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Thomasville: Made in China

pvsteph7
16 years ago

I've read the extensive postings on this forum re Ethan Allen and Thomasville (and others) furniture being recently outsourced to China. I am thinking about buying a bedroom set from Thomasville (BTW, they have a big sale right now, where it's 25% off the MSRP, then another 15% off, they pay sales tax, and you can defer payments for 1 yr). Anyways, the set would cost me approx $7k (bed, two nightstands, dresser, entertainment storage). I'm hoping for it to last a long time (10-20 years?) but not trying to pass it down to my kids or anything.

When I asked the saleslady about where it was made, she told me China, but tried to soften the blow by saying they have state of the art factories there, with their own managers there overseeing everything, and that the wood is from the US and treated here in the US before it is shipped there. She says almost all of their furniture is Made in China now.

So, here is my issue: I think it is more likely than not that the furniture is not as good quality as if made in the USA. However, I've looked at many of the American made mfrs and didn't much like the look. I also know Thomasville had better furniture back in the day, but that does me no good as I was no married then and not looking for furniture. I guess it seems like I know my own answer, but I'm just looking for any other thoughts. Should I do it and take the plunge?

Comments (4)

  • mogator88
    16 years ago

    25% off MSRP is an everyday price. The extra 15% off makes it a good price. The tax is a nice extra depending on how much tax is by you. $7000 after all that for something made in China is hard for me to swallow, and I'm in the business. Chances are there's a lot of particleboard and MDF in pieces as well.

    There are other makes out there, Durham, Leda (Canadian), etc. I don't sell that high-end so I don't know the names very well. But post your question over at the FurnitureForum group on google, perhaps you'll get some leads from DC.

    Nobody wants to buy something they don't like, but gosh, $7000 for 5 or 6 pieces made in China.... maybe if it was gold plated....

  • pandch
    16 years ago

    I just got a Mount Vernon set for 7400 and its solid wood. Made in north america (canada).Durham furniture. If theres a dealer near you check them out. You wont have your furniture making an ocean journey and going through the moisture and drying issues.

  • jyyanks
    16 years ago

    I second Durham furniture. I learned about them from these boards and bought from a local retailer when they were having a huge sale - got a Queen bed, 2 nighstands and a 5 drawer dresser for about $3K. I ordered the Southampton set, solid wood, slightly distressed, excellent quality. I also looked into Orville and Meade, Durham's sister company. So glad I went this route instead of the PB, C&B route I was leaning towards.

  • ci2eye
    16 years ago

    I've looked at Durham too and would also recommend that you take a look at them. Mobel Furniture is another company to check out. They make their products in Ferdinand Indiana of solid wood and would be priced similar to Thomasville.

    Thomasville's big selling point seems to be good design and marketing. They have good designers and keep abreast of trends and are much more savvy at marketing their products than Durham or Mobel. Their website is superior to either of those brands for example and they regularly advertise on TV. However, they've largely ceased to be a U.S. maker of furniture and now are mostly an importer of products made in China.

    Having said that, they are not alone. Many of their competitors have followed the same path so Thomasville products are sourced similarly to other so-called American brands and their quality is still reasonably good. I'd just suggest that you check out other brands before purchasing and give the products made closer to home a chance.