Furniture Consignment Gallery Blog

In my home, we have a new puppy! After mourning the loss of our beloved dog a few weeks ago, we just adopted Roxie, a reverse brindle boxer with white socks on her feet. Nine weeks old, she's playful and inquisitive, exactly what we needed.

Having a puppy in the house brings out the mischief in all of us. Roxie is going to be a big dog, so we bought a big crate for her. A couple of times this week, I've come home to find our five-year-old locked in the crate. "Dad," he would plead with a sheepish half-grin, "get me outta here!" When he'd crawled into the crate to cuddle the puppy, his two older brothers pounced on the chance to bolt the door.

Kids love to tease each other and hide in secret places. Like puppies, they have an irresistible urge to play - but they are often unaware of the risks. That's why we want to alert you to a potential danger you may have in your home: the hope chest.

From the 1920s until the late 1960s, hope chests were a treasured gift. In it, young women would store needlework, linens and even baby clothing in anticipation of marriage. Lane's hope chests were among the most popular. They were airtight with robust locks, perfect for preserving heirloom items.

But that meant they also were the most dangerous. Two children recently suffocated to death in a Lane Hope Chest in Franklin, MA. Once the lid closes on these well-made chests, they cannot be opened from the inside. Since 2003, seven children have died in accidents involving hope chests.

Most antique and consignment stores are aware of the dangers and have removed the locks, but there are millions of old hope chests still in use in homes with locks intact. Removing the lock is easy. As a public service, we've created a "how to" video to show you how to do it. Lane also is offering safer replacement locks for free.

So please, watch the video and spread the word. If you have a hope chest or know of someone who does - even if it is tucked away in a corner of the attic - remove the lock. You could save a life.

Lane Form to order new Child Safe Lock: Here

"I live in the Pinehills."

Moments after strolling into our showroom in South Plymouth, these silver-haired ladies and gents manage to work that fact into the conversation. And why not? A Pinehills home is a status symbol for baby-boomers who have worked hard. For 30 years they commuted to and from Boston, put their children through college and endured all of the rigors of life. Living there is an achievement that demands recognition from us youngsters who are buried with everything that comes with raising a family and building a career.  

As I said to one gentleman who lives in this fine community, "you are where we want to be." To which he retorted, "No, you are where we want to be." Well, we would all like our youth back in some shape or form if we knew it would all turn out OK. If you made it to the Pinehills, then trust me, it all turned out OK.  

This vast active adult community is our new neighbor to our new showroom. So howdy, all of you former engineers, stockbrokers, stand out salesman, teachers, nurses and Docs. Now, here are a few tips from my side of the street.

If you haven't bought furniture since 1985, you might now be experiencing some sticker shock. Yes, your dining-room set was a lot less expensive back then, but so was a gallon of gas: 76 cents in 1985 vs. $3.52 this week at the Shell station in Plymouth.

So after you hit the furniture merry-go-round, and feel the pinch of a fixed income minus the real estate taxes, insurance, car payments on the Lexus, condo and greens fees; spending money on new furniture can cause some sharp internal pain. Fret not neighbor, we invite you to come on in and wander around our new showroom. We feature quality consignment furniture made by elite craftsmen. We have the brand names you trust - at a fraction of the price you will pay at the major furniture stores.

But here's the bad news. You want to consign some of the furniture that filled that four-bedroom colonial you recently sold in the suburb with the good schools? That dark pine bedroom set that seemed so chic when you were a young buck? We can't sell it for you. And the same goes for your knobby, colonial dining room set, your flame-stitch upholstered chair, and your Queen Anne cherry anything that is circa 1982. They are as outdated as a lavender leisure suit.

On the other hand, if you are a really active retiree and you've got some recently-acquired treasures that don't fit in your new "cottage," come on in. We'll serve up a great consignment deal with just a little envy on the side.