Buy American

[iSentient]

I wish there were more people like JackOlso with the guts to spell out problems even knowing that he will probably be criticized heavily for them.

That was a great post.

[spbell]

Henkel Harris Update: I read this today while waiting to get my my flu shot. "In 2013, the Gum family purchased Henkel Harris and is proud to be carrying on the tradition of producing America's finest furniture. With the same commitment to their workers and passion for crafting furniture, Gum Family has only one goal in mind: "to ensure that the legacy continues".
I was so happy to hear this! Last year my husband and I went out for what was to be their final sale before closing their doors for good. We had the opportunity to meet some of the workers (some who had been there 30-40 years), and get a tour of the plant. I had a lump in my throat as we left not only because I would never get the chance to complete furnishing my bedroom suite but because these were just nice hard working people who at this stage in their life were now going to have to figure out just what the heck they were going to do next with their lives.
I am a Detroit girl my birth so maybe it hit home and I'm a little biased, but it makes me feel good to see that good quality American products still live on. Personally, I will only buy American made furniture because I appreciate the craftsmanship and love the quality.
p.s. And Duane, while it may take me a long long time to make a decision on which H&M sofa will finally grace my home, I WILL...and I will buy it from only you!

[rugman1969]

Flag Waver here!

I have been researching sofas and visiting my local stores(not worldwide corporations), and while I understand people are in business to make money, I have been seeing one common problem. Markups. Yes, markups on furniture are ridiculous. The markups on ALL brands of furniture is what drives many normal working families to buy the cheaper furniture made outside of the USA because of costs. Not many 'regular' people(people who work everyday and make an average income...area specific)can afford to spend 6k and up on a sofa or any other piece of furniture, regardless of how long it will last. Therefore, they(we regular peeps) are then forced to buy what we can afford, which is usually made outside of the USA, not because we want to, but because we have to. Sure, I could save up and buy that 6-10k sofa, but I need a sofa now, not 5 years from now. Sure I could put it on credit, but I choose not to. So now we have inferior furniture, and we just 'screwed' the american worker again, not because we wanted to, but because we had no choice. I am not saying that the american worker should not make a decent wage, but with the markups at the retail levels, we really don't have much of a choice. Sorry, but if I can spend 3k on a sofa that will last me 4-6 years and get it now, thats what I have to do. I really want to buy american, but cannot afford to. Over the course of my research, I have seen a price difference spread of ~ 30-65%. I can only assume based on what I have read that the mentioned 40-80% markups on furniture are quite true. Ridiculous? IMO, yes. If the retailers sold at a more reasonable price, I could probably squeeze the extra 400-500 hundred dollars out to buy the american made, but I cannot squeeze out the 2500-4000 thousand extra dollars because the store is so greedy that they feel the need to rake me over the coals to get every last cent they can out of me on a single piece of furniture just to make their sales goals. Is it their right? Of course it is. I am not arguing about that they don't have the right to sell things for whatever they want to. But if I can buy at a reasonable price, I would probably buy more. Therefore, it is not that I don't want to buy american, its that I can't afford to at the markups the retailers are selling at. Sorry, but just my thoughts and opinions.
Oh, and by the way, I also am learning that many of the retail salespeople lie their butts off to get you to buy something. Not all of them, but many of them.

Also, not every area has a a large selection of furniture retailers. That makes selection limited and harder to find many brands.

On the flip side of the furniture markups at retail level: These ridiculous markups will continue as long as there are people willing to overspend, buy on credit, and just insist they HAVE to have the very latest highest dollar piece of furniture to keep up with the Jones. Unfortunately, there is obviously enough of these people buying that keeps these markups at the level they currently are.

So, buy American? I would love to, but I can't afford to pay the markups. Sorry USA, but you just want too much from me, and I can't afford what you ask.

[drcollie]

You can buy a Taylor King Americas Pride sofa in a USA made fabric from my store for $ 1,449 + shipping and I will put that sofa up against any other piece from any maker. Solid maple frame, 8 way hantied springs and Qualux cushions. Here are two in my store that you can buy 'mail order' at that price, complete with pillows.

http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/show...llection-sofas

You can buy a leather Bradington-Young sofa made in the USA for $2,000 + shipping.

The sofas you want to buy are out there for reasonable prices, you may have to change where you shop!

[rugman1969]

I hear you Duane, and I wish I could find other places to shop, but as I said, there are limited stores in my area. A for instance: I priced a Bradington-Young sectional in leather, nothing special, consisted of 4 pieces, RAF loveseat, corner wedge, armless loveseat, LAF chaise. Price was $8500.00. Now, while I understand that this is a sectional, it is still a just a chaise, 2 loveseats, and a wedge. So, comparing that to a $2000.00 leather B-Y sofa, I could buy 4 B-Y sofas, save 500 bucks, and have a lot more seating than is offered from the sectional. This is why I guess I have so much of a problem finding something, because $8500.00 dollars doesn't seem to fit as a fair price for the sectional. Seems like a very high markup. Problem is, the wife wants a sectional. I'm not trying to argue, just saying what I am finding out there. I understand that a sectional is not a sofa, but it is 2 loveseats(1 armless, 1 only 1 arm, requiring less construction & material), a wedge, and a chaise with one arm. So if a B-Y sofa could be had for 2k, I can only assume the loveseat would be less, and the chaise less than the loveseat, and the wedge , I have no clue. So assuming the loveseat would be sold for approx $1700.00 each, the chaise approx $1300.00, the wedge for approx $800.00, thats a lot less than $8500.00. This is what's out here in the retail world. This is why its so hard to buy USA made items, when I could just buy something from china to suit my needs for $2500 - $3000 and have it last me 3-6 years, then repeat 2 more times and spend the same amount, all the while having something new every 3-5 years. Unfortunately for me, this is NOT what I want to have to do. I want to buy a quality USA made piece, but I am not willing to pay the crazy prices that many of the retailers are charging.

[drcollie]

Very Simple. Ask me for a quote on the BY sectional and see what my price is on it. Model numbers, please and your leather selection. I'll post here here so everyone can see how it stacks up. Also your state and zip code so I can compute shipping. I'm a pretty aggressive discounter, but of course I do have to pay Bradington Young for the goods, too - as I'm sure you understand.

Here's the thing with Chinese goods. The product is so cheaply made, the markup from most dealers and throughout the whole system is usually HIGHER than that of USA-made product, because they can get it.

[rugman1969]

Ok. I will do that. I will get the info and post here.

[rugman1969]

Ok. I cannot get the model number on the one I looked at in the store since the store is 1 1/2 hours away. But I can give you the layout and type of sectional I looked at. These 3 are the styles I am looking at. Please let me know if I have left anything out.
B-Y Warner sectional 220 Leather Stargo Molasses 9049-88 -F
or Sterling Sectional 221 Leather Stargo Molasses 9049-88 -F
or Landry Sectional 224 Leather Stargo Molasses 9049-88 -F

Finish - MH


RAF Chaise -42
Armless Loveseat -78
Corner Wedge -68
LAF Loveseat -57

Destrehan, Louisiana 70047

[drcollie]

In the 220 series, leather is price grade 1, so.....

-42: $ 1,594 (157 lb)
-78: $ 1,666 (142 lb)
-68: $ 1,666 (130 lb)
-57: $ 1,797 (158 lb)

$ 6,723 for the furniture itself. 587 LB shipped to LA appx $ 675. Total landed price $ 7,398 in the home.

They were what?....$ 8,500 and whatever sales tax may be applicable plus delivery fees? A bit of savings, maybe not where you want to be but you can certainly see how various dealers price out differently from one another.

[rugman1969]

Wow. That was fast. Big price difference too. I'll get with the wife and show her this and let you know. Thank you. I just wished I lived closer so I could come to your place.