Furniture Consignment Gallery Blog

Every home tells a story -- and so, too, does the furniture within it. We recently got a large shipment of Stickley furniture from an estate in New Hampshire, and every piece in the collection spoke of the homeowners' lifelong appreciation for quality and craftsmanship. 

More than a decade ago, he had purchased a waterfront home from a couple who were fanatics for Arts & Crafts. They had built the house to showcase their collection of museum-quality Arts & Crafts furniture, including some original pieces by Stickley. Indeed, the furniture was more valuable than the home itself. When the original owners sold their home and their furniture collection, some of the most valuable tables and chairs landed in mansions owned by Barbara Streisand and Steven Spielberg. Our customer was determined to stay true to the design of his new home, so he decided to invest in his own collection of Stickley.  

Perhaps it is not surprising that he was drawn to Stickley and the practical and simple elegance of Arts & Crafts design, so understated in appearance, but truly exquisite in its craftsmanship. In a way, his furniture was a reflection of his character: honest, unadorned, carefully crafted and solid as oak. Our customer is a quiet, wise and practical man. He believes in simplicity and the old adage that "less is more". Taking his own advice, he is now selling his beloved home and its contents to downsize to a life more manageable and enjoyable. More than 30 pieces of his Stickley's flagship Mission Oak furniture are for sale in our showroom.

Arts & Crafts furniture is also one of my favorites, though it isn't appreciated by everyone. To some, it is too plain and ordinary looking. In our store, the furniture sparks two extremes of reaction. For every person who runs to hug these pieces when they see them in the showroom, another scoffs at the price tag and moves along. Never have we seen furniture that elicits such strong feelings. People either love it or they don’t get it.

As for me, I appreciate the craftsmanship and the quality. When I study the wood and the joints of a particular piece, I can almost hear the whine of the workshop saws and I can almost see the craftsman laboring over every step. This furniture has a special dignity, which makes it so much more appealing to me than the mass-produced, cookie-cutter furniture that fills many a suburban home. It's not that I'm a furniture snob. There's a market for Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Their furniture is functional -- bright and cheery, even. 

Still, Mission Oak is different. It connects with your soul. It is subtle, but full of substance. These pieces speak not of the factory but of the forest. Every home does tell a story. With Mission Oak, it sounds like pure poetry. 

    ABC World News offered a fascinating look at the problems of globalization last week when it challenged a Dallas family to furnish their home with items made only in America. During the show, a moving crew hauled out everything in the home that was made abroad, including the beds, the couch, the chairs, the lamps, the rugs, the refrigerator, the stove, the silverware, and the children's toys and games. In a dramatic re-do, the house was stripped of virtually everything. All that was left on the living room floor was a tiny vase with a flower in it.

We wanted to offer a few thoughts on the subject, which is stirring controversy already.

  First, you should know that just because these sofas, coffee tables and bedroom sets were foreign-made does not mean that they are bad products.  In fact, there are many skilled craftsmen making fine furniture in other countries. Imported products are sometimes less expensive because manufacturers' costs for labor and materials are cheaper than those of their competitors in the U.S. Other times, imported products are down right skimpy. There are, however, plenty of examples of well-designed and high-quality products made in Europe, South America and Asia. 

  For those who prefer to buy American, there are substantial benefits. For one, American-made furniture typically has a greater resale value. We accepted on consignment a Hitchcock dining room set this week that will command a price only slightly less than the owner paid ten years ago. Our inventory also boasts a Harden Goddard Library Cabinet, an exquisitely designed piece of furniture prized by those who appreciate quality craftsmanship.  Also in our showroom is a Vaughn bedroom set which is 99% manufactured in America. Vaughn and Harden were both featured in the ABC special. Our years of experience tell us that American-made furniture is highly valued on the resale market.

  Still, as pragmatic -- and increasingly budget-conscious -- consumers, we can't ignore the reality of the price tag. American-made products are expensive! Harden and Hitchcock make high-quality furniture, but they are no bargain. Viking kitchen appliances are a stunning addition to any kitchen, but they are also among the priciest on the market. Who can afford to buy items made in America? As patriots, we all wish we could buy many of the products featured on the special report by ABC World News, but we do have to watch our wallets.  Can Americans afford to buy American?

    We have a solution! What could be more American than buying from and selling to your neighbor? Regardless of the country of origin, when you buy on consignment, you support your neighbor. You put money back in your neighbor's wallet when you buy his or her much-beloved furniture. And that simple act of economy keeps our hard-earned dollars right here in America. When you buy at Furniture Consignment Gallery, you get an excellent product for a great price, especially if the furniture is made in America.

   We applaud ABC World News for a series that highlights the challenges and benefits of buying American. But we do have a couple of questions for the producers. Just about everything owned by the family featured in the show was whisked away by a moving van. Was it all destined for a dump in Dallas? Did you donate everything to a local charity? Or did you return every item to its country of origin?  ABC didn't say where the van was headed, but we have a suggestion. Why not consider consignment -- at Furniture Consignment Gallery? Now, that's American ingenuity at work. Give us a call!

Our loveable Boxer is a sweet pet, but, boy, can she slobber! And she has a habit of finding the most comfortable spot in the house and making it her own.  Since I'm a guy with a showroom full of furniture, you might think I let her sleep where she chooses, but no. We gate off our living room so that our upholstery stays clean and free of eau de pet. 

That's one way to protect your furniture, but here are some other suggestions you might consider.

Do use table pads on your dining room table. They are crucial to enjoying family dinners and holiday events. Your tabletop is not designed to handle a hot platter or dripping candle wax. A quality pad offers the protection you need to enjoy entertaining. Throw a tasteful tablecloth over it and relax. Your table is protected from nicks, gouges or spills. McKay Table pads are reasonably priced and can be purchased from most upscale furniture stores.

Don't put custom-cut glass on the tops of desks or tables. Glass detracts from the warm, elegant beauty of the wood.  Every time I see glass on a table top I cringe because, inevitably, the protective circular buffers that hold the glass in place stick to the wood and ruin it. And if moisture gets trapped between the glass and the surface, the wood may be damaged. 

Do use fabric protection on your upholstery. Murphy's Law is in full force when it comes to your upholstered furniture. Serve coffee, red wine or even a kid’s juice box and someone will manage to spill it. Fabric protection really works. Liquids bead up – and don’t soak in. We offer our customers a product manufactured by ForceField. We think it is great, but there are other fabric protectors that also do a good job.

Don't cover your upholstery with plastic. Though it may offer some protection, it looks ridiculous, and it kills the ambiance of a room. Just because Grandma did it doesn’t mean it is a good idea. You don’t want guests to think you're an obsessive-compulsive germ-a-phobe.

Do install window film that will protect furniture and upholstery from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays. Window film won’t change the view, but it will shield your furniture from powerful rays that could cause fading, drying and cracking. This solution can be pricey, but if you have invested in upscale furnishings and you have sunny windows, you may want to consider it. 3M makes a quality Sun Control Window Film product.

Don't feel badly if your lifestyle does mean a bit of wear-and-tear for your furniture. Relax. If you want to celebrate your big promotion by stretching out on the couch with the family dog in your lap while smoking a fine cigar and sipping a vintage merlot, go for it. You don’t want to live in a museum.

Salespeople are among the highest paid workers in many companies. Why? Selling is not easy! Smart companies know there are few things as valuable as winning new customers and keeping old ones happy. Top salespeople make a good living because they know the art of the sale.

You don’t need a business degree to learn how to sell your furniture, but there are some handy tricks of the trade.  

• Don’t show dirty furniture. Clean it before inviting in prospective buyers. Vacuum the upholstery. Try to remove stains. Nobody wants to see popcorn kernels and puppy hair when they are considering buying your sofa. And few things are as disgusting as gum stuck on the underside of a table.  Trust me, I've seen it!  Dust your furniture, but don’t use a polish that will rub off on buyers’ hands.  Make sure an old gum drop doesn't stick to someone’s pants when he sits on your sofa. Yep, that's happened to me, too.  Yuck!
• Don’t fib about flaws. You didn't notice the giant crack in the middle of the dining table you rated a perfect 10 out of 10? "Wow, I didn't see that!"  I love that little lie. Be honest about your furniture. If there are scratches, run to the hardware store and buy a couple of furniture markers. Minwax  makes markers that costs less than $5. They work like magic.
• Don’t overprice your furniture. If you set too high a price, you are wasting your time. Do a little research. Is your furniture old, worn or out of style? Respect your potential buyers. They are looking for a bargain, but they aren’t fools.
• Don’t have your furniture professionally cleaned. You shouldn’t invest more money in items that you want to sell. And, often, you can do a good job yourself with a bit of elbow grease. 
• Don’t restore furniture before selling. Refinishing and reupholstering is very expensive, and you rarely get your money out of this kind of an investment. Price your furniture based on its current condition. Let the new owner decide whether or not to refinish your piece.

Buying furniture for your home is exciting and fun, but it’s also stressful. You are about to spend your hard-earned money on a major purchase, and you want to make the right decision.

Here are the top five mistakes you should avoid when buying furniture:

• Don’t fight with your spouse in the showroom. Your salesperson is trained in furniture – not marital counseling.  Consider that your spouse may see things differently than you. Usually one person is looking at the functional use of furniture while the other is looking at the decorative side.  Be patient with each other. Polarizing views often lead to a good compromise. 
• Don’t ask other customers in the showroom for their opinions. This can be disastrous. Everyone has an opinion, but you want a qualified opinion. Asking everyone what they think rarely leads to a good decision. Try to find a salesperson you trust. That’s the best way to get the look you want.
• Don’t be lured in by zero-interest financing plans. Borrowing money to buy furniture is not a good idea. For one, these plans are full of penalties if your payment is late. And your monthly payments will soar if the furniture isn’t paid off before the interest kicks in. Unless you are extremely responsible with your finances, avoid these plans.  
• Don’t pay extra for product warranties. If a store asks you to pay an additional fee for a warranty, you should question the quality of the furniture – and the store’s willingness to stand by its products. Warranties aren’t expensive – generally less than $100 – which is why you may be tempted to view them as a kind of cheap insurance. But they’re a waste of money.
• Don’t buy new furniture without stopping by your favorite upscale consignment store. Why? Because it may have exactly what you want – for much less. Shop smart!

     Every time I think I got a bargain, I realize I probably could have done better. 

      I joined a gym a few months ago and after a week or so of intense negotiations I felt like I got a great deal.

   Only a few weeks later, I received a flyer in the mail from my new gym with special offers for new members. Turns out, these newbies are going to get their memberships for even less than me after all my hard work!
      The same, however, is not true for our customers.  Our customers are smart. And they do their homework.  We recently had a customer who fell in love with a beautiful sectional by Ethan Allen. They loved the color, the fabric and the styling of the sectional, but it had a minor tear in the back. They priced a new one at Ethan Allen and it was about $2,000 more than the one in our showroom in Hanover, MA.
     So what did our customers do? They purchased a few yards of the matching fabric and fixed the tear for less than $100. In the end, they got the sectional they always wanted – and saved $1,900. 

      At Furniture Consignment Gallery, we see clever solutions like this all the time. Buying furniture on consignment is so smart that we think everyone should check it out before making a purchase. You never know what treasures you will find. 
     Now, if only they sold gym memberships on consignment…  

We see it all.  Where most furniture sales people are trained only in the products that they represent, we have to know quite a bit about most everything that is being sold in the marketplace.  As a result, we have some strong opinions about what makes furniture great.  Here are three characteristics of great furniture.

1. Regardless of styles or furniture periods, the best furniture that we see has the finest grain of wood. The elite manufacturers such as Henkle Harris and Kindel Furniture stand out above the others because of the wonderful stock of wood that they choose. Their wood grains are so distinct they jump out of the finish.
2. Furniture with inlaid veneers over a solid wood is a sign of great furniture. Inlaid veneers are where a furniture artisan is able to show great creativity and can define their piece in a special way.  These veneers constructed from walnut, satin, rosewood or ebony differentiate average furniture from great furniture. The selected wood grain for these veneers is also a key element to producing great furniture.
3. Attention to hidden areas is a characteristic of great furniture.  If you can run your hand underneath a coffee table and your hand slides without friction or if drawers are finished on the inside, these are signs that the manufacturer poured everything they had into their product.  Check for smoothness in how well the drawers slide in and out and that drawers are finely sanded and planed around the edges. Again your hand should be able to slide around a drawer without friction. Dovetailed drawers should feel like a continuous piece of furniture.

Furniture is like artwork in that it can be a masterpiece, but what matters most is that it apppeals to you.

Seller's remorse shifts into overdrive when we think about what we paid for something and look at the realities of the marketplace for similar pre-owned items.  Inevitably we stare off into space and say to ourselves, "what was I thinking??"

We are working with a customer who spent over twenty thousand dollars each on a handful of fine Persian rugs that no longer fit their living space.  They are moving cross country where the styles are different and the rugs need a new home. Finding a buyer for these rugs at even a few thousand dollars a piece will be a challenging task.  This couple is struggling with this reality.

Getting beyond Seller's Remorse is very difficult for many couples.  Here are three ways to combat Seller's Remorse:

1. Think logically about your situation. Did you purchase a product or a vision?  Paying for upgrades and customizations to achieve the exact right look for your living space often leads to overspending.  It happens a lot and it is not worth beating yourself up over it.  Move on!
2. Consider that even though you may be forced to part with a piece for far less than what you paid for it, feel good that someone else will use it and will appreciate it.  Accept the silver lining as it beats the alternative of paying additional moving and storage fees for furniture that you will never use again.
3. Make up for it on the other end.  There is a great deal waiting for you on your next purchase.  Spend some time hunting before you jump. We know of a great Furniture Consignment Store in Hanover, Massachusetts where you can quickly counter your loss.

Lagging behind the push to shrink Carbon Footprints is the maritme industry.  In an article in the New York Times this week on December 5, 2010 "Shipping Faces Calls to Lower Its Carbon Footprint" James Canter, re-iterates how important it is for progress to happen.  Retailers will soon have the ability and responsibility to choose more efficient and environmental friendly ships than not. 

This pertains directly to furniture as most furniture is manufactured over seas and shipped on a container vessel to America, but it even goes further than that.  Many manufacturers will ship the wood and raw materials from America to the country that it is to be manufactured in and then the final product is shipped back to the good ol' USA. It is true!

Though it is important to lower carbon footprints, it would be much better to not have them at all.  One way to do that is to buy domestically, as we all know, but in the world of furniture, most everything is shipped from overseas.  The execptions are products produced by local, commissioned craftsman and pre-owned furniture.

It doesn't make sense to purchase pre-owned furniture that you don't like for the sake of protecting the environment,  but it adds to the tremendous value that you get from buying consignment furniture.  You get a great deal, better quality and can feel good becuase by recycling; you are helping to protect and preserve our world.

You got married in 1969 and it took a few years to establish yourself so you bought your furniture in 1982.  That was a good year.  The year you rennovated your kitchen, put on an addition and bought new furniture. 

Fast forward to 2010 and the 4 Bedroom colonial in the quiet neighborhood that used to be home to your crazy kids now is the playground for someone elses.  With much debate, and sleepless nights your decision is made; it's time to downsize.  However, many challenges lie ahead.  All of that stuff has to move.

What a great place in life to be, but the challenge of letting go is much more difficult than you anticipated.  The kids don't want much.  In fact, they hardly want anything at all.  The boys will take back their trophies and baseball cards, but the daughter in-laws don't have interest in much else.  You are not offended becuase you hardly blame them, but you're disappointed all the same.  This was nice stuff.  Expensive stuff.  You worked hard for it!  But you get it. 

No problem. The family doesn't want it.  Somebody will. You hope.  Or are your items dated?

You have 2,800 square feet of quality home furnishings to divest.

Styles come and go so quickly:

• Pastel Rugs
• Flame Stitch Queen Ann Chairs
• A Speckled Cherry Bedroom Set
• Washed Pine End Tables
• French Provincial Dining Set
• Dark Pine Bunkbed and Desk
• Colonial Cupboard and Kitchen Sets

It's not that all of your home furnishings are dated and undesireable, they could still find a great home, but the styles from the 1970s and 80s now have a very limited market.

The very traditional chippendale and Queen Ann styles still are marketable as long as the wood is not speckeld, but upholstered pieces from the 80s are going to be at the end of their useful life.  These are hard conclusions and certainly consult with your local consignment shop, but be ready for the bad news:  your furniture might be dated.