FURNITURESCOUT FORUM

Dear Customers,

Since offering our valuable services online to the national community in 2003 we have listened to your requests, responded to 1000s of emails, conducted ongoing field research throughout the furniture capital of High Point North Carolina and beyond and digested a plethora of knowledge regarding the furniture industry.
Therefore, we have decided to dedicate this page on the FurnitureScout.com site to tell you some in depth facts and trends in buying furniture. The following topics are published based on reoccurring questions that pop up from our fine customers:

Ordering from a Manufacturer verses buying a Market Sample -

The furniture firms in North Carolina and Virgina without a doubt produce some of the highest quality home furnishing in the industry. These firms are where we concentrate our searches first and foremost.
In recent years many manufacturers have moved there operations off shore.
Of the high volume of requests FurnitureScout.com gets for specific pieces, unless the manufacturer is in our reach it is likely that the origin of your shipment of a piece we have to order will be coming from Asia or eastern Europe or another far corner of the globe.

In general this complicates our process of building a relationship with our customers because:

a. the amount of time it takes to get the product to High Point is forever and a day. After we receive the product it then has to be shipped to you.
Folks we're talkin' a long time between your order and your receipt. After about ten weeks you're thinking "I've just been victimized by another internet scam". Folks, that's not what we are about!

b. FurnitureScout.com does not travel to the global communities and visit the factories. Don't forget, we're trying to save our customers a bundle.

The majority of the Market Samples we find are made here in the southeastern united states by highly dedicated and talented people and we are able to check out the product personally for you.
Market samples are always ready to ship and the process usually only takes a few weeks to get the product to the customer.

What Is A Market Sample?

Good question! A market sample is only one thing. It is a piece of furniture that has been shown previously to the public either in a store or at a furniture show. Yes, it has been touched, sat On, leaned on and probably a few business deals have occurred over it that have put quite a few kids through college.
But the fact is, as long as the piece is in good shape and there are no defects it is still a piece of furniture that deserves a caring home and is going to sell for a much lower fee than if you bought it new because it is considered used.
As far as all of these promotions you here on the radio and in the newspaper stating that " Market Samples Are FINALLY Here" are concerned it is likely that the store bought a few but is more interested in getting you in the door to show you the wonderful pieces they can order for you, which we can of course help you with too!

Why are all sales "Final, No Return or Refund"?

Have you ever tried to return a piece of furniture? It simply does not happen unless at the point of delivery the customer notices that the glass is cracked in the door panel of the curio or the leather is ripped on the seat cushion. If this situation occurs about 99% of the merchants have a policy that states " Do Not Accept, Return to Sender" and the delivery company will load the piece back into the truck and be on their way.
This policy is a industry standard for several reasons.

Scenario 1- The new cocktail table arrives and the next day Mom and dad are off to work and the kids decide to play hot wheels on the table top. Mom and dad return and the table is scratched. One day after the delivery the merchant receives a phone call that the table arrived scratched. This is why delivery companies have the customer sign something called a Release. The signing of the release form means that the customer has thoroughly checked the product and agreed that it has arrived in acceptable condition and is satisfied.

Let's face it, many things go on in a home that can cause furniture to get a nick here and there and no merchant could sleep at night if they spent all their time analyzing the whereabouts of the furniture they sent out.the cost to have a delivery company come back and pick up a piece of furniture is simply to great.
Remember, buying furniture is not like buying a pair of shoes.

All the other Internet companies have free shipping and why does it cost so much to ship?

If you have ever received furniture via ups or fedex it is likely that upon receipt and the thrilling moment of opening the box a frustrating dilemma occurs when the buyer learns that "Oh My , Oh My, I have to assemble this?".
We all know how fast paced the common carriers are in the US and they have come and gone by the time the carton was opened and the bad news came that your day would be spent trying to figure this one out. We have heard that some people like putting together these project pieces; about 1%.

Market samples and other Fine Furniture are products that have to be carefully wrapped and packed in the truck and the obstacles the drivers are faced with when they arrive at homes are sometimes to difficult to describe.
This is a very valuable service and the overhead of a furniture delivery firm is very high with fuel costs, highway fees, interstate taxes, staff and maintaining the trucks.
FurnitureScout.com has found the greatest savings occur when;

a. a customer buys a large quantity and the higher the weight the lower the price per pound to ship drops.
b. A customer gets a fantastic deal on a high end piece that they are paying often half price off market value.

When either of these types of purchases occurs the shipping fee is small compared to the savings on the purchase. By the way, the delivery companies that FurnitureScout.com works with will bend over backwards to place your furniture where you want it and they have tools on there truck to fix any minor problems that occur in the process so tipping is always appreciated.

Industry Trends You May Want To Know About -

Big Entertainment Centers Are Downsizing:
With the high cost of plasma TVS finally going down consumers are finding that the huge entertainment centers they purchased 10 years ago will not fit a 42' or larger wide screen TV. This trend has prompted manufacturers to design console style e. centers with closed door bottom cabinets that house the various components.
People in general like the way the plasma TVs look and want to display them in the home. Baker Furniture has a very fine version of a Plasma console that will house everything you need for a stunning home entertainment center with a very high end look. $$$
If it is a cabinet with doors you're after make sure to find a piece that either has double hinged doors that swing all the way back or that will bifold and recess into the cabinet flush with the front. Minsk Furniture makes a great version of this that is not too tall and will hold up to a 48' Plasma TV and it is able to be painted if you remodel someday and desire a different color from the natural walnut finish. This is a snuggly unit for a little over 1K. $
For the big room that has lots of memorabilia and keepsakes to display make sure to find a unit that has a bridge so you can adjust the size to fit the TV. If you don't have a plasma now and want to upgrade in the future a bridge unit will work perfectly. Martin Furniture has many e. center styles and they make a really solid piece of furniture- check out Martin's Kathy Ireland Home collections. $$

In the Clearance Centers in High Point now there are 100s of the old style e. centers available at about 60% below there original retail cost and who knows where they will end up!

Leather Forever -

Good hides are coming out of the Asian markets now and the cost is more affordable. Let's face it people love leather sofas. If properly taken care of and kept out of direct sunlight the hides will last for a long time. The process of dying leather different colors has also advanced considerably and there are many colors to choose from.
To check whether a leather sofa is totally leather always compare the hides on the sides of the sofa to the cushions. If the sides are really shiny then it is likely you are buying a sofa that is only partially genuine.
Most consumers only want Italian leather but that is not the case anymore. Fine hides come from all over the world now and are processed in Asia at quality tanneries.

Sectional Sofas Are a Great Buy for the Money -

Sectional sofa trend seem to come and go with furniture buyers. This type of seating works great with families that have several kids. They make the ultimate sleepover event for kids and their friends and moms and dads can relax comfortably "together" on a sectional.
Sectionals do have their issues though. When considering a sectional remember that you're going to have it for usually 10- 15 years and if you are planning to relocate to another property during that time the sectional may cause a little stress in that decision because they are so big and the next home may not accommodate one, especially if you're down sizing. You can always pass it on to one of the children for their new pad later so not to worry.
There are many shapes in sectional styles and when you are ordering your sofa make sure you understand that LAF means Left Arm Facing so if you are standing in front of the sofa looking at it the arm sofa it is on the left (RAF opposite). This confusion occurs when purchasing a sectional that has a chaise on one side and an arm sofa on the other or if the sectional is in an L shape. In this case the LAF is going to be the short end of the L.
Sectional sofas also may slide apart on wood floors unless they have connecting pins. An easy remedy if there are no connecting pins is to install a small spring latch by screwing each end into the wood frame on the bottom One of FurnitureScout's most popular catalogue items is the Gable sectional, made in High Point and it does not have connecting pins. We have recommended adding connecting latches before and always had thank you emails from hardwood floor folks. One method of placement that is fail proof obviously is to place a sectional against a wall.
The cost of a sectional sofa is often less than a sofa/loveseat group and especially a sofa/loveseat/chair group. Enjoy your family with a sectional sofa and enjoy the relaxing times together.

- Pat Tucker, owner -

More Topics to Come….