In our home we talked about many things around the dinner table- family, friends and furniture companies. I grew up knowing a lot of names and reps at a very young age. Some of the names I heard as a kid are still around today, but they are not the same company that my Grandfather purchased and was proud to sell. Want to know the inside store? Talk to Kathy at Tri City Furniture on this segment of Design Time to learn more about well known furniture companies.
Design Time runs on TV5 WNEM each Thursday morning around 9am.
Have you purchased a recliner 20 years ago? Are you wondering will a new one bought today last, work and maintain the same way? Unfortunately, products from 20 years ago are much different than the ones made today for the most part. The American Manufacturers had to change to get more competitive with all the import companies that were coming into the selling world. Many manufactures sold out to the import buyer, because they knew the power behind the long trusted name. The name was the same, but the product was changed.
Have you purchased a recliner 20 years ago? Are you wondering will a new one bought today last, work and maintain the same way? Unfortunately, products from 20 years ago are much different than the ones made today for the most part. The American Manufacturers had to change to get more competitive with all the import companies that were coming into the selling world. Many manufactures sold out to the import buyer, because they knew the power behind the long trusted name. The name was the same, but the product was changed. So they changed the owner, they changed the insides of product, most likely the location of the factory changed as well.
Best way to know if the well known company is the same manufacturer is to do some research or to ask. Most stores know where there products are made. I have always visited the factories. I enjoy seeing how the product is made and know the faces behind it being made. American made products are American made parts made assembled here in the USA.
Watch out though, there are American assembled products- which are parts imported from over seas, at the standards of overseas and assembled here. This furniture is not the same! When a sofa comes "flat packed" in a 5x5 box, there are key components that are missing I promise you!
Was the sofa screwed together or was it only stapled? Was there corner blocks glued and English tailed in or was it again just stapled? Do you have coils in the furniture or is it just a box with fabric covering it? What type of foam is inside? What is the standard of fabric on it? What chemicals have it been treated with? Lots of questions on how it is put together when it is not made by craftsmen vs an assembly line.
Don't be fooled by price. Often a name will give us comport and we may think we found a deal. A $2000 sofa that is now $700 may only be a $700 sofa. It may appear to be similar to that $2000 sofa next to it, because they have copied the arm and leg style. But ask more...what are the differences in springs? what about the foam? what about the warranty on it? Are parts assessable here in the USA? No one in business gives things away. If they did, they would not stay in business, especially in these days were we see the cost of everything going up.
Talk to someone who knows their product. Talk to someone who trusts it, who has it in their house. Who has it in their kid's home. Talk to them, because they done their research. Then you know when you see them in town they will be happy to see you, because they sold you something you can trust. You know if you have an issue you can call them and they will help.
Come see us at Tri City Furniture and Kathy and her staff will be happy to help as well. We are proud to be a family owned business who has been in the community for 65 years and love the people we work with!