badly enough to mislead people. That doesn't mean I don't get it wrong! Sometimes I goof up and I do make mistakes or tell someone something that isn't accurate - but its based on the best knowledge I had at the time, however its never intentional.

If you want a hot deal on a recliner, I have ONE Bradington Young 4114 in a Blue Leather for $ 899 that is still in the box and can be shipped. These were closeouts on leftover hides and I bought a bunch of them - I'm down to the last one. If you want to drive to Youngstown OH to fetch it up, I can put it on the J.L. Treharn Truck which will be delivering to my store next week and have them backhaul it at no charge. Just pick it up on their loading dock Mon-Fri. You can't beat that deal for a genuine B-Y recliner brand new in all top grain leather - but you have to like dark blue. Here's one out in the sunlight...

I think you appear to be an exception because you have self respect and more importantly your business model is different. If integrity was introduced in the furniture business at large, it would collapse. From my experience with 4 furniture salesmen and their identical sales scripts (prolly went to the same sales training classes), I have absolutely no doubt that they are at a minimum dishonest.

I am not too crazy about that blue color because it would distract from other living room furniture. Thank you for the offer though.

Interesting, most recliners at Costco have Leggett and Platt reclining mechanism. I, like many other people, am always happy to see a business like Costco make money from me.

[deskjockey]

A furniture salesman said that Randall Allen recliner is Made in China furniture of Hancock and Moore. Is this correct?

I found this complaint about Randall Allen/Hancock Moore at complaints board dot com

Begin copy and paste:

Don;t buy the leather furniture from either Randall Allen or Hancock Moore. JUNK! Leather looses its color with minimal wear over 8 months. Left with a ugly yellow tan leather base. As if pointed and its rubs off. And worse of all the 7 pieces cost $9000 and the company honors no warranty at all. 0n this awful chinese import product. DON"T buy from them. Garbage!!! and even worse customer service!!!

End copy and paste


Question is what kind of springs is the Randall Allen recliner likely to utilize?

[drcollie]

Randall Allen is a brand that is 100 % made in China and that brand is owned by Hancock & Moore, just like it owns Jessica Charles and Councill. It's not H&M logo, and I don't carry that line in my store simply because I don't have any Chinese-made lines. As to that rant...it's the Internet, what do you expect? All recliners have integrated springs into the mechanism, no matter who makes them - that's part of the design of motion furniture.

Be aware that L&P makes different series of mechanisms, they're not all the same. Think of them as Light, Medium and Heavy duty and the stronger and thicker they are, the most they cost.

[deskjockey]

Be aware that L&P makes different series of mechanisms, they're not all the same. Think of them as Light, Medium and Heavy duty and the stronger and thicker they are, the most they cost.

From my in-store testing, it appeared that different reclining mechanism also have different smoothness.

1. For example, Hancock and Moore, both China and USA made have the smoothest reclining mechanism, meaning less effort to active the mechanism.

2. Bradington and Young has kind of medium smoothness.

3. Flexsteel recliner mechanism is kinda on the low end, meaning takes more effort to activate.

Have you heard about a brand called Elran? Its made in Canada I believe. I found a recliner by Elran that provided excellent lumbar support.

Also, do you know which brands carry better mechanism and which the lower quality mechanisms?

[brian]

Deskjockey, as a side note, Hancock and Moore is made in the USA. Period. Hancock and Moore has different companies that hey also own, that are not call H&M, that are made in China, but they don't carry the H&M name and shouldn't be thought of as the same company.

Leather, depending on the leather selected, may come from a Chinese tannery. This is because most of the US tanneries shut down a few years back (sorry I don't remember the year) due to heavy EPA regulation. Even husks from the USA will be shipped over seas to be tanned. There are a few small tanneries still left in the US, but not many if any big ones. Tannery work is hard and dangerous, both to people and the environment because of the chemicals involved. It's actually probably for the best that it went overseas just for that reason.

[deskjockey]

Leather, depending on the leather selected, may come from a Chinese tannery. This is because most of the US tanneries shut down a few years back (sorry I don't remember the year) due to heavy EPA regulation. Even husks from the USA will be shipped over seas to be tanned. There are a few small tanneries still left in the US, but not many if any big ones. Tannery work is hard and dangerous, both to people and the environment because of the chemicals involved. It's actually probably for the best that it went overseas just for that reason.

This is exactly what I heard from the salesman here. Guy said most people prefer leather nowadays, so they don't carry a lot of furniture in fabric. I think a fabric furniture that is made of quality components can be equally comfortable too.