I can see how furniture designed to be cheap(ly made) is not terribly robust. But what I’d really like to know about is how the quality/price ratio has changed over time.
I can easily find a carpenter who makes me high quality furniture. Or go to a company that sells furniture to cafes and restaurants, a market where longevity is an important selling point. But both of those are going to be very expensive – like “several hundred bucks for a single chair” expensive.
So how has quality per price changed over time? Because if quality was better but any piece of furniture was a significant investment… Well, then it wasn’t much different from today, the low-price segment just didn’t exist.
A good chair isn’t cheap, but it is worth the money. Older, better built furniture can often be found for less than new, crappy furniture at places life thrift stores, estate sales and collector’s malls.
I can see how furniture designed to be cheap(ly made) is not terribly robust. But what I’d really like to know about is how the quality/price ratio has changed over time.
I can easily find a carpenter who makes me high quality furniture. Or go to a company that sells furniture to cafes and restaurants, a market where longevity is an important selling point. But both of those are going to be very expensive – like “several hundred bucks for a single chair” expensive.
So how has quality per price changed over time? Because if quality was better but any piece of furniture was a significant investment… Well, then it wasn’t much different from today, the low-price segment just didn’t exist.
A good chair isn’t cheap, but it is worth the money. Older, better built furniture can often be found for less than new, crappy furniture at places life thrift stores, estate sales and collector’s malls.