What Ever Happen To Real Wood Furniture????
By pyewacket
@pyewacket (43903)
United States
April 1, 2008 2:42am CST
Okay this is a bit of a rant about furniture products
...Heaven knows furniture in general is not cheap nowadays...for the money we do pay for furniture we expect something that will last a long time, that is durable, and made of quality products and construction. If we buy furniture made of wood we kind of expect it to be made of wood..like duh?
But it's not. Most furniture is now made of particle board which is like glorified sawdust compressed and glorified contact paper over it..Heaven forbid you get the surface of a particle board furniture product wet..for after time it buckles and swells..not so with a real wood product of furniture..And when was the last time you got a piece of furniture made of this particle board that was assembled? Intact? You have to wind up assembling it yourself.
I do happen to love wood furniture...but REAL wood...yet if one then tries to buy REAL wooden furniture and fully assembled we have to spend a small fortune for it..sort of the same insanity if one wants to buy organically grown foods which are healthier for you instead of processed crap, but one also has to pay an exorbitant price...Is there any sanity to this? Do you find it ironic? I would think it would cost MORE to "process" particle board furniture than the natural wood furniture that lasts so much longer. Case in point...go to a major museum say here in America...like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC..go to their colonial wing..there exists on display furniture made in the late 1600s and 1700s and are still in great condition...could we say that about today's particle board furniture that only lasts a few years without some damage to it?
Does anyone else get annoyed about this or is it only me?? We pay good money for furniture...shouldn't it last? If it's wood...shouldn't it be wood and not particle board? Is it because we've become such a disposable society that things in general are made chintzy??
13 people like this
31 responses
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I hear ya about the real wood but my computer desk is 7yrs old and still like new even though it's had milk, coffee, and water spilled on it over the years. My husband also had an entertainment center that we just threw out last fall as well. That thing, gosh...had to be over 15yrs. old since he had it b4 we even met and that was 14 yrs. ago. It had a few water 'bubble' marks on it's top from the fishbowl but other than that, was in pretty good shape. Just got tired of moving it around..darn thing was HEAVY. Our bed, couch and chair, I believe, are the only real wood pieces in our house. Specially the couch, it's old and all exposed finished wood with a futon mattress since the original cushions wore out ages ago. Guess it depends on how well you treat the 'fake' wood furniture on how long it will last ya.
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
2 Apr 08
That's the very reason why I will no longer have a coffee table in my living room. I was tired of the cats running and jumping on it to slide to the other side, wiping out anything that was on it not to mention that the dogs' tails would wipe it off as well whenever they wagged their tails near it. I gave up and burned it since it was so full of scratches that noone would of wanted it.1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
well unfortunately my computer desk that I got last year is a particle board type...and yikes heavy as heck...I had to assemble it myself...now I'm Soooo careful with it, and won't have any glass of liquids to drink while here so won't get that "bubble" effect ..uh, just in case I spill something, but the dang thing has scratches on it..uh, no not from me...when I first got the computer desk assembled since the cats were curious about it used to slide on it as if they were roller blading on it...
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
1 Apr 08
Unfortunately, I think it's a sign of our times. Most of the furniture you find in the chain stores now is simply crap, because it's cheaper to manufacture. If you want a real piece of furniture made of actual wood, it's really expensive. It's terrible how flimsy some of the stuff is made these days. I have a dining room table that my great grandfather made. It's solid as a rock, and I will have it forever. Now, the couch I bought 5 years ago looks horrible.
The furniture makers today wouldn't know a dovetail joint if it jumped up and bit them in the butt.
It's sad. So, anything I want to last for a while, I often go to auctions and buy something that has been around for 50 or 100 years, but will be around for another 100 more.
2 people like this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
1 Apr 08
I really donm't know Pye I just know that it makes me angry that we have to pay so much
It is like everything else though it just does not last as well any more because it is not built like it used to be
But I have to say though that I must have fallen lucky with mine 5 years ago it is not proper wood but it is 5 years old and still in very good Condition
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Yes even electronics don't last as long as they used to either, most get kinks in them after a year or two and either have to be repaired or replaced.
@kareng (59151)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I agree! Furniture in general these days is just pure junk! My parents have the same sofa they bought over 50 years ago. It is made of solid wood and yes, it has been recovered but it is solid and stable. You wouldn't ever guess the age of it. However, I've purchased 2 sofas in the last 25 years now. We replaced them when they got pretty worn out and with moving one just didn't match. However, we kept it for awhile until I could justify buying a new one.
I think society in general is becoming very disposable. I cringe sometimes when I see perfectly good items out for the trash. I wonder why they don't give the items to the Salvation Army or Volunteers of America? It's lazy in my opinion.
I'm also a lover of antiques. I have several pieces that I hope to pass on to my daughters one day.
1 person likes this
@kareng (59151)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Yes, that was me. We decidecd to pass on the deal because of my husband's unit but they are so far behind on approvals to take cars home that it may never happen. We just went back this past weekend for another look. We are still considering but with the price of gas rising and driving to work it may not be feasible. Thanks ofr asking!
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Mmmmm...think it's time you tried to ask for it back...and hope you do one day soon! By the way...my memory might be rusty...but weren't you moving or have you already?? Was it you who was originally moving into a really old house from the Civil war period??????
1 person likes this
@youdontsay (3497)
• United States
1 Apr 08
Over the years we have been trying to replace our "put together" furniture with real wood furniture. But now that we are retired we can't afford much else but the inexpensive do-it-yourself kind. So, consequently, we aren't buying any!
I've read that the hard woods are getting scarce, which makes it more expensive. But I'm not so particular that I have to mahogany. I like oak, which can be cut in the U.S. and not in the Amazon rain forests.
I understand that they are making all kinds of things from bamboo now that doesn't look like bamboo but like other kinds of wood. And it is such a renewable resource that it will be very popular. Hope it makes furniture less expensive.
@youdontsay (3497)
• United States
2 Apr 08
I think mahogany comes from the rain forest, but I'm not sure.
I think they use the bamboo in layers or something. It grows so quickly that it is renewable in a way no other wood can be.
I know that Bush doesn't support ecological efforts. I saw a great bumper sticker once. It said "More trees and less Bush!"
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
I would think bamboo though would be even "flimsier" and softer though...no?? Going to have to bone up on my woods...what kind of woods are cut down in the Amazon forest anyway...yes I wouldn't want to have wood furniture made from the trees of the rainforest and be guilty of contributing to it's depletion--we've done enough damage with it aleady
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Oh..as a PS..the bush administration wants to give the go ahead to allow "logging" of some of the Giant and ancient Sequoias
1 person likes this
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
1 Apr 08
i think it's difficult to get real wood for furniture, because of all the hype that people make today about cutting down trees... and the process to get the tree 'out of the forest' to the factory is actually very costly.
but you are right... even if we need to used 'processed' wood for furniture - it should be of good quality and durable - the manufacturers ought to put more study into this - giving the customers - value for their spending.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Did you know that more trees though are cut down though for the paper industry rather than for furniture? Especially companies like Kimberly Clark that cuts down the trees in the Boreal Forest to use for Tissues, and toilet paper? At least I buy paper products that are recycled...but yes even furniture that has been recycled as particle board should be made better at least
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Real wood furniture is hard to make in China Pye...
I am very mad about the quality and prices.
On top of it, it is all fake and not durable.
I search for my furnitures on garage sale or resale shop and I remake them.
I love real wood. Resurfacing real wood is so easy and fun.
It takes time, but it is worth time spend.
I am very mad about the quality and prices.
On top of it, it is all fake and not durable.
I search for my furnitures on garage sale or resale shop and I remake them.
I love real wood. Resurfacing real wood is so easy and fun.
It takes time, but it is worth time spend. @polachicago (18716)
• United States
4 Apr 08
yes, I use environmentally preferred pain and coating remover...
I like to do my work on my yard, so my cat can not walk over it.
My dogs don't care they are busy in the garden watching the day goes by....
my eco friendly coating remover is also non toxic, so it is safe to use indoors.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Do you also restain/varnish/shelac the wood? I would think that would be hard to do with furbabies around...hehee, know it would if I did that...I would get too much "help"
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
4 Apr 08
oh, link:
http://www.ecosafetyproducts.com/Paint-Stripper-s/6.htm
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I like real wood myself and the last thing I bought that was mostly real wood was my bedroon suite its made of cedar.
but noticing the inside or bottom of the drawers yup that partical board!WHen I bought it the store brought it to the house ans set it up . but then we have moved since then 2 times but it is still in good shape and I love going to museums to see the old furniture and the designs that are on them back then the people that made it was proud of what they did and took time to do it. It is a lost art!
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
1 Apr 08
I agree. My husband is very handy and he will build it himself if he can. It costs a little more then going to a store but not much. But its worth the extra cost because it will last alot longer plus you can make exactly what you want. He made our boys a castle themed bunk bed like no other. And oh is it ever huge and sturdy.
1 person likes this
@minnie_98214 (10557)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Ask and ye shall receive. He is currently trying to sell this one but it is not a small bed some people dont like that. If he had time he would try and sell his woodworkings but he doesnt have time to market it. But he can make just about anything its great.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Oh I would love to see a photo of the bunk bed...it really does sound very unique..has he ever thought of making ones for sale??
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Wow that's fantastic minnie...how long did it take him to make that anyway? And he had to then stain it and varnish as well, right?
1 person likes this
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
2 Apr 08
I'm with you. I hate that flakeboard crap and it astounds me what people are willing to pay for it.
Fortunately, weekly auctions are a still great source for older, solid wood furniture. I'm not talking about the ultra expensive, antique signed stuff in catalog sales. Just average weekly auction stuff. There's always a plethora of decent furniture that goes for less than the Ikea crap. Sometimes the surface is damaged but you can either refinish or go shabby chic and paint it a nice light color. It's sturdy and good looking and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
1 person likes this
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Basically, local auctions that have weekly sales NOT the ritzy auctions that print their own catalog. They call those catalog sales and they're too expensive. The ones with the weekly sales usually do a lot of estate cleanouts and are where the dealers pick up a lot of their merchandise. Also, they occassionally have site auctions at homes that are being emptied that can be very good. At these kinds of sales, the worst you usually do is get something for a dealers pre mark-up price since you are bidding along with them.
The kind of auctions I'm talking about are pretty much everywhere although most people don't know they are happening. There's a newspaper called "The Newtown Bee" that is on line that lists a lot of the sales along the Eastern seaboard. If you check that out, you'll find at least the special sales that the auction houses that are near you are having and you can call around to find out which ones have regular scheduled sales. I know there are some in upstate New York and there are many more in Pennsylvnia, Delaware, New Jersey & Marylaond.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
What auctions are you talking about? Are there a lot near you or are you talking about something like ebay? There aren't any auction type places near me...not even a Goodwill where I understand one can get a lot of decent furniture for real cheap
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
1 Apr 08
Hi there Pye
Like you I much prefer to have real wood furniture and my partner and I saved up for a long time so we could afford to buy a gorgeous dining table and chairs. It took ages to save up the money and we were thrilled to bits when we finally managed to get the new furniture into the house. Ok, so I know it will take a lot of work to keep the wood in it's beautiful condition, beeswax polish and elbow grease, but the end result is wonderful.
I don't like the cheap and nasty particle board furniture at all, it looks cheap and doesn't last very long. Most of the time it is all we can afford but if I ever won the lottery I would buy a gorgeous real wood four poster bed.
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
1 Apr 08
Oooooooo I just hit 5000 responding to your post :-)
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
First of all congrats for getting up to 5000 
I'm hoping to get a new bed frame soon, as I really do need one...hard to find a really good twin bed which is all the size I can have in my dinky apt....and unfortunately the ones I've seen on various furniture websites are all that particle board
I'm hoping to get a new bed frame soon, as I really do need one...hard to find a really good twin bed which is all the size I can have in my dinky apt....and unfortunately the ones I've seen on various furniture websites are all that particle board
@saigonwarrior (1331)
• United States
1 Apr 08
Yep, I agree. I hate the particle board, but we do have a few pieces. I wanted a real wooden TV stand for our flat panel TV..HAH! Well, we didn't get a wooden one. All the furniture store had was the "fake" wood.
We do have a few nice pieces of real wooden furniture in our home. I like it because I can polish it to a fine shine with a little lemon or orange oil and it looks so nice. Try that with particle board! Nope..not happening..
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
It's the kind of thing that makes you wish you could make your own furniture at times doesn't it??
@saigonwarrior (1331)
• United States
2 Apr 08
LOL..yes, well..I have many skills but furniture making isn't one of them, I am afraid.
1 person likes this
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
1 Apr 08
that particle board stuff does suck,doesn't it?
i guess maybe it's to use up left over shavings and to make cheaper furniture available,but whenever possible i go to flea markets and look for the solid wood.i'd rather restore something then get a board piece for the reasons you stated.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
2 Apr 08
oh i hear you-lemon polish on nice wood smells just awesome.not the same on particle.not to mention the particle never looks..fully clean?to me no matter how many times you wipe it down.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
Yup--that particle board stuff does suck..doesn't even smell like real wood and don't laugh but love the smell of wood furniture...I know I'm a tad weird
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
3 Apr 08
I agree and wonder the same thing. It seems to be a thing of the past now which is so sad because I love real wood furniture myself. It looks so much better and it doesn't warp so easy like pressed wood does. Hubby and I didn't want the pressed wood AGAIN and had to shop around til we found real wood. We have it now in our living room, bedroom and kitchen however our kitchen table wasn't finished correctly so we're going to re do it some day.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
really good craftsmanship for any product, but especially furniture seems to be a thing of the past--I guess no one takes pride in the items that are for sale anymore..everything is constructed to be pretty much disposable now after only a few years
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
4 Apr 08
And it's quantity instead of quality any more.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
3 Apr 08
I did a writing assignment which is was paid for on fences and decks, and using real wood products, and apparently real wood swells or shrinks with the weather as well and you need to put a protective sealant on it as well.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Think it makes sense to have a protective sealant on wooden items that are outdoors, but I guess many people don't think about how the weather can affect wood when its outdoors, and used like in patio decks especially
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Pye, your last sentence says it all - we've become such a disposable society that things in general are made chintzy! Nothing lasts anymore, nothing seems to be what it's supposed to be. Even the bumpers on cars that cost tens of thousands more than they did even two decades ago are now made of vinyl and plastic. Yet, get in a fender bender and see how much it costs to replace them. That saying that's been around for as long as I can remember - they don't make them like they used to, which can apply to anything - is more true than ever today. Soon, everything will be disposable; where we'll put all the trash I have no clue!
Annie
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Oh I know how crappy bumpers on cars are made..I saw one car that must have been in a fender bender...never mind plastic...it looked like glorified styrofoam to me--and yes, by becoming such a disposable society we're only creating more trash in the landfills
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
2 Apr 08
MMm....are you sure that's trash to treasure?? or trash to trash..
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
2 Apr 08
I have always loved good solid wood furniture also, pyewacket, and it pains me that furniture is almost too expensive to buy anymore. They do dress up the crap they call furniture and sell it as wood when it is nowhere near quality furniture. One of my daughters gifted me with matching wood end tables a few years ago that I would walk through fire before I would part with. They are beautifully designed and ornamented with mirrored surfaces, and they each weigh a ton. I had to pay an arm and a leg to hire two fellows to deliver them. My other daughter is giving me living room furniture soon and she said I could have her glass end and coffee tables, but I told her "No thanks." I love the ones I have. I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home filled with lovely antique wooden furniture and I still love antiques to this day.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
2 Apr 08
I also get annoyed at the particle board crap.I love real wood furniture and it is surely expensive but I have been fortunate to pick up some rather nice pieces in the most odd place,salvation army and good will stores and you would think only scrappy particle board stuff would end up there but I found several nice real wood stands and some captain chairs and an old cobblers benchof real wood and an oak desk chair that was really old and pretty cheap too. some refinishing on some of them and a little glue and they looked great.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Speaking of captain's chairs...one neighbor downstairs moved out of the building and I guess they didn't want to drag a lot of furniture to their new place, so left it...it became a free for all to grab whatever furniture one wanted...so I grabbed the two captain's chairs that weigh a ton...and another great neighbor brought up the all wood dresser/drawers which looks like an antique.
@lisan23 (442)
• United States
2 Apr 08
There is an ebay store called "The Goodtimber Fine Log Furnishings". They are actually based out of my home town and they have log furniture that is actually decently priced. It's really not much more than what you would pay for particle board furniture at a furniture store. And they have 100% positive feedback for their ebay store. Personally, I LOVE their shop!!! They also have a regular site, www.thegoodtimber.com. They are a great company.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
4 Apr 08
Thanks ever for that link and I checked it out...a lot of the furniture looks great...but what is it..I always seem to be drawn to the more expensive things....
