| Over time shopping habits of consumers in the area | | | | furniture piece that rarely survives one move from |
| of furniture for their home, have strayed more and | | | | it's original location, let alone 2. Also, these pieces for |
| more away from their local craftsmen and custom | | | | the furniture are manufactured not in the US, nor is |
| furniture makers limiting themselves to just the | | | | the material purchased in the us. Most of the time |
| selection available at their local retail stores like Ikea | | | | these "designed for you" pieces are manufactured in |
| or Wal-Mart. Not long ago, the option of buying a | | | | Indonesia or China. |
| desk for your office or dresser for your bedroom | | | | This is not a case for all consumers to contact me to |
| was available only at your local furniture maker. The | | | | make all of their furniture when they are in the |
| opportunity to have furniture made custom to your | | | | market for a piece for their home, as I simply don't |
| liking and design was made available by the | | | | have that much time on my hands. This is a case to |
| craftsman, and they would service any problems you | | | | persuade consumers to contact their local craftsman |
| may have had with that furniture and also provided | | | | first who provide custom furniture services. |
| an additional service of maintaining that furniture | | | | Consumers don't know that there exists skilled |
| when it got scratched or damaged in moving. | | | | furniture makers in almost every city that are |
| Where most consumers have been trained into | | | | excellent at their trade and will work with you to |
| thinking that mega-manufactured paper cut out | | | | provide a custom design specific to you. |
| designed furniture is their only option. This is a | | | | Consumers have available to them a person that will |
| persuasion piece to let them know that there are | | | | help them design a piece. The craftsman will let them |
| other options and are most of the time, MORE | | | | choose the exact material they want to use and if a |
| economical than the $300 desk they can get at Ikea. | | | | material is not available or viable for a piece, will help |
| Mass produced furniture is an assembly line product. 1 | | | | them select the appropriate material. Will give you a |
| designer, not native to your area (i.e. not familiar with | | | | solid piece of heirloom quality furniture that is sturdy |
| local design tastes), first tries to decide what | | | | and can easily last 20, 60 or even over 100 years |
| everyone in that retail store's audience will like. They | | | | making the additional price you pay for the piece well |
| make a prototype and the marketing team decides | | | | worth it over the pre-canned cheap alternative at |
| on that style. From that prototype a manufacturer | | | | the store. Most importantly, this is designed by a local |
| will start to make compromises in the original design | | | | craftsman in your local economy. Even if you select a |
| of the furniture piece so that it can be mass | | | | furniture maker out of state to make your pieces, |
| produced, shipped in pieces and assembled by the | | | | you're still employing an American workforce to |
| consumer once they get it home. | | | | furnish your home. That local craftsman is also |
| The mega chain stores need to make a nice margin | | | | available to service the furniture for any scrapes and |
| on their furniture so that they can pay the designer, | | | | scratches you will get from normal everyday use |
| the assembly line workers, the logistics personnel, the | | | | At the very least, please be aware that this is an |
| executives, etc.... so they are going to use the | | | | available alternative when furnishing your home. Why |
| cheapest materials possible. Most of the time its | | | | should a consumer settle for the mega chain |
| pressed particle board (wood chips held together | | | | pre-fabricated in China option? They can have a local |
| with glue) with a sticker over the top of the particle | | | | master craftsman design and make beautiful custom |
| board giving the piece the appearance of wood or | | | | furniture for their house or apartment, making it a |
| whatever material they are trying to emulate. | | | | beautiful home custom to them. |
| This need for high margin leads to poor quality of a | | | | |