It’s Not Just Wayfair: Why Does ALL Of Your Furniture Fall Apart?

[@nfrench2100]

Everything from children’s toys, to furniture, to clothes are made with nothing but profits and self gain in mind. Nothing is made with pride anymore

[@billfusionenterprise]

a line from Executive suite 1954

[@AnonymousAnarchist2]

Pride, is another way to say with the most basic and human currency in mind. Social currency. And indeed, the markets have forgone it entirely in favor of the current top dog of political currency; stock evaluation.

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@AnonymousAnarchist2 reminds me of the ending arguement in executive suite. And allot of info in "war factories" storys

[@nateb0722]

For consumers, yes. For industry, it depends.

[@BigBoss-ym5ns]

unchecked capitalism for a few in power

[@ラショナル-1]

I got into woodworking last year. I’ve only made a few benches and tables so far. Nothing fancy but it feels good to make my own stuff and have it be so strong.

[@angellover02171]

Good for you. I'm jealous

[@truthfulpenguin]

Yup. I have a buddy who does woodworking with his stepdad and whenever I need something made I go to him first. It's more costly but I know that my money is doing good and I will die with my TV stand. Plus I can get everything custom.

[@billfusionenterprise]

and sadder is that schools dropped allot of programs that go that route

[@cyan_oxy6734]

If buying wood was less of a pain I'd be more into it. But construction lumber is meh for making furniture and a plainer is so expensive.

[@teresasoto2697]

I wish I had the space and income to try my hand at woodworking. I'm a bit jealous, haha!

[@bonniegaither3994]

Who else besides me is really sad that they damaged that beautiful real table

[@MrGelowe]

Being real wood, it can be fixed without much issues. Doubt they will be fixing it but that's the benefit of real wood pieces vs manufactured "wood" products.

[@Madaboutmada]

100% awful. As someone that buys salvage lumber and fixtures when renovating my home, deliberately destroying that solid maple table was painful and unnecessary.

[@mojrimibnharb4584]

Special circle of hell.

[@slacker7918]

I was hoping this was the top comment. As a woodworker who’s built tons of furniture like that, it really hurt my heart. I think it can be fixed though..

[@BigBoiiLeem]

@@MrGelowe I mean, I wouldn't be so sure. That furniture designer seemed like she was very hands-on. I can imagine her spending an evening repairing it.

[@e-spy]

So I took my daughter furniture shopping after she got her first home. It was a townhouse, she had little money. I was incensed as all of it, no matter where we went, was particle board. I thought what the heck? I could maybe figure out how to design and build furniture for her. I went to her house, took measurements, and I did. I designed a TV console that fit her room and made it feel like she was in a movie theater. It had rolling barn doors and a fireplace. I built her a coffee table and end tables in the finish she liked (custom). I made an entry table and a bar cart, and I built her a patio outside with a new bench and a garden. The maintenance man at the complex said they should hire me. The neighbors copied the garden designs. But all of the furniture I made her was real wood, not particle board or plywood. I had little tools. A square, a miter saw, and a drill. The furniture is solid after more than a decade. We can do this.

[@samspade5800]

You're a sweet mom. She's lucky

[@randoawesomemix9501]

@@samspade5800 who said that's not her dad?

[@bohobabie5987]

She’s very fortunate to have a parent like you🫶🏽

[@mal2ksc]

That's great, if she's still living close enough to that location that she could drag it all around with her for ten years. Alas, not all of us are going to be in that position, and such a meaningful gift could easily become a white elephant.

[@chaoscarl8414]

I would love to be able to do this for my own home. I've been living with Ikea furniture since I moved away from home. It's cheap, that was the important part. But now that I'm older and better established I would like better furniture. But now the price of wood is through the roof, so I'm still buying stuff at Ikea. It's a crazy world... We're long past the point where housing was affordable. And now we can't even afford a proper dinner table.

[@KrisD3846]

The other issue is that, since most people can't afford a home, they have to keep in mind that no place is permanent. As rent goes up with each new lease, eventually we will have to move. Grandma's solid maple table is a lot harder to move from place to place than a lightweight plywood table.

[@bharbarawyrstwaemasyn8741]

We had to drop a good quality dresser because we couldn't afford to take it with us when we moved. Even the stuff made in the 2000s is way better quality than the stuff we had to buy recently.

[@katrinaa980]

and places are smaller. I had to get a couch that you have to assemble because I can’t fit anything bigger than a love seat into my place 😅

[@Alex-ki1yr]

++

[@oechsnea]

The cheaper stuff can also be left behind and replaced with less financial impact.

[@savannahburris6080]

@@katrinaa980yeah my couch is the Morabo loveseat from IKEA. For the price I was actually impressed with how comfortable it was, but my tall boyfriend pressing his feet into the arm has made it start to wobble, and my cat has absolutely destroyed it.

[@GhostWriter520]

Spent years in the mid-to-high-end furniture industry, working with designers. It's so much worse than people think. And the prices are insane for the complete lack of quality

[@billfusionenterprise]

1954 executive suite

[@Nieghorn]

@@billfusionenterprise I wondered what you meant, but will be tracking this film down!

[@stupedcraig]

Americans dont make enough to buy American. The rich have been stealing all their wages while shipping off jobs to China.

[@kooale]

@@Nieghorn With Bill Holden & the amazing Barb Stanwyck how can one go wrong with a look at the 1954 film “Executive Suite”? IMDB: "When the head of a large manufacturing firm dies suddenly from a stroke, his vice presidents vie to see who will replace him."

[@billfusionenterprise]

@ another item to watch the series "War Factories" Talks about the various factories that help fight the war. The most interesting side notes it that it shows the various forms of capitalism as well as the other ""isms". Most interesting one was about the oldest of the Nobel brothers (the Nobel prise ones)

[@hayleypbop]

The shitification of things is real. Now do polyester in clothing.

[@cj4ebay]

consume consume consume. Bottom line profits, repeat but make sure we get a few more numbers on the bottom line profits. nothing else matters. New cars for example. And also, add in some subscription fees as well. Gotta make more off these peasants.

[@apocalypse487]

Buy made to order clothing.

[@JusticeAlways]

My US Navy cracker jack whites are made of polyester...hate them.

[@Roxor128]

Ugh, polyester! It's especially bad for summer clothing, because it's not absorbent, so you sweat like crazy in it.

[@Mason-hs9oz]

They have one on clothes! Made me so disappointed.

[@emagneticfield]

When my previous house had a fire I bought ALL my replacement furniture from Salvation Army and never regretted buying there. I was able to get real wood well worn furniture scratches and missing pieces and all. Everything is comfortable and as an ensemble definitely one of a kind.

[@christineshah7330]

Style is in personalization, not what the furniture industry tastemakers telling us what we should have. You made a good decision.

[@dannycarrington1601]

My home is furnished with inherited pieces and furniture bought at consignment & secondhand shops. Restor-A-Finish is great for furniture with superficial scratches.

[@matthewhair6110]

I inherited my dining table about 10 years after it was made, and just after to 10 year warranty expired. For some reason, my parents ignored the misaligned feet, but I contacted the maker, Oakwood Industries in Missouri, through my local furniture store, and they sent me whole new pedestals to fix it, at no cost. They even stained the pedestals to match the back catalog color. It's truly amazing service, and they have superb craftsmanship and materials. I ended up buying side tables, chairs, 2 beds, nighstands, a dresser, and chest of drawers from them. I expect it will all last many decades. All of my furniture is carefully selected for quality, and the vast majority was made in America quite recently. It wasn't cheap, but it's cheaper than buying trendy crap two or three times.

[@GameFuMaster]

exactly, just name and shame all of the brands that make crap, and spread the names of the good companies

[@overworlder]

Yup I found good solid Scandi-style furniture online from the next city three hours away. It’s plain but well-made.

[@auggiedoggiesmommy1734]

You have to be willing to pay zero attention to Instagram and the idea that you need a new sofa every 6 months.

[@claudeyaz]

​@@overworlder You should share the name, We need to name and shame the bad stuff and boost the good stuff, make having a reputation useful again

[@overworlder]

@@claudeyaz - 'Icon by design' in Sydney Australia. For the Australians I guess.

[@StefanRemund-cd3uw]

My father is a carpenter, as a moving gift, he built me a Queen sized bedframe made out of stained solid white oak. It's so solid. I'll bet it's worth more than all my Wayfair furniture combined 😅

[@kiwiseatpumpkinpie1709]

Damn, that’s a really nice gift honestly

[@HybridWoodworks]

There is probably $6-800 in rough lumber in that bed. Nevermind the several thousand dollars in labor if it was done well. Hold on to it!

[@BOBMAN1980]

Your father is a good man who loves his child. These are the kinds of things we don't see often enough in the world.

[@user-lv5bt3nt3r]

I hate to tell you this but its probably not worth very much at all. My parents had beautiful bedroom and lounge room furniture made of jarrah (an australian dark hardwood that now cant be logged legally in Australia) by commission. After my dad died and my mum downsized, she found it almost impossible to sell - it was too big and too fancy and people who could afford it could just buy their own new stuff. She had to keep dropping the prices until she was almost giving it away and, a year after moving she still has some of it she cant sell. My grandfather was a master carpenter and my dad inherited/learned a lot of his woodworking skills. Both would be rolling in their graves over the quality of furniture (and houses) today.

[@HybridWoodworks]

@ Furniture resale values are extremely low. The highest value is almost always to the original owner. Most folks wouldn’t give you $100 for a piece that might have cost $10,000 originally. They would be just as happy with a $100 item from IKEA. This doesn’t diminish the perceived value to the original owner. They experience the quality, aesthetics, and functionality on a daily basis.

[@hanzfranz7739]

Yes, EVERYTHING has gotten more expensive while quality goes down at the same time.

[@chiquita683]

Sounds like Union workers.

[@brandonchristopher9657]

Planned Obsolescence

[@cyan_oxy6734]

​@@chiquita683Virtually all of German manufacturing is unionised so a Porsche is made by union workers. I'm also pretty sure most of Japan's industry is unionised as well so somehow these two countries can turn out better quality at a cheaper price than US manufacturers who "freed" themselves from the unions and are still worse.

[@blackbird7781]

​@@chiquita683 found the troll

[@Praisethesunson]

Anerica doesn't have union workers anymore so that can't be it​@@chiquita683

[@Vulcan_Seagull]

I bought a $600 couch from wayfair (most expensive I could afford at the time). I was SO proud of my first piece of new furniture after thrifting everything in my apartment. 2 months later and both middle legs snapped off because of the tiny screws holding them on. By the time I moved, about 6 months later, both legs were held on with wood glue, extra screws and c clamps. The cushions on it were deflated like a 20 year old piece of furniture. The day I moved out of that apartment, I jumped onto the couch with both feet and cracked it right in half. Great feeling. I’ll never buy wayfair again.

[@D0NCH33T0]

Wayfair, you don't got what I need 🎶

[@fireboltaz]

In 2021 I purchased a custom-made brown maple butterfly leaf table (48” W x 72” L x 30”H), four chairs and two captain’s chairs from a company called Countryside Amish Furniture. The cost to have it made, shipped (tax included) was $6,835. Our family eats at this table every day. I plan on gifting it to one of my children one day and I fully believe this table will last over 200 years. It is heavy, solid, and made in America. I do not regret buying it.

[@safffff1000]

I'v seen stuff like this on marketplace or house sale after people die for 1/5 the price or less

[@ad6417]

Similarly I had a table made by local Amish craftsmen years ago. I'm certain it will survive a nuclear war.

[@blazingstar9638]

I have some stuff made by Amish, it’s excellent quality and 20 years later it looks and works the exact same

[@fireboltaz]

@ i believe you. If that happens, who am I to stop it? I'll be dead. But I want to believe that traditions (eating dinner with the family) will carry on.

[@smergthedargon8974]

Seems like a terrible waste of money, honestly. Nearly 7000 dollars for a table???

[@deemon710]

You're talking about how precious old furniture is and also taking a sledge hammer to a piece. I'm so torn! 😭

[@riccardosabatini353]

Yep, a very useless and silly test.

[@justscarlette1744]

I like to think because it broke so cleanly it could be easily mended by someone who knows what they’re doing 😅

[@WorkingCap]

@@justscarlette1744 Which is a fair point but I have doubts that the average consumer would go through the trouble of finding a woodworker who could mend the damage or learn to DIY it. I assume most would go the path of least resistance and just buy a replacement.

[@Meanne77]

@@WorkingCap the point was that unless you actually do hit the good furniture with a hammer (and why would you?), it won't break - so no need for repair. Unlike cheaply made furniture which will fall appart almost on its own. I'm sure Coco will - or would be able to - mend the damage; she even said after the sanding test she could easily restore the table.

[@Li-Fu7]

In fairness, tables like that are a dime a dozen. You can probably pick one up at a yard sale or second hand store for less than a junk Ikea piece. It's well made, sure, but it was still manufactured in mass. Because it's out of style and people don't know better, a lot of this stuff is exceptionally cheap, but I suspect it will begin to rapidly grow in value in the coming decades.

[@Orinslayer]

"'We' created that demand; not the consumer." - the CEO literally on file saying that his products are so low quality that they will break and are impossible to fix, meaning that you will need to buy a new one soon. 💰👀🤢

[@mr.bennett108]

Unfortunately, as they said in the segment, it wasn't EXACTLY the intentional actions of a singular person or company, and INSTEAD was a DESIRABLE byproduct of the OTHER market forces at play. "M+ade the demand," in this context, means that there was ONLY expensive furniture you spent months accumulating and then never replaced, and the "demand that wasn't there" was the idea of cheap furniture, AT ALL. NO ONE thought you could just BUY furniture like it was a commodity good, all furniture was inherently "Artisan" before the flat-pack revolution. That is to say: Congloms want to PROVIDE a cheap product to sell in an otherwise-empty market segment, knowing SOME (secretly actually EVERYONE) will buy a $300 sofa OVER a $3000 if it LOOKS pretty, REGARDLESS of QUALITY (consumer-liable). Knowing this, Congloms ALSO understand that if they sell you a 100-year sofa, you buy ONE sofa, and probably no OTHER furniture, as furniture will "match" for a long time, AND will cannibalize their market-share when it goes into the Thrift cycle (instead of the landfill) and someone buys THAT couch instead of a new one (corporate-liable). And finally, factories will do ANYTHING to cut manufacturing costs to win a bid, including using shitty parts and the cheapest labor possible (factory-liable.) I know that means that the CEO is no longer the ONLY person liable (though they DO share a TON of the liability at the end of the day) but it's MUCH more accurate. Cheap furniture CREATED a market that never even EXISTED and in so doing, KILLED the "traditional" furniture industry and the concept of "durable" furnishing in the process.

[@melindavalle173]

They are doing this with appliances as well. Stoves, refrigerators, microwaves etc that have ANYTHING digitalized on them are meant to last 5-7 years. Where as before, those same appliances lasted decades. SMH

[@julias.4980]

Totally scummy!

[@hershalkrostofsky825]

That is not what he said, or meant. What he did mean was that cheap prices created the demand. Cheap prices came from mass production. How do you misinterpret so badly?

[@1wJan]

Wasn't it more about price. They had lowered the price so much so you increased demand. Say you want to refurnish your flat and it cost 10 000$..if you pay that, then you will probably never do it again. But say it instead costs 1000$ now you can change up style much more easily and be willing to do so. Pushing up demand. We have redone my daughters room completely 3 times since we moved here. Not because the furniture broke but because her needs changed while growing. But I still have some IKEA furniture from my childhood home room, 35years old. Or my first apartment or my son's first room that is 20years old. And especially those looks like new. Now when I buy flat package furniture from other stores like Jysk and so on. Well those are both more expensive than IKEA and don't last nearly as long. Ex I bought a tv cabinet 6years ago from IKEA, The doors still hold up and it is the same as when I assembled it. Bought a cabinet from Jysk 4 years ago so about the same time. The opening mechanism is broken and the doors are now a bit wonky. My point is that IKEA still has good quality compared to the price and that the ikea CEO meant "create demand by cutting prices" not cutting demand by lowering quality.

[@jocelynmontoya8084]

When my husband and I moved into our apartment, we primarily did our furniture shopping in second-hand places like FB market place or craigslist. Cannot tell you how many high quality things people want to get rid of for cheap (hot tip, do your second-hand FB marketplace shopping in rich neighborhoods, it's insane) Recently, I got a solid oak dresser from an alley way behind my apartment that is behind some nice homes. No damage, thrown out anyway.

[@aaarrd]

rich people trash is crazy. I know someone who drives around on trash day and resells so much. He only takes perfect quality and never doesn't get something he can sell.

[@Iquey]

I have a solid pine unfinished dresser in my bedroom. The drawers unfortunately don't bounce back closed but can come out completely (for better or worse. You just gotta be careful.) I don't remember where we got it. It might have been an old furniture store in Redmond Washington or some furniture liquidation sale. There's also a really nice nightstand that I love which has a secret bottom shelf for keeping flat secret things, like maybe important papers. Amazing great design from the very early 2000s. Also my home inherited a solid wood coffee table from colonial furniture company from my grandparents house. They were younger silent generation/older boomers. That coffee table is so strong. It has seen a lot and yet still looks nice. ..but on the OTHER Hand, I got a very affordable 3 shelf bright green cubeish bookshelf from Target a few years ago to hold my comic books/novels collection in my room in a better way, and it was flat packed and I assembled it myself. It's not bad, and does what it needs to do, but I would not trust putting my body weight on it. 😂

[@johndorian2670]

Honestly this is part of the reason why I tried to start a local furniture company, but had to shut down because no one can afford it. The number of times a potential client would ask me for a price on something then say "Well I can get this from Ikea for 1/4 that price" probably wouldn't surprise anyone but that's because we all know it was nearly every time. When Ikea is using veneered cardboard with an expanding foam core for desktops and I'm using real wood, my wholesale cost for just materials will be higher than their retail price. I don't disagree that people were tricked into creating that demand for fast fashion furniture, but at what point will they get frustrated enough to actually be willing to buy something hand-made by a professional, even if its expensive?

[@joshuagharis9017]

Selling point, price per use. Yours may be higher initial price, but way MORE uses out of it. IKEA, maybe a few years, thats it. Then buy again, and again. Price per use is way worse

[@kkp4297]

why didn't you tell them it's 1/4 the price, but lasts 1/400 as long

[@rosethorne9155]

People don't understand that good quality pieces are investments. I think it's so sad. The other issue is that people have to move house so often, they have a hard time buying good pieces, because they might not fit into a new place, or have the money to move the furniture. Everything is a mess. (I know the feeling, btw. I make quilts. Everybody always says they're beautiful...and then they make this face 😬 when I tell them the cost for a twin size starts at $200. They then say they can go to JCPenney and get a "quilted coverlet" and pillow shams for $70. I then have to remind some people that those are polyester and WILL disintegrate after only a few years. Meanwhile I have quilts that I made over 10 years ago, which are still in beautiful condition. They still smile and walk away... 😞 )

[@tarynmiller-bell347]

In my mid-thirties I did. I went to a furniture store that was expensive but makes good products. I had a toddler and said I wanted a bed he could use for his kids. I wanted furniture that didn't break so easily and if it does break, I want to be able to fix it instead of throwing out unfixable junk.

[@Gamingpandacat]

they never will, wages will not keep up and fast fashion is based off that, education is key here but it can only do so much when the wallet comes into play, you will never choose to spend more money unless its on purpose.

[@ocjane7146]

In high school woodshop I gained an appreciation for quality furniture. I didn’t realize this was such an issue. I love buying 2nd hand pieces that I can stain or paint to my taste.

[@Crazyguy_123MC]

Same here. Every bit of my furniture is either antique, made by me, or made by the Amish. All hand made solid wood pieces. And it’s easy to thrift antique pieces if you know where to look. Pieces that with a little tlc can last many generations. You can even get lucky and find it on the side of the road. All of my grandpa’s furniture was found on the side of the road. He refinished them and they look as good as the day they were made. I hope we can shift back to this quality craftsmanship not just in furniture but for everything. Our homes suffer the same issues all because it’s cheaper.

[@annet1784]

Sad thing is, they’re doing this with homes to. A home built in the 70’s is much sturdier than the one I bought in 2004. No clue how they are in 2025.

[@timeckelmann1196]

That is why I bought one built in 1939 by the family that called it home for the next 65 years.

[@dollarstorevodka]

They're horrendous. Even the most expensive homes use the cheapest building materials they can get their hands on. Sound travels through the walls like they're made of cardboard. No real hardwood flooring, only plastic vinyl. Basements cracking and flooding not even a year after being built.

[@jaya.483]

@@dollarstorevodkaOmg yes, 2001 house I grew up in was sound proofed, 2020 house isn’t 😭

[@kooale]

Oh, you have a clue!

[@user-gu9yq5sj7c]

There is a house inspector YT channel that shows many modern houses being poorly made. There's always 100s of comments that say these houses are scams and demand litigation and justice.

[@Cammi-Cat-XIII]

I used to be a trucker about 5 years ago. I usually did lumber loads and I remember one day my load was the lowest quality lumber I had ever seen on my semi trailer. I delivered it to the Ashley Furniture factory in Wisconsin.

[@H37P5kY57]

Irony too is that furniture still costs a pretty penny. The customer service is the worst so next I'll shop elsewhere.

[@bigcrazewolf]

Appliances are terrible quality today, as well.

[@prettypuff1]

THIS

[@billfusionenterprise]

actually there are allot WORSE

[@dawdlingHoots]

agreed!! and it doesn't help that they are being over designed with a whole bunch of 'new tech that we all need' like why would I want a video camera in my oven? sounds like another thing that can break lol alternatively, imagine just turning on the light and peaking thru the window 🙄

[@DrJinh007]

Two words: planned obsolescence. Instead of the appliances lasting 15-20years, they only last 5-10 years so that you buy them more often.

[@billfusionenterprise]

@@DrJinh007 lucky to get 2 years with some

[@RubmaLione]

People need to realize that furniture was never supposed to be cheap, just like clothing. Throughout most of history, items like these were only made using what we now perceive as quality expensive material. Now everything is made cheaply and prices are rock bottom, so that is what people expect. They don’t understand the value of quality goods.

[@GreenScreenBartender]

Exactly. It's easy to always blame politicians, capitalism, etc. but we're on the hedonic treadmill where we expect to have good quality at ever more competitive prices, and also be able to change styles frequently. You can't have it all and we're getting close to the tipping point and slowly learning that.

[@melweismann]

This may be true, but also for those who have come to understand this, there isn't really anywhere that I know of to GET genuinely quality furniture made with expensive materials (I would love to hear your suggestions if you know of anyplace, short of custom individual craftsmen in my local area!).

[@black-nails]

It's not even "quality goods" that cost a lot, our perception is screwed by low-quality things made by nearly slave labour PLUS our own low wages (compared to rent, food etc, which we cannot cut). Even cheap stuff needs labour, but big corporations will literally go as far as do criminal things in order to get more profits

[@samsmom1491]

It's meant to break so you have to keep buying new pieces. I learned that it's quality always over quantity.

[@olagiwa3200]

People use to pass down their furniture to their children. You can't do that anymore 😢

[@loriki8766]

My grandparents bought their furniture once. I'm looking at a table I inherited. It was the first piece of furniture they bought when they got married. It costs my grandpa six months of salary and they had to wait another 6 months of it to come from England. When they passed, I inherited that and some other pieces. It's just like new and it's like 100 years old.

[@barnmaddo]

Spend $30k on a table today, and you can get something really high quality as well.

[@csrjjsmp]

You can also spend 6 months of salary on quality furniture that will last 100 years from now for your grandkids. You just choose not to because you have choices past generations never did

[@sleepisnice8969]

Somebody one comment up did this, spent over 6,000 dollars on dining table and chair from the Amish, so that's probably a more realistic number

[@darthcholo]

also modern women like to redecorate every decade at least

[@loriki8766]

@ Actually, I bought my furniture at estate and garage sales for cheap and saved up money to buy real furniture. SO I did spend thousands on real furniture. BUT even when I had saved the money, it was TOUGH to find the furniture. Most of the "nice" furniture stores sell pure garbage. I had to look at sales catalogs and order it. Real furniture is beautiful but hard to find.

[@utsuhoreiuji2309]

Speaking as a recently-laid-off Big Lots employee who worked the furniture desk, all I can say is that it's a bloody damn shame what the bean-counters that run Big Lots have done to Broyhill.

[@secretbassrigs]

isn't owned by china now? or was it because of competition from China?

[@GOPRepubliklan]

yeah no kidding they were once highly respected

[@aslprobro]

I needed this today. I feel so justified NOT buying the trash I see in stores and online. I hate how all of it feels and looks. I like SOLID WOOD! And REAL materials.

[@mimosa27]

Sorry, but at some point we'll have to give up real wood and contend with imitation, to save what's left of the world's forests.

[@mmmmmrmmmrm]

@@mimosa27 The way to save forests is to stop producing so much new stuff in general. And to eat less food that requires large plots of land.

[@aslprobro]

@ nooooo. Trees can be replanted. If we were making good quality, long lasting would alternatives, this will be a very different conversation. But everything they used to substitute wood is cheap unbreakable, and ends up in the landfills. So we’re going to save the trees to fill up the landfills?

[@mimosa27]

@aslprobro No, we're going to save trees to have a habitable biosphere.

[@_kostant]

@@mimosa27 Imitation is still made from wood byproducts, meaning it’s still using trees but just not requiring special cuts and extra labor to procure/make them. And then it’s such crap you need several replacements in order to last the same time as one quality piece. I don’t understand how your statement about giving up quality wood pieces makes sense. What is your recommendation for an alternative?

[@johannamiller527]

Even Ikea stuff has gotten worse. I bought an apartment's worth of Ikea furniture in 2009. I focused on solid woods for everything, and birch and beech instead of pine when I could. (That's one thing I really like about Ikea - they make it easy to find out exactly what each piece is made of.) They even had some solid oak pieces in their range, but it was out of my budget at the time. I still have all of it, and it's all in excellent shape. But when I go back to Ikea these days, they don't have anything like that anymore. It's ALL particleboard crap.

[@scubasqrl]

Yes, exactly what I was thinking. Also the hardware for assembling the furniture has changed. Metal pieces are now plastic. Ikea has lowered the quality of all the material in their furniture.

[@NikonChicFL]

Moved in 2013…had ikea furniture for a couple of years before that. The mover asked specifically if we have IKEA. They took such care wrapping and delivery in them. We have a bedroom set, bookshelves still good.

[@ad6417]

Yes 20 years ago you could buy solid pine furniture from ikea. I still have one of their pine dressers that I assembled in 2000 and it's still sturdy.

[@RefractedStarlight]

​@ad6417 they do still have solid pine just less options every year. It's pretty much only the IVAR range now.

[@johannamiller527]

@@RefractedStarlight Right - there are a few (so "ALL" was an exaggeration, I admit). But there used to be so many more.

[@SpartanFarron]

Please repair the Ethan Allen table! I will forgive the smashing if you don't throw it out. Just some wood glue, new screws, and refinish the surface is very easy to do.

[@grace1742]

right 😭😭 hearing it was a family heirloom too my heart broke

[@joshuagharis9017]

Lol, I got the clamps 😅

[@kooale]

How are we going to level/raise the concave depression made by the blow of the hammer strike?

[@technodrome]

@@kooaleComplete the break in half, then dowels to rejoin and a few angled cross screws to reinforce. Wood glue along both the broken edge and top and bottom, then sand to level. Wood dust and glue for any remaining indents and sand to level. Obviously won’t be a perfect restoration given you’ll have to sand a couple of mm off, but close enough to restore structural integrity?

[@brightsalot]

@@kooale I’ve seen furniture flippers/restorers on yt shorts use steam heat to get dents out of wood furniture with _much_ success! A dent as large as that sledgehammer one though may not restore 100% back to normal through that method alone. I’m not sure what other techniques are available out there, I only recently took an interest in woodworking, but there is hope of restoring that lovely piece! 💡💪

[@carriebutler-sx9kg]

Thrift, garage sale and estate sales. I paid $250 for a 6,000 dollar used Whitmore Sherrill leather sofa. $75 for a $3,000 dollar leather chair. The deals are out there.

[@CarlosRodriguez-dd4sb]

It kinda broke my heart that you took a sledge to an Ethan Allen piece...that would have lasted 100 years

[@billfusionenterprise]

but it can be REpaired , can not do with the other

[@Trucking4Jesus]

​@@billfusionenterprise you ain't repairing that lol

[@figureyou]

That sturdiness test by sanding and destroying the furniture 😂

[@boaconstrictor2001]

⁠@@billfusionenterprise just some dowels or dominoes, wood glue and clamps and its all good (could also give it a nice new stain or finish in the process) can’t do that with mdf

[@Trucking4Jesus]

@@billfusionenterprise you can definitely do so with the cheap table if you know what your doing. Gorilla tape can fix anything 😅🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Drusiah1]

I can’t believe I just watched an entire 22 minute video about furniture. But she laid it out so well and with so much wonder information, I couldn’t stop watching. Great job and thanks for teaching me so much about our furniture industry and essentially the broader topic of corporations in general.

[@Lionesse-z41553]

This channel is excellent.

[@jaccaj1626]

As someone who bought second hand furniture for years without issue and then decided to try a new sofa, only for it to have broken springs, fabric wear and major "butt grooves" after about a month, with light use, this hits hard.

[@kooale]

"butt grooves", way worse than sand worms. The worst. Avoid Crate & Barrel sofas, 4S!

[@WMDistraction]

I’ve only bought furniture from local thrift charity stores. It’s fantastic and holds its value. Hell I’ve even profited from it on occasion cuz other people also recognize the value, and by posting it online people are willing to pay extra for that convenience.

[@lulianjuliuswassbach]

I have a bean bag for that reason. Easy to clean, super comfy. Not as sad if it breaks

[@billiemunchen]

When did you buy this sofa and how much did it cost? 2 seater, 3 seater, L shaped?

[@Crazyguy_123MC]

@@WMDistractionMostly same here. I’ve found major scores. 150 year old dresser and chairs made of solid walnut. The dresser needs tlc but even after I’m done working on it it’s going to be worth far more than what I paid to buy it and the materials to restore it. I’m going to keep it and use it hopefully pass it down one day and have it last another 200+ years.

[@lindathompson9334]

Thank you. I am 76 years old and still have the dresser I received when I was 12. It is very hard to find decent furniture today. Thank you for sharing this important information.

[@NunSuperior]

My father was a custom cabinet maker since 1970-ish. As the years went by it became harder to find high quality dense woods at reasonable prices (I think we used it all). IKEA definitely cut into his business and once the 2008 financial crash hit the business dropped about 50% and never recovered. His work is beautiful and bullet-proof. Thanks for the video.

[@BOBMAN1980]

Hopefully Americans will come to understand that in buying overpriced-but-'cheap junk that doesn't last, they're not only wasting precious resources, but ripping themselves off as well. Hopefully, then, we'll start going back to quality craftmanship that lasts.

[@tristanbackup2536]

I know. I want to build a basic bookshelf & I'm needing dense woods, I'm getting nothing but pines with not alot of grains in them.

[@lolololol7573]

@@BOBMAN1980 Honestly, I don't expect such. Seeing how things go on TikTok, and the insane overconsumption trends, I'm afraid the bar is in hell and people will only normalize that whatever we have now, is the bare minimum. Only a small portion will have the realization but the biggest portion will choose cheap over investing.

[@harvardfootball]

While this is good, they tested a table with 4 supporting columns vs. the Wayfair one with only 1 supporting column. Wouldve liked to see a similar-ish layout

[@atl6s]

great point actually. that was a weird comparison choice

[@23karthikb]

You literally read my mind! This comparison felt so forced - almost intentionally trying to make the modern furniture look bad. How many people are taking sledgehammers to their furniture? What most people seek is something that will last with reasonable wear. It doesn't need to be unreasonably strong.

[@headcas620]

@@23karthikb You never know when your side table needs to double as a step ladder

[@kooale]

@@23karthikb And it's style was super interesting compared to the clunk factor of the gross 70's piece.

[@sly9889]

While not a fair comparison, a similar style made of mdf woud probably have the hammer hole in it and not repairable. The wood table smashed here can be reglued and repaired

[@EthelbertCoyote]

The same folks that made fast fashion are trying to make "fast furniture". The same rules apply, copy the look, make it cheaper by lower labor and material cost, pocket the difference. It sadly will not get better until people want to pay less often and more. That's not an easy pill to swallow for consumers.

[@darthcholo]

correct analysis. So this blame the CEO actually needs to be redirected back at consumers. There are plenty of USA furniture manufacturers. The CEO's of American made companies also want to make profits.

[@Wheelman2004]

@@darthcholo CEOs have far more power than individual consumers do. It makes little sense to blame people just trying to get by when CEOs show time and time again the only thing most of them care about is growing profit at any cost, especially at the expense of product pricing and quality, employer compensation, and customer service. Furniture industry, tech industry, doesn't matter. They're all the same.

[@darthcholo]

@Wheelman2004 yes this is by design. If you reject this fundamental you know where to immigrate to. If CEOs saw that people will buy products made in America from companies that pay workers well then change would come. Instead you continue to buy cheap. Companies that offer these products we all want also have CEOs.

[@RwWr-k6w]

Amish furniture. Takes forever to get made and will cost upfront but the craftsmanship and durability are there.

[@michaeltorrisi7289]

@@darthcholo thank you. This channel has interesting topics, but the socialist bent is a huge turnoff. There are so many parts of the video that make no sense, but are inserted to make their target demographic happy. Furniture used to be good, but don't forget, America is racist! Trump is wrong, because good or poor quality is more in the materials than where the manufacturing is done, but also the move from local manufacturing to Chinese manufacturing is why furniture is designed for ease of flat-packing and not quality. Greedy CEOs keep pushing their companies to make lower cost furniture to compete in the market, but it's not the fault of consumers who choose price over quality every time. The CEOs choose cheap labor instead of paying well for quality workers, and in the end, I bought a $20 piece of furniture (which would cost 6 times that just in lumber costs today). The cognitive dissonance and pandering was strong with this one.

[@wiran_katts1347]

As a custom cabinetry maker and installer in canada i greatly appreciate this video. We need more quality products that we can hold on too and pass down. The intial cost is higher, but in the end it will cost us more to keep buying cheap garbage and throwing it in our landfills

[@Stargate2077]

A key aspect in this video that was missed is how a lot of furniture was heavy and bulky. Many people appreciated furniture that was standardized and did not take up as much space. If we are to bring more furniture building back to the United States I think it is important to create pieces that work for people’s spaces better.

[@MattSezer]

Yes, a lot of older furniture was well built, but looks really dated and doesn’t reflect modern living. Like what use is a desk that wasn’t going to be made for a computer if all I’m using it for is for a computer?

[@brightsalot]

(Many people in the comments section are forgetting that solid wood is lighter than particle board, but I do understand what you mean. New cheap furniture may technically be heavier but it’s easy to get home in those flat packs and you can even disassemble it to move if you wanted to and kept the instructions. The quality construction of the past was not meant to be disassembled, so it is very bulky to move.)

[@quademasters249]

American made furniture could only be afforded by the affluent. Most people in the US today don't even have $500 for an emergency expense. Everything is junk because junk is all most people can afford.

[@Draggonny]

​@@brightsalot I've disassembled old furniture to move it. I took the table top off my pedestal dining table because it was bolted on so simple enough to do with no woodworking knowledge. They had the same issue with narrow doorways that we have. The big difference is that flatpack is way easier to carry upstairs. I think a lot of people nowadays just wouldn't go to the effort of moving large items like wardrobes and just leave them behind. Other pieces like Welsh dressers have entirely gone out of fashion because most people don't have the space for them anymore.

[@dabble2106]

If you have to ask, "Why has the quality deteriorated so much?" the answer will always be private equity.

[@tubester4567]

I have a different view. Its more about people buying junk to save a buck, , just like fast fashion, and like fast food. There are plenty of furniture makers, the Amish people make great quality furniture but there are cabinet/furniture makers in almost every city. Also there are much bigger problems with China than cheap furniture. like threatening multiple neighboring countries and even attacking some of them. The US/West needs to diversify out of China. China has a long history of not respecting any international rules, environmental rules, labour laws etc . Using slave labour to undercut western businesses and CCP subsides, stealing technology from the west and countries like Japan. China puts way more tariffs on foreign goods than the US. China has more tariffs and trade restrictions than any country, Its been that way for decades. China Is very selective about allowing foreign brands into the Chinese market. I think Trump's actions on China are necessary. People in the west need a wake up call about buying cheap crap from China. Its unsustainable and bad for the environment and China has already stopped selling some things to the US like rare earth minerals. This IS already a bi-partisan issue, Democrats have been taking steps to diversify out of China too. The US is spending billions building next gen computer chip plants across the US, including TSMC from Taiwan. Its not just the US either, its other western countries and other first world countries like Japan and South Korea are getting out of China,

[@Artemisgrier]

American consumers & American corporations aren’t that different. You didn’t hear an outcry when NAFTA was signed and it was obvious the American population was also not worried about the American worker.

[@RandomPlayIist]

@@tubester4567 It's more to do with the fact that the price of solid wood furniture is WAY more expensive relative to the dollar than it was when for our parents and grandparents. People would probably spend more, I know I tried, but the prices are so ridiculous. I had to go with the cheap stuff.

[@jdtreharne]

People want cheaper stuff. That's it

[@WobiKabobi]

The answer is the people not complaining and having standards.

[@just-shaquille]

at this point we might as well just sit down on a quality hardwood floor.

[@chiquita683]

Unfortunately you wont be able to get quality hardwood floors soon either because every time someone tries to get lumber in the rainforest people cry about it

[@niller2006]

Veneered laminated plastic hardwood lookalike floors

[@GovenorMcLovin]

​@@chiquita683We in the US should not buy exotic woods anyway. We have lots of domestic hardwood here that will last a lifetime.

[@billfusionenterprise]

where, see stories on lumber liquidators?

[@jacoblehrer4198]

@@chiquita683 Because wood only comes from the rainforest? 🙄🙄

[@theresakreller9744]

I have a dresser that was passed down. Heavy solid wood. It’s more than 50 years old. Also have a coffee table & 2 end tables that my brother gave me when he bought new furniture. He had them for 5 years and now I’ve had them for 16 years. They are heavy solid wood. My parents bought a huge china cabinet and dining room table made of solid wood over 40 years ago. They still have them. Heavy solid wood is the best way to go.

[@anythingbut...]

4:20 pine is not hardwood. It's softwood and, if cheaply made, furniture from it will deteriorate quickly (example cheap glue and screws rather than dove joints etc). It will also scratch and dent easily, and the wood is known for having a lot of knots which are problematic during furniture production. Nowadays pine is considered a better choice compared to what the market is flooded with (rightly so), but it was a budget choice back in the day - it was found in country cottages, not stately estates.

[@shelms488]

Was going to say exactly that. Line is definitely a softwood.

[@johnwright9372]

I went to Southern Norway some years ago. My Norwegian friend showed me 200 year old pine trees which were the thickness of a telegraph pole. He had some old planks his dad left. The trees are so slow growing the growth rings were so close together. It was a hardwood, not like the fast growing pine used today.

[@SavageArms357]

@@johnwright9372 That's a different species. Some pine species are harder than others.

[@prosquatter]

We used to sell these affordable pedestal dining tables where I worked at and the central leg was made of pine to cut cost and the tabletop was anigre because it's the cheapest hardwood. It still cost a little under $600.

[@kowalskidiazdegeras9190]

It also depends on the type of pine. I am spanish and our pines aren't fast growing at all, but their wood is only used either for construction or for lower-tier objects, like... coffins (back in the day)😅

[@DionysusSavior777]

Bruh, Amazon furniture is smaller and worse! Stop the monopolies!!!

[@chiquita683]

They just broke a perfectly good table for KZbin clicks. Where is the outrage?

[@brandonchristopher9657]

Planned Obsolescence

[@Keith-t3k]

@@chiquita683 Yeah! They could have made a point without killing a solid maple table.

[@makun16]

Stop shopping there and vote with your dollars.

[@JuniperMoonshine]

@@chiquita683 I was heartbroken, but she may repurpose the table.

[@laurenm3148]

I feel beyond lucky to have inherited incredible heirloom wood furniture from my grandparents. Honestly, my apartment would be 3/4th empty without them, and they've lasted decades and will continue to. I'm really blessed and I sympathize immensely for people going through it with cheap furniture by necessity.

[@kc7280]

North Carolinian here. Grew up in the 70s, saw the decline of the furniture making industry

[@Crazyguy_123MC]

I have a bed bought from an Amish woodworker made of solid oak. I’ve had it for at least 15 years. My sister bought a kit bed from a furniture store and it fell apart in a year. It shows hand crafted solid furniture lasts. You can still buy this stuff new from people like that but it costs a lot. One avenue people often ignore is thrifting antique furniture instead of buying new junk. I have found solid wood dressers and chairs for well under $100. I bought a solid walnut dresser from 1870 for $60. It needs a little tlc but once I’ve done that it will outlast me just like it’s outlasted its previous owners. I fully intend to pass it down when I have a family and I hope they pass it down too. I have two beautiful chairs from the same time both walnut as well bought for $7 together. Solid beautiful pieces that will also outlive me. You can find this good furniture in thrift stores you just need to look in the right places. Heck you can even find it free on the side of the road. All of my grandpa’s furniture is antique furniture he found on the side of the road that he refinished. It all looks as good as the day it was made. It’s worth the time to fix up because once the work is done it’s going to last many decades. My desk is a 1980s solid oak desk from the military. It’s the best desk I’ve ever used.

[@gavinjenkins6761]

You could also just buy a kit and add some braces etc to it yourself for +$20 and +20 years

[@leozmaxwelljilliumz3360]

As a carpenter and woodworker..i have been shouting tbis from the rooftops. Quality furniture is hard to find. Building your own is super rewarding. Might not be perfect, but it has character and You Made It!! Plus itll last much longer

[@dvuemedia]

I have solid oak table and chairs that I got in 2001, made in China. Very good quality, nothing broke on it for 25 years. I think the problem is that new furniture is made using cheap materials, not where it is made.

[@hhjhj393]

Where it's made totally matters.... There is gas, pollution, how workers are treated.... Chinese products are made with basically slave labor. It's bad for the Chinese workers, it's bad for the environment, it's bad for us too because we lose self respect and industry. Buying local is what we should all aspire towards. I fully believe that. I am willing to pay more from a company that pays its workers fairly and produces quality products. I am not doing it because I am a hippie either. When you screw over workers you create a society that decays. When you rely on slave labor what you create are aggressive countries. When you ship all your industry to China you give China all the power, you don't support your neighbors... When your neighbors begin to struggle your neighborhood will slowly fall apart. Until you end up with the American hellscape we are currently living in. If you want a healthy society you have to treat others fairly. If you have a country of overworked, under paid people with no opportunity they are gonna get angry, they are gonna destroy things out of spite, they will be apathetic if things fall apart, they will have no sense of pride or ownership within the community. We have to support each other at a local level. I firmly believe that to my core. Americas obsession with cheap goods is evil. The price tags may be low but that's because we don't see the true cost that damages society. All of our cheap chinese products are coming at a HUGE cost, much larger than if we were to build them locally and properly, we just can't see it immediately and obviously.

[@lulianjuliuswassbach]

​@@hhjhj393 there also artisans in china...

[@palebeachbum]

Honestly, even some cheap furniture can last a couple decades when not abused. My mother bought a fairly cheap living room set and a particleboard TV entertainment center cabinet that she had for over 20 years.

[@dannydaw59]

The bedroom set that I bought at Gardner White in 2013 is still doing very well. China can make high quality stuff and low quality stuff.

[@timeenoughforart]

China is perfectly capable of building quality furniture. Many designers demand quality and China is more than happy to fill that niche as well. I have a technical certificate in woodworking and 20 years experience, still China, India, and the Philippines have master craftsmen twice as good as me, who feel lucky to work for $3.00 a day. What I don't know is what happens to the hundreds of dollars difference between what the stores charge and what the craftsman makes.

[@Pimpbot2oo1]

People these days like to redecorate their homes every few years. My parents rarely did that and my grandparents never did. The consumer plays a major role in this trend, not just the “big CEOs”

[@mgw5377]

I live around Highpoint. My wife works in the furniture industry at a furniture studio. Majority of our manufacturing jobs have dried up but we still have all the show rooms and still have the furniture market every year

[@BigBoiiLeem]

We spent 5 grand on a couch set from what we thought was a reputable retailer in New Zealand that has been in the furniture game for decades. The footrests broke within a year, and they've left gouges in the carpet underneath where the metal frame of the chairs has collapsed. This problem is worldwide.

[@tianamarie989]

My "leather" couch from raymour and flannigan is made poorly too. If you lean too hard on the armrest you can hear a crunching noise like you're crushing the mdf ugh

[@rocksteady418]

Wanting trendy, Instagramable homes is a problem like fast fashion. People buy too much, too often, and expect low prices and high quality. Thats just not how it works if you arent wealthy.

[@elsamarie4963]

I'm blessed to have a home of mostly antique pieces that are beautiful as well as sturdy. Many of them were purchased by my grandma and my parents at garage sales and flea markets.

[@Matthew-e2c]

Sold furniture for 10 years. Some basic advice to anyone is once you see the design you like flip it over and look who actually manufactured it. Some reputable brands magnussen, flexsteel case goods, riverside furniture, legacy classic furniture. The table with the bad drawer in the video is called promotional furniture which is where they take a price point and build the furniture to meet the price point. Even on the reputable brands price compare online the price differences can vary as much as 100% for example a table that goes for $400 another retailer might sell it for $800, even though it's manufactured by the exact same manufacturer and it's the exact same piece of furniture, prices can wildly fluctuate.

[@nessparadis6948]

I’m not sure if it’s bc it’s late and I’m exhausted and waiting to get home, but I’m not following.

[@teenygozer]

@nessparadis6948 Various online catalogs sell exactly the same piece of furniture for wildly divergent prices. If you see a piece of furniture you like online, grab the picture and do an online search. They all use the same picture the manufacturer sent them. You'll find that table offered for a wide price range, some online catalogs selling it for twice the price of other online stores.

[@tgustafson85]

My Opa was trained as a master woodworker in Germany. It’s really sad to see all this cheap disposable furniture compared to the solid craftsmanship he produced.

[@napalmholocaust9093]

My kitchen table was made about the same year that automobiles were invented. It will out-live me by many lifetimes. My new headphones snapped in half in a week. Nuff' said.

[@yasaminwhy8212]

My parents bought a solid wood wardrobe in the late 1980s. The 'Made in UK' sticker's still on the inside. That wardrobe is in great nick. My IKEA wardrobe has multiple broken drawers and the doors are sagging after three years of usage. I can't even take it apart, I can't reassemble it due to the rubbish quality, so when I move away shortly, it'll have to be thrown away in bits. Yay, the future.

[@kooale]

Bought a room humidifier a month ago. It's broken already. Last one lasted 12, 15, 18 years without a hiccup! We're being had.

[@lulianjuliuswassbach]

Yeah! I got nice headphones like two years ago and they broke after a few months. Same with a charger, traveled with that charger a few times and it broke

[@heathercontois4501]

Our ding table and chairs are all about 45 years old. I think nothing is as sturdy as these are so I hope they keep lasting forever.

[@zacharyhenderson2902]

To be fair, head fence or plastic and cost a lot less than the table did to make, even though it's a lot more complex.

[@trapperjohn3400]

The good news is that high quality furniture is basically being given away on the second hand market. Me and my wife have found a complete 1890s Eastlake bedroom set piece by piece off Facebook marketplace for like 300 dollars total. Real stone top tables and dovetails for less then new fiberboard garbage.

[@headerahelix]

IKEA used to make a lot more solid wood furniture that was affordable. now even literal cardboard and the lowest quality chipboard is sold for hundreds and it lasts a couple of years at most.

[@VanTosser]

Yeah, I think a lot of the big brands now initially had to start by selling a good product for better value to gain market share. But afterwards, once you have loyal customers and good enough marketing, you can do anything and people will eat it up. Overton Window and such.

[@erebostd]

We have a good, quite big table from ikea, purchased 20 years ago or so. It’s solid wood, moved with us 3 times, and it’s getting used daily. It endured everything, from things falling on it to kids drawing all over it. It has some small marks here and there, as every furniture that is used heavily. But it’s rick solid, and if we ever threw it not because it ha§ failed, i‘m sure about that. I think ikea isn’t selling products like this for a decade or so…

[@etaokha4164]

Shrinkflation and inflation and deforestation. My vintage furnitures last longer than the 2024 furniture. I was looking into getting a new sofa and something I noticed was the legs were extremely thin or low and less foam used on cushions. I kept my old sofa especially with 2 kids my vintage sofa survived my kids jumping on it and I bought it from charity shop and looked at the date was handmade back in 98 and the owner passed away and was sent to charity shop and it luckily found me. Literally all my furniture came from charity shops

[@skymmylk]

y'all should cover the unionization of physicians and residents --- I think it's an interesting part of the healthcare discussion that I don't see anyone talking about

[@yunglynda1326]

oh yes i'd love to know more

[@hotpuppy1]

The doctors are unionizing because of the for-profit hospitals and practices are squeezing them AND the patients. And don't get me started on the insurance industry.

[@ambermidyette3400]

I remember this happening in North Carolina growing up. I thought we were poor before, but then Mama was lost her job at a fabric manufacturing company because they moved production overseas. We couldn't always afford food after that. There weren't other jobs that paid as well in the area. So many people were left without jobs and many families suffered 😢

[@CRYSTALCLAWED]

I really hope that people realize that the sooner we give a shit about workers in poorer regions of the world having competitive wages and labor rights the sooner that we stop getting screwed by giant corporations.

[@yunglynda1326]

this!!!!!

[@Window4503]

Louis Rossman is creating a database for consumer rights and is looking for help compiling it. That would be one way to spread awareness and encourage organizing. The more terms and examples we can have on hand to share, the easier it will be to come together and do something.

[@Lionesse-z41553]

💯💯💯

[@justinbuddy56]

Sure, but that’s going to take hundreds of years. If we can force these companies to bring manufacturing back to America, we can at least solve our quality issues relatively soon.

[@intensecutn]

​@@justinbuddy56How is manufacturing ever coming back to America if the initial problem still exists? Labour costs are much higher in America so products made there are more expensive, and they don't sell. People will always go for the cheaper product. This is a key failing of capitalism. We can say that the current situation is caused by this or that, but in reality it was always inevitable to eventually reach late stage capitalism.

[@DanielPerez-mb7wm]

It’s not rocket science. Real wood, real craftsmanship takes time = money. Most of us can only afford cardboard furniture. One day I’ll make my own. Real wood, real joints. Not for any other reason but it brings me joy to see something I restored or built.

[@spydirty2530]

It’s cheaper to buy a quality piece once, than buying junk multiple times

[@Michael-uc2pn]

If really depends on how well you're going to take care of the quality piece. I've moved 6 times in the past 10 years, and honestly I'm glad most of my furniture is cheap Ikea/Wayfair stuff, because even the nice things given to us by our parents are beat to hell from being moved that many times. Most of the Ikea stuff actually functionally survived the moves, so it can still be used until we decide to replace it, but the dings in that don't bother me. What bothers me is the gashes and dents on the nice pieces, and we can't afford to replace those. Sure, you can fill and stain, but it only hides it from a distance. Anyone looking closely can tell it's been banged up over the years. Plus the other issue is it looks incredibly dated, too dark, and doesn't match any of our other furniture. Ah yes nothing like an antique dresser with a flatscreen above it in a room otherwise filled with modern furniture. Really ties together the "we can't afford matching furniture" look of the room. And I think this is the real reason cheap disposable furniture is so popular. You can create a cohesive look in a room with a whole set for the cost of just one piece of really nice solid wood furniture.

[@diamondbeats2024]

If I lose my apt (can’t pay rent) I lose all my Inheritance furniture including my bed. So I stay pretty stressed out. I totally get the cheap furniture now days. And with my job prospects looking dismal I really do need to move and get a better job. I can’t imagine staying in the apt I’m in unfortunately because I can’t seem to find work where I am :( I stand to lose everything 💔😥😓😭😞

[@jbro5118]

I used to teach furniture design alongside some brilliant woodworkers with their own businesses. It’s very hard to run a business as an independent designer and maker because the cost of the products will just never be as cheap as mass produced furniture. Please shop what you value! We have to protect the craft, knowledge and skill that goes into furniture that’s designed to last generations.

[@blackhagalaz]

Good furniture makes such a difference in how Our home looks and how we use Our space. I have been into antique and vintage style for a few years now, and in the beginning I bought furniture that was just roughly inspired by it and affortable (think Hemnes by IKEA). But a few years ago is started actually investing in vintage and antique pieces. You have to search a bit for it, but you can make great Deals this way. I got an Office desk from the 1920's with dove-tail drawers for about 200, and a legit 1890's Walnut Buffet with the most beautifull carvings for 300. Considering that cheap Ikea Furniture isnt so much apart from that pricepoint, the Extra efford and care (like moving the furniture out of the sellers Apartment, or touching up little damages etc.) is Well worth the money. And now more and more pieces I own are very unitqe and will last me a lifetime

[@LucasGruner]

IKEA and Wayfair can make it seem like a big part of the issue with modern furniture is the flat-pack designs, but knockdown furniture has been around in some form or another for centuries. There are plenty of ingenious historical examples of knockdown joinery used to build strong furniture that's easy to move over and over again. However, material choice and assembly designs have gotten so much less durable that flat-pack has become synonymous with low quality. (IKEA does sell some very durable pieces made of solid pine and birch, but its definitely a minority of their catalog.)

[@woudgy]

I think it's important to also note that when companies, in particular IKEA, do use solid wood these days, it often comes from places with terrible forestry standards, like Romania. Old growth forest being clear-cut by what is essentially organized crime, with the carry over of violence to any communities that oppose it. New Republic had a really eye-opening article about it a while back. ETA: I got mixed up and thought it was in Nat Geo, but I think the article I read was the one in The New Republic.

[@katarh]

A surprising amount of the wood for Ikea furniture comes from Georgia in the US, actually. But it's the filler pine used in the plastic coated fiber board stuff, not their "real wood." Ikea owns a warehouse in Savannah and has a perpetual pile of wood chips out near the dock.

[@woudgy]

@katarh it has to only be for chipboard because there is almost no old growth forest left in Georgia. And there never will be again, if things continue like this.

[@woudgy]

I forgot to mention that the article in Nat Geo mentions that IKEA essentially controls the FSC, so don't be falsely assured by labels telling you wood is FSC-approved as sustainably sourced.

[@sterlinsilver]

I buy all of my furniture pre-destroyed so I'm never disappointed.

[@dianamiller3307]

I married into a family with their own antiques business. I have some *furniture*

[@RedfishCarolina]

Im shocked anyone buys anything from Wayfair. They seem to go out of their way to scream that they only sell crap.

[@frontierkitty]

this is why I shop antique stores for furniture

[@lindatisue733]

Price does not indicate quality for anything these days. Watch Tanner Leatherstein tear up designer bags or Rose Anvil tear up shoes. In Sweden, furniture is viewed very much as disposable. In my 100 apartment complex there are always at least 3 pieces of furniture a week in the recycling room. Older Ikea , nineties or earlier, is much better than anything from 2005 or later. Really sad to see those jobs leaving North Carolina. Now they can work in a chicken plant or a prison. I lived in Morganton during the worst time of my life, and the people made me feel welcome and valued.

[@Traderjoe]

Virtually everything made today is made to be disposed of after a few months. I buy vintage pieces and clean them up. 20 years ago I bought a table to hold a 10 gallon fish tank and the table was from IKEA. It lasted about 10 years just sitting there holding the tank. I did notice it starting to bow in the center and should have figured it was a warning sign. Because one night I am in bed and hear a thunderous crash and glass shattering. Guess what happened? The table was made of particleboard.

[@johnathonyoung5631]

As an upholsterer,this is appreciated. This consolidates many of my conversations with perspective clients.

[@notyou6674]

respect to that furniture expert lady, she knows her stuff.

[@soloar2007]

She was hot af with those lips

[@desmasic]

Yeah, breaks the good maple table and scratches it first to say, "Yeah, maybe this is real.." Good thing they demolished that authentic table for no reason.

[@notyou6674]

@@desmasic no reason? did you watch the video

[@desmasic]

@@notyou6674 You needed to break a good table to tell you that newer one was trash? Then yeah, maybe the video is for people like you.

[@lolololol7573]

@@desmasic What else did you expect from a country where they need "do not do this at home" disclaimers and that you shouldn't put pets in the microwave. I mean come on.

[@new-bp6ix]

I have a wardrobe from 1970 that still looks new today, unlike the newer furniture, which already looks old and worn out after just a year

[@RoseTorn411]

When they try to make "you will own nothing and be happy" happen, that's when.

[@dusty7264]

I built custom furniture for a living, my parents have Ethan Allen furniture that’s sixty years old and in great condition, their grandchildren don’t want any of it, because they are minimalist. Look for traditional joinery when buying furniture, mortise and tenons and drawers should be solid wood and dovetailed together. Ethan Allen furniture is still pretty good. The MDF furniture is junk but I understand that’s all some people can afford.Custom furniture makers are still out there but it’s going to be more expensive than factory furniture.

[@billiemunchen]

You can find decent items second hand and that didn't cost much. "Poor people" here in the UK will buy a shitty £900 sofa on a payment plan when they could buy something decent that will last, secondhand, for £100-300. But they feel "too good" for secondhand, preferring instead to spend three years paying off that sofa for in total 150-200% of what the outright costs would have been and then after 5 years the sofa has broken/aged terribly or the trend changed and they want something new again... That's one way to stay poor.

[@MemphisCorollaS]

It makes sense why people can only afford to buy the veneered factory furniture made to fall apart in 5 years or less. I’m a hobbyist woodworker who has sold a few things to lower my hobby costs. If I wanted to risk everything and make a living making furniture, then this is what it would look like. If a dining table made with traditional high quality joinery and hardwood will take me 40-60 hours of labor to build and finish, then that’s $1000-1500 of labor right there at $25 per hour for a skilled craft. That’s accounting for the time and cost to me to learn how to do that and get all the tools to do that. Thats assuming that other people who are just trying to build up a customer base aren’t charging $10/hr in my area to sell close enough looking pieces on Facebook marketplace. If they are 70-80% of the quality, then most buyers won’t know the difference or care enough to matter (one with dovetailed drawers and the other with glued dowels for example). Do you care enough to pay extra for something you can’t see and probably won’t spend your valuable free time learning about the difference? Probably not. If a sensible hardwood supplier on my area sells the materials for $350 of boards and slabs for me to cut project parts from, the hardware is $80, and the finishing supplies are another $60, then that puts my artisan, locally made, handcrafted, heirloom dining table at $$enough to give most people a heart attack before they keep scrolling past. That includes no markup to be a profitable business or to afford employees to make things more efficiently or quickly. That doesn’t allow for any really nice exotic wood or super durable finishes that would require even less maintenance for years. That’s accounting doesn’t leave any room to increase my hourly wage age my skills get even better. Some people obviously do make a living off of that still in 2025, but you’ll find more professional woodworkers today make their real money off of content creation, tool making to sell to other niche woodworkers, and instructional courses instead of the actual furniture. I’ve worked in sales for even higher dollar items, so I’m familiar with building value instead of competing to be the lowest priced leader on a market. How are 99% of Americans going to “buy into the value” for a $2000-2500 solid wood heirloom dining table instead of a $400 one from IKEA or Ashley Furniture?

[@joefer5360]

How are 99% of Americans going to “buy into the value” for a $2000-2500 solid wood heirloom dining table instead of a $400 one from IKEA or Ashley Furniture? MOAR FINANCING AND REPOS!! The real problem is figuring out how to repo a solid wooden dresser.

[@MemphisCorollaS]

In fairness, I said $350 for enough hardwood to build a whole dining table. If you went with hard curly maple or walnut near me for the last 3 years, then that would be more like $500-600 for wood alone. If you want high figured wood or epoxy resin river tables, then the price just keeps jumping up tax brackets. Fair prices and no crazy mark ups. Quality things are just expensive.

[@MemphisCorollaS]

@@joefer5360 wish I could say that you are wrong on both counts, but there are so many cheaply made home furnishing companies that charge crazy interest rates for rent to own furniture. They will come to collect through your credit and at your home too.

[@billiemunchen]

Yep. I'm a sewist in the UK. £15 an hour is very little for a skilled job. Then add materials etc and I might need to charge £100 for a skirt that people feel they can find a fast-fashion equivalent of for £20. People don't know how to spot quality. People have totally forgotten what it takes to make something (because they've never made anything themselves, not a garment, not a chair, not a teapot, not a scarf).

[@richarddietzen3137]

@@billiemunchenIn the U.S., I think you might be a seamstress, a word so old it is gender specific, like a tailor was also.

[@KC-Mitch]

Amish stores here in Missouri have some well designed wooden chairs, tables, benches, etc. Made by hands and hand tools (and possibly some electric ones 😅). It'll set you back $80 for a good chair and $150-200 for a rocking chair. You're paying for labor and craftsmanship. If those prices seem absurd, congrats, you solved the shitification mystery. We expect to pay only a certain amount because our paychecks don't rise as fast as goods, therefore to keep prices stable-ish, quality deteriorates... Fast.

[@vermiform]

I'm sorry but are those high prices to anyone? That sounds preposterously cheap to me for handmade furniture like that.

[@billiemunchen]

I'm in the UK. Those prices seem cheap for furniture made in a western country. Most people in the UK could afford this.

[@Nick007Gaming]

Id pay for that!

[@Michael-uc2pn]

​​@@vermiform yeah I was thinking he forgot a zero. Those are Ikea chair prices in 2025. Handmade chairs are going to cost you hundreds of dollars a pop, and that's for a basic wooden chair with no frills or intricate design.

[@justtired123]

$200 for a rocking chair is a Walmart price here in Maryland. If I was closer, I would be off to buy some Amish furniture tomorrow at those prices.

[@DSmith-gs4tr]

My soul cried when she took a sledgehammer to that vintage table😭. I still have the beautiful vintage nightstand I grew up with. It's probably at least a century old.

[@georgecompiani1868]

Most furniture materials are pressed wood, composite junk. Many movers won't move it.

[@brandonchristopher9657]

Planned Obsolescence

[@rosethorne9155]

They probably don't want yo get told off for a piece disintegrating when they pick it up from where it has settled...😬

[@kooale]

Many movers won't move it. Oh B S

[@Michael-uc2pn]

​@@kooaleright? I've never had an issue with moving all my Ikea stuff. They're generally glad because it's a hell of a lot lighter and easy to break down if they need to disassemble something to get it through a door. The worst I've encountered is just being asked to waive liability for minor damage.

[@adamdemasi156]

Self serving Auctioneer here. For years we've been having a crisis with "Brown Wood" and the prices crashing. The upside of that is a person can buy antique handmade stuff very reasonably at auction. If you need a piece you can check a site like auction zip for an estate auction near you, chances are if a piece has survived 100-200 years it'll last you a lifetime.

[@elevatormechanic7120]

It’s amazing that people throw out quality furniture, I often see items on trash day sitting curbside. If I didn’t already have a well paying job, I would drive around and pick up all the treasures and refinish and sell them for a profit.

[@katerrinah5442]

It's because it's so hard to get someone to take it - even for free. I have seen people throw out expensive antique furniture because they couldn't find a home for it. It was online for months and no one wanted it. It's so sad.

[@Michael-uc2pn]

​@@katerrinah5442 honestly yet another benefit of the cheap flat pack furniture. If you want to get rid of it, you do it the same way you got it in the first place, just this time you can ignore the directions and use a hammer if you decide you're tired of unscrewing things. Really useful if you live somewhere where you can't just leave it on the curb and have to actually get it in your car and take it to the dump.

[@paulvideo05]

I believe the only thing that can change this is for consumers to understand the value of the dollar and be more critical with their spending decisions.

[@jessicawalton3497]

It's worth the wait. We've been in our apartment for 4 years without a dining room set because I wanted something that would last, and we ain't rich! I finally lucked out last week. My friend's dad gave us a 30 year old cherrywood table and chair set with a buffet! The best part? It looks beautiful and suits our taste. I don't regret eating dinner on our couch until we found what we were looking for.

[@vaderladyl]

Yes, I am willing to wait for good quality furniture. I have been slowly furnishing my home like that, instead of just buying new, just because is faster.

[@AA-jj6jv]

Everything is getting fucking worse clothes are poorly made, more chemicals etc and this will continue unless we put some regulations in that teach these corporations a lesson.

[@AA-jj6jv]

Trousers are becoming harder to find in certain fits. All thanks to online shopping and Amazon.

[@mapletrees1_5108]

Oooor we can boycott buying this crap to make a point.

[@alexsmith-ob3lu]

Regulations won’t improve anything. We need to re-learn old wisdom from old timers.

[@dianamiller3307]

The US doesn't control Chinese law

[@Window4503]

Louis Rossman is creating a consumer rights database and is looking for help with entries. We have to organize and clarify things first before making demands. That way no one can weasel their way out.

[@MidnightOracle8]

Furniture Quality is almost nonexistent 😢

[@davidperry4013]

Solution for reasonably priced high-quality furniture is flatpack furniture made here in the USA entirely by machines with durable but affordable materials such as OSB, Plywood, Douglas fir, or Yellow Pine instead of MDF or particle board. You have to put it together yourself with the pins, camlocks, and dowels just like the stuff from China or Vietnam but, you're getting something that will at least last you 25 years and the pins and cam locks are of a stronger metal than lesser flat pack furniture and as bonus you can take it apart and reassemble it as many times as you want.

[@Bigtim2you]

I live in NC. When I bought my house here, ALL of the furniture I bought for it was built in NC or Virginia. Nothing imported or made from pressed wood. Support American manufacturing jobs!

[@Otto-W]

The vast majority of American manufacturers build plywood with particle board and MDF core plywood with some using a ply core or a combination of a ply core with a layer of MDF just below the veneers. Most plywood sold in America is also made in America. Plywood cores also have different grades. MDF by itself has over a dozen different grades from an ultra light that is similar to what's shown in the video to a high density waterproof version that's incredibly strong. The difference is the quality of the materials and the joints used during its build. *I work in the hardwood/plywood industry and I also have a hobby wood shop on my garage.

[@bobcharlie2337]

​@@Otto-Wthank you for commenting. I learned something, maybe with the information you shared I can refine my search or at least educate myself better and make smarter choices when buying funiture.

[@KC-jq9kw]

Buy hand made furniture that lasts. Buy Amish made or from places that make it by piece. You can also buy antique and refinish it.

[@secretbassrigs]

or just used and refinish it. that's been the average for a long time.

[@vFANGv]

14:36 What a shame to destroy a good table.

[@dellybird5394]

I visited my parents last weekend and saw my dad doing laundry. I realized that the green and yellow sterilite laundry basket he was using is the same one I played in as a child and it was still in perfect condition! Meanwhile, half of my laundry baskets are falling apart with broken handles in less than a decade of use! I don't have any kids that use them as toys either. They literally aren't built to survive carrying laundry across a house! Quality has even dropped off since the 80s/90s, when my parents would have gotten those baskets. It's wild. My parents came from poor families too, so it's not like they bought premium baskets. Luckily, I have a lot of antique malls and thrift stores in my area, so I've been able to accumulate some good furniture for affordable prices. I got a solid cherry dresser with dovetail joints and minimal wear for $800 bucks, and it even came with a separate mirror! It would have easily been thousands new today. Definitely shop antique malls and estate sales.

[@machandelverlagcharlotteer8698]

I'm still living with a wardrobe I inherited from my mother. Despite being made of real wood, it was kind of collapsible. You can put it together like a wooden puzzle without any tools, only the door hinges and the lock are made of metal, joints are holding firm with wooden wedges, and it is sturdy as hell. Survived several times moving home, several times painting and stipping paint. Solid carpenter work. My daughter will inherit this wardrobe.

[@user-fr8ve7wf6i]

This is why I furnish my dwelling with furniture on the side of the road, OfferUp, and the thrift store. People give up beautiful sturdy furniture and buy trash for $1000. I have beautiful pieces mostly for free or nearly and the only pieces I regret are the ones I bought 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@destinationskyline07]

Dont criticize China for making "cheap" products. Blame yourselfs for buying them and the companies that choose build with low budgets. China is only supplying the demand.

[@Henbot]

The destroying of the furniture made me cry 😭

[@2beJT]

7:00 - MDF and Particle board are generally heavier than solid woods. I don't think weight was their consideration when selecting these materials. Glue and particles weigh more than solid wood.

[@Michael-uc2pn]

MDF furniture is definitely lighter than most solid wood furniture. I don't know if that's just because it's made with less material in general, but I've had some surprisingly light MDF pieces that were still remarkably sturdy.

[@CharadesIntheWestLoby]

My grandparents moved to Los Angeles back in 63 and found a coffee table and corner table by the dumpster at their new apartment. My grandparents took them and cleaned them up. They are now in my living room. When they got them they were already forty years old. These things were produced 100 years ago and they're still in good shape.

[@josephtompkins5582]

I feel pissed off when people destroy shit.

[@christamarie4044]

How dare you destroy an actual wood table. One less piece of quality left in the world

[@josron6088]

In the late nineties I brought a few pieces of furniture from thrift stores made out of real wood and refurbished it. It's still holding up. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything made as well as this stuff was now.