Shopping for Furniture: A Consumer's Guide

Rating:
Summary: Better for high end furniture, only OK for mid to low range
Review: As a person looking to make several major furniture purchases, I bought this book looking for a way to learn the difference between a $600 and a $1000 sofa, as well as other furniture items. The book was only a little helpful in this regard. The author is a retired retail furniture salesman, and the book comes across somewhat as his personal swan song. It has a tone of "the good old days of retail when service mattered and a brand name like X really meant someting." The author definitely favors big brand names, and especially those at the high end of the spectrum. He includes some information about shopping for furniture in North Carolina, some info. about furniture care, and a little information about furniture prices and getting a good deal. I learned a little about what to look for in purchasing furniture, and figured out that furniture stores play all kinds of games with pricing, but that is about it. Still, if you are like me and are starting with very low level of knowledge and can't stomach spending one or two thousand dollars without doing some product research, this book will at least provide some information.

Rating:
Summary: Better for high end furniture, only OK for mid to low range
Review: As a person looking to make several major furniture purchases, I bought this book looking for a way to learn the difference between a $600 and a $1000 sofa, as well as other furniture items. The book was only a little helpful in this regard. The author is a retired retail furniture salesman, and the book comes across somewhat as his personal swan song. It has a tone of "the good old days of retail when service mattered and a brand name like X really meant someting." The author definitely favors big brand names, and especially those at the high end of the spectrum. He includes some information about shopping for furniture in North Carolina, some info. about furniture care, and a little information about furniture prices and getting a good deal. I learned a little about what to look for in purchasing furniture, and figured out that furniture stores play all kinds of games with pricing, but that is about it. Still, if you are like me and are starting with very low level of knowledge and can't stomach spending one or two thousand dollars without doing some product research, this book will at least provide some information.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Furniture Shopping Education You Can Get!
Review: I am one of the lucky ones in that I was introduced to furniture quality by my Home Economic teacher 35 years ago. Unfortunately, I have watched friends and relatives repeatedly replace furniture because they only bought on looks and could not tell the difference between a $700 leather sofa and a $3500 one. This book is great! It tells new consumers what to look for and what they are paying for. The illustrations are great and the terminology is easy to understand. Mr. Lewin does not suggest that you buy only top of the line furniture; he urges you to consider the purpose and the abuse/use a piece of furniture will take. Furniture shopping to me is like looking in a museum. Although I knew a lot, I still found things to highlight in his book. I plan on buying this book for Christmas, wedding and graduation gifts.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Furniture Shopping Education You Can Get!
Review: I am one of the lucky ones in that I was introduced to furniture quality by my Home Economic teacher 35 years ago. Unfortunately, I have watched friends and relatives repeatedly replace furniture because they only bought on looks and could not tell the difference between a $700 leather sofa and a $3500 one. This book is great! It tells new consumers what to look for and what they are paying for. The illustrations are great and the terminology is easy to understand. Mr. Lewin does not suggest that you buy only top of the line furniture; he urges you to consider the purpose and the abuse/use a piece of furniture will take. Furniture shopping to me is like looking in a museum. Although I knew a lot, I still found things to highlight in his book. I plan on buying this book for Christmas, wedding and graduation gifts.

Rating:
Summary: Very helpful, delightful read, a must 4 getting a good buy
Review: I was well equipped to shop for furniture after reading Mr. Lewin's informative book. I took the book shopping with me and the sight of it alone made salespeople wary! (Kind of evened the playing field!) A delightfully written, very helpful text for old and new shoppers alike.

Rating:
Summary: A "must have" no nonsense title.
Review: Mr. Lewin has the right idea: inform the public about how to make better choices, and you have a reader who will pass on the word.

While this book does not possess the "glitz" of most of the books of decorating ilk, this slim, informative volume is reasonably priced, and completely accessible to readers who love furniture, no matter how furniture savvy or not.

Rating:
Summary: A "must have" no nonsense title.
Review: Mr. Lewin has the right idea: inform the public about how to make better choices, and you have a reader who will pass on the word.

While this book does not possess the "glitz" of most of the books of decorating ilk, this slim, informative volume is reasonably priced, and completely accessible to readers who love furniture, no matter how furniture savvy or not.

Rating:
Summary: Superb guide covering raw materials through retailers
Review: Mr. Lewin's guide was the most complete source I could find covering everything from different types of raw materials used in making furniture to how to buy from retailers. He has amassed a wealth of knowledge in his 36 years in the business and shares the information in an enjoyable manner. He covers topics such as veneering and leather quality with such finesse that the average person comes away feeling like an expert. The book was indispensable in helping me deal with retailers by giving me the confidence and power to sift through superfluous information and get to the essential facts. Mr. Lewin was even so kind as to return my phone call to answer a question I had about a certain manufacturer.

I believe this book would be of great value to anyone interested in the construction and purchase of fine quality furniture.

Rating:
Summary: Great book... It gives you the power to make a smart choice.
Review: This book describes what you need to know about furniture in a simple, yet educated, approach with just enough humor to keep the reader interested in what could be a tenuous subject. The author obviously has the background to cover the subject in a thorough yet not too textbookish style.