Customer Reviews

Shopping for Furniture: A Consumer's Guide

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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

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

I wish I could give this book more than five stars. I have made lots of furniture mistakes over the years, and now I can begin to see why. The next best thing to this book would be having Leonard Lewin by your side when you shop for furniture! He takes you through the basics (wood, wood veneer, wood finishing, shopping for wood, basic furniture construction and pieces, upholstery, leather, personal style, going to stores, dealing with sales personnel and designers, interpreting advertising). What's more, he lists brands and stores to think about and visit, by area, name and volume). This book will be extremely useful to me, and I plan to reread several of the chapters before buying any furniture. The tone of the book is easygoing and informative, never dull. Most of all, his philosophy that while being an expert helps, all of us can do enough homework to understand what we need to bring to the furniture buying experience. I highly recommend this book, and plan to go back to it in the future (maybe even keep it in the car, since I wouldn't be able to hide it in the store).

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

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

I was well equipped to shop for furniture after reading Mr. Lewin's informative book. I took the book shopping with me and the sight of it alone made salespeople wary! (Kind of evened the playing field!) A delightfully written, very helpful text for old and new shoppers alike.

This book describes what you need to know about furniture in a simple, yet educated, approach with just enough humor to keep the reader interested in what could be a tenuous subject. The author obviously has the background to cover the subject in a thorough yet not too textbookish style.

I knew nothing about the details of furniture construction before I read this book. I now feel confident in shopping for all types of furniture. I can now look for signs of quality construction and ask the right questions to let the salepeople know I'm not willing to buy just on looks. The details of how certain pieces are made is important for longevity. Highly recommended read!

Great resource if you are planning on purchasing furniture. Len catagorizes the major furniture manufactures by quality, what kind of quality cues to look for and what some of the best furniture stores are. He'll also answer your questions by email!

Locate furniture which fits into budget and home and understand the basics of its construction and marketing using the second updated edition of Shopping For Furniture: A Consumer's Guide as your personal advisory. Leonard Bruce Lewin has sold furniture to stores and consumers for over 35 years: his background provides insider's advice on everything from distinguishing sales prices from daily prices to understanding newspaper ads and big-store sales approaches. Now in a fully updated second addition, Shopping For Furniture promises lasting library reference value, with its clear tips on judging value and prices.

This is a book everyone should read. It gives you a detailed description of what you should look for and whether you are getting your $$'s worth. A true comprehensive guide....