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Hi,

I've seen you on some other forums and have some questions... We're looking for a new leather sofa - perhaps sectional - still trying to decide. We went to a couple of local stores today and found a number of sets we like. My favorite is a H&M (I have no idea which model - has a button tufted back and nailheads-will visit their site to find an exact model), but it also has the highest pricetag and I'm honestly not sure it's in my budget or wise considering it's for our family room and my last sofa (Natuzzi - Italy) was annihilated. I'm scared at this point. DS thought he was Captain Hook when he was 3 and sliced it (thanks to DH leaving the new German carving knife on the counter - thankfully DS was unscathed) and I think our Standard Poodle may have also caused a tear - she's not allowed on the furniture, but she sometimes gets excited... So, I need bulletproof and I honestly don't want $$$$ considering where it will be... The salesman pointed out a Randall-Allan sectional -was something like $3500 and seemed reasonable... He tried to convince me that it was really HM - I'm not that dumb - I can see and feel the difference. What I'm wondering is what is it really? Based on things I've seen you write in the past, I believe you know this business and that you're honest. I'm also interested in you pricing pieces for us. I then went to another store and looked at some Classic Leather pieces - frankly I thought they were better than the Randall-Allan, but not the level of the HM am I wrong? I also looked at a couple BY and they told me Classic was better - honestly I just don't know... The Classic set was amazing in that it was actually comfortable for me to sit on in any position and comfy for DH as well - he is 6'5" and I am 5'3"... Of course the CL sectionals were around $5K... The salesman in that store said the magic number for most people was $2500 and I didn't miss a beat telling him if he'd sell me the CL sectional for that amount he could deliver it tomorrow! LOL I agree that I'd love to be at that price, BUT I want good quality and I want it to last. I'm not remotely interested in hitting the local Ashley store. So, do you have suggestions? I am also a bit confused on the leather - I know I want treated considering the conditions, but I also thought I wanted thicker hide - it seems to me (from the samples I was given) that the natural hide is thicker... Why? Also, they made a big deal about CL being made from steer hides (less fat) than cow hides. Is there ANY merit to that?? I also received pitches regarding cushions - i.e. down, vs foam vs soy based... I really don't want to fluff cushions. I basically want my couch to look the same in 5 years and there on out. I don't want snags, I want easy maintenance and I want to be able to replace filling if necessary down the road... Am I being reasonable? Is there something that will fit my needs better? I just want a nice piece for my family room that appeals to my aesthetics and will survive my family. Thank you and I apologize for this being SO LONG.