Rank these furniture stores

letterk said:

Basset is pretty good. Probably the best of the larger chains. We used to like Ethan Allen, but they've gone all modern now.

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+1 - We furnished our dining room, living room and master bedroom with Basset furniture. Aside from some issues with our bed (they gave us the wrong mattress frame), we have been very pleased with the products and the warranty/repair service.

But. . .they are not cheap. Because we purchased all of the above at once, we got them to give it us for the cash price, but we were able to finance it. Very reasonable on their part because they didn't have to do that. It amounted to about a $5k difference in price. Funny thing, we got a christmas card from the sales associate that year. Obviously, we made her sales quota for about three months that year.

As long as they get their money, they will work with you.

I also prefer to pick up pieces one at a time. If my wife can wait I prefer to make the all-wood pieces. Things to look for if you are looking for quality:

1. Look at the edge grain, usually on top off the piece on the sides. You should be expecting to see the end grain, not another grain running from front to back, this is a sure sign of veneer or worse printed laminate to look like wood grain on top of fiberboard (sometimes plywood which is not so bad). If this is confusing, just follow a grain to the edge, you should be expecting to see something the looks like the end of a bunch of straws, not a straight grain running in another direction. Remember "all-wood" and "solid-wood" are not synonymous. You can also compare a finished surface, like the top, to an unfinished surface, like the underside of a table. If the grains look different the top is probably a veneer.

2. If it has a drawer, pull it out and look at it, this a is a place that cheaply made stuff really shows up. Look for hardwood sides (sometimes cedar) with joints, finger and dovetail joints are good, they should also be well sanded and smooth. Plastic, fiber board and poor finish are sure signs of lower quality craftsmanship. Drawer guides in newly made furniture are also a good sign, don't expect to see them in older furniture though. Now that the drawer is out you can also get a look at the inside of the piece and can a general feel for construction. Corner bracing is good, though not required. In something like a dresser look for dividers between drawers to keep out dust; above and below and also to the sides of the drawer.

3. If it's a case piece look at the back panel. This is a place fit and finish are usually lacking in lower quality furniture. I've some really cheap pieces be painted cardboard in furniture stores were would wouldn't expect it either.

4. If it's a table and chairs your looking for these are usally a lot easier to evaluate. Turn the chairs over and look underneath, the joints should be well fit and tight. None of the pieces should wobble on the ground. If the table has leaves, open it and poke around. This is a good place to have a peek and quality of construction as well. The table should separate and close easily also.

5. When it comes to upholstered furniture... you are on your own. GOOD LUCK!

Wilpar76 said:

As long as they get their money, they will work with you.

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Oh yeah and don't forget, this process is often exactly like buying a car. They CAN come down on the price. There are some places out there you can't negotiate, but if there's a gang of people swarm the door waiting to pounce you probably can.

BCatl said:

I've grown to like Haverty's over the years.

Retail furniture stores are great if you just want to go buy some furniture and get it over with. If you are more patient, try to pick up good used pieces over time.

You don't have to buy antiques, but you'll certainly get sturdier and more "real" furniture if you buy pieces made before 1970, as a rule of thumb.

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Great advice. I figured this out when I moved into my apartment. For starters, furniture is REALLY expensive. Even fake wood/particle board. If you want something like cherry or oak, expect to spend thousands of dollars.

I ended up buying a couch, headboard/frame, dresser, and nightstand (all particle board) from Ashley. Cost me $1100 after tax and delivery. Plus, you have to wait for them to order it from a distribution center, took about 3 weeks.

A few weeks later, I went to my local Good Will. Picked up an oak table with 6 chairs, 2 oak dressers, and a recliner for $75. Definitely go used if you can.

Rooms to go is good if you have a rental property and just want to furnish it. When I bought my townhouse and moved from an apartment building that was your typical roach infested buidling, I didnt take ANY furniture with us because of fear of bringing bugs over to the new house.
I went to Bob's Discount Furniture and the wife and I spent a ton of money. The furniture is of average quality.
Just a FYI about their " Goof-proof " furniture protection. When they explain it to you they tell you for 5 years your furniture is insured against tears, scratches and stains. What they dont tell you is you can only use it once per item. We had the misfortune of using it and it was such a disaster.
They contract out Guardsman as their repair company who will email you a form to fill out about your damage and how it was caused. You print it out, mail it back.
They denied us right off the bat and didnt explain why. I called back and files an appeal which they granted eventually. They gave us 2 options. The first, replace the part or entire piece of furniture or the cut you a check for $120 to hire your own local repair company to fix it in your home.
If you choose either one of those options, your " goof proof " protection is finished for the duration of that item, so if another incident happens you are s.o.l.
I took the check for $120 and found a local place to come fit the damage and ended up paying an extra $80 out of pocket. The goof proof protection for that item when we purchased it was $125.
I would advise not to purchase the protection plan from Bob's.