Apples and oranges - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
'via Blog this'
Is it really worth it to buy an orange for 40 cents when I can buy an apple for only 20?! well maybe the link to the chart below will help you decide.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Apples_vs_Oranges
The Million Dollar Question
"Do you think it even makes sense to reupholster when I can buy new for cheaper?''
This seems to be the million dollar question in the upholstery world these days.
Drastic Changes
In the past 10-20 years the furniture market has changed immensely. A brand new line of furniture has been introduced; Enter Disposable! A whole new line of furniture mass produced using minimal fasteners and glue, particle board, and covered with foam and fabric that are supposedly labeled "economical" (defined by google as "
ec·o·nom·i·cal
ˌekəˈnämik(ə)l,ˌēkəˈnämik(ə)l/
adjective
giving good value or service in relation to the amount of money, time, or effort spent.
"a small, economical car"").
But silver linings aside it is a word most often used when referring to something of low quality, which in my world does not translate into a good value.
Main Stream
Before this new line took over, the main stream furniture was built to last. Pre disposable-era, furniture was considered an investment. The price tag of that furniture was similar to todays, but of course when you take inflation into account, it makes it much more expensive. In other words, instead of price going up with inflation, the quality has come down. In todays world we are surrounded with gadgets we would all love to have so the last thing we want to blow our budget on is that stuff we just so happen to relax, visit, eat, sleep, and text on day in, day out.
Time to Update
Many folks are finding themselves in the position where they want to update their furniture for the first time in 10-25+ years and are trying to compare the value of their last purchase to the cost of reupholstering assuming todays furniture is as good or better then their previous purchase. Unfortunately it seems impossible for them to comprehend that buying new furniture vs. having a quality piece refurbished and reupholstered can not even be realistically compared. There for they haul that "heavy old peice of junk" out and "shiny new" in, only to find themselves with a lemon.
Gaining Steam
Although many of the small time, quality furniture companys of old have gone out of business or followed the pack, there are still plenty of quality options. One of them being your local upholsterer! Most will be able to make you a piece from scratch if you so will. In fact there are many benefits to choosing this route, and it is a trend that is gaining popularity. Having a piece custom made to dimensions that fit your unique space can help you make much better use of your living space. The cost and value of controlled environment space by itself makes a custom piece a great value.
The Million $$ Answer
To me the comparison is black and white. Call me bias if you will since I am after all an upholster/fabricator/etc.. and that is how I make my living, but I believe in the work I do and enjoy it. If I did not, well I probably would have quit a long time ago. Like almost anything in life, you don't truly know until you have experienced it first hand. I have done enough repairs on modern day disposable furniture to feel confident in the conclusion I have drawn...
"If your convinced you want an apple, I'm probably wasting my breathe trying to convince you to buy an orange instead".
