What You See Is Not Always What You Get

Inferior Particleboard

VS

Real Wood = Real Value

Both pictures above use a veneer top. Veneer's are great to use on shelves and sides to help keep costs down while offering superior strength. The problem with veneer arises with what products manufacturers use underneath it . . . that's where the term "veneer" has received sauch a bad rap and where many nationally recognizeable furniture manufacturers and retailers hide their lack of quality. However, if you know what and where to look it is rather easy to spot their tactics.

Throughout this blog post I will be offering simple tips and insight into how to tell if you nare truly getting what you think you are paying for . . . an all wood piece of furniture. Have you ever thought or heard a friend say "but my furniture is so heavy?" Weight really carries no bearing on the quality nor does it indicate real wood. In fact, inferior particleboard and MDF is actually heavier than the typical all wood furniture out in our Wood You stores.

Furniture shopping should be such an enjoyable experience. It is a time when you are redesigning a room, starting your vision from scratch or searching for just the right piece to complete your room in your most personal space in your life . . . your home!

So why does it have to become so stressful? From my perspective it is due to the confusion potential customers get from the unlimited options in building materials, quality and the higher price points that seem to indicate it has to be a quality product. Retailers and salespeople claiming their products are "Medium Cherry" or "Light Oak" and all the while they are describing the name of their color, not the actual type of wood you are purchasing. Why name their colors those confusing names? Only one reason comes to mind for me . . . to further confuse the customer into thinking they are buying actual Cherry or Oak furniture. When in fact they are overpaying for inferior products with a veneer that contains nothing more than particleboard.

There is a major misconception that all furniture is basically the same in all furniture retailers thus the final decision boild down to one of a pure price point. This exact thought process has led to so many dissatisfied customers and true "buyer's remorse" to the point that no wonder furniture shopping can be a dreaded event almost rivaling the car buying experience.

So the question we all want answered is how to find true quality and value in our furniture buying decision? I certainly have my own thoughts; which I will share throughout this post but first I would like to open this question up to our dealers, employees and and our guests. How can a customer make sure they are getting real wood instead of the "Light Oak" or "Medium Cherry" that misleads customers to believe they are paying for Oak or Cherry; when in fact they have just wasted their hard earned money on inferior particleboard products that will last until the first move or first spill and then it begins to fall apart. That is not true value!

So whether you have a disaster story or a bit of insight to share with others about how to spot inferior products that are way over priced . . . please take the time to share.

* * * Make it easy on yourself. Find this symbol and you can be guaranteed you are buying from a store that has been certified by a National Organization. The certification guarantees that the store you are shopping offers real wood furniture! * * *