Would You Buy This?

[Jim Koepke]

There are all kinds of what seems to me insane advertisements popping up on screen while reading the news or anything else.

What amazes me is not so much what is selling, but the prices.

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Is this some kind of scam or will somebody actually pay that much to have something like that in their home?

I could likely make a bunch of those in no time and be rich if I could find the fools to buy them.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

No. My guess is the guy just likes turning them out ,and now his wife is “ turning them out” of the garage or spare bedroom, or both.

[Jerry Thompson]

Well it is marked down:rolleyes:

[Mel Fulks]

…or maybe he just read a a blurb about Salvador Dali, or Picasso and “ Get RICH Quick” book in the same day….plenty of THOSE around.
And the prices are way down !

[Andrew Hughes]

I’ve seen that shabby chic furniture sell like hot cakes at a craft show. I had a booth with my crafts and I got smoked by these young 20th century hippies with nose and eye brow piercings sell that kinda of stuff.
They also had plywood signs for the lawn with rainbows and flowers paintings. I could see the craft in 2 $ signs but not the Frankenstein furniture.
Seems like some people like the idea of living with heirloom furniture so much they will accept a fake.
I know this is very judgmental of me.
Good Luck

[Mark Rainey]

I know this is very judgmental of me.
Good Luck
Sometimes you gotta call it the way you see it!

[Mark Hennebury]

Apparently you don't need machinery, tools, decent wood, knowledge or skill to be successful furnituremaker these days, it is in fact an impediment.

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https://rh.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod12440070&categoryId=cat10220034

[Mike Brady]

You are correct. Nicely made furniture like you and I prefer is not what sells today. Painted stuff is hot, even if it is mahogany or walnut underneath. My daughter is furnishing a new home. She looks at stores like Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel. Nothing is classic or period. Arts and Crafts is dead. Almost any piece will have a painted portion. Virtually all of it is made off-shore.

I would like to make some furniture for my kids, but not like what they see at the stores or on-line. The current woodworking magazines are not in touch with trends either, so where to find plans for future projects?

[Derek Cohen]

It reflects a fashion. Fashion is rarely expected to last more than a few years, and then the pieces will be replaced. The owner will not develop a relationship with it, and will not miss it when it is gone. Therefore the construction does not require the same build quality as something intended to be enduring. A single, or two, feature pieces like this might be attractive and a talking point, which is the intention. The piece in question is clever and probably worth the outlay (if you can accept that it is temporary) for the artistic effort.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jack Dover]

Also, at least the OP piece is priced not by “how much does cost me to manufacture it”, but rather by “how much does it cost me to run a business like this on Amazon”. In other words all the fees and other expenses are priced in. And I’m pretty sure that anyone form this thread wouldn’t be too far away from that price if they would truly think how to make it worth their while to actually consider this type of business.

It’s not like I’m defending these pieces. They’re hideous and they’re tasteless, it’s just there’s a bunch of other factors when it comes to pricing. In fact going by just a cost of manufacturing is a sure way to go bankrupt very fast since you’re going to subsidize your customers.

[Lee Schierer]

As P T Barnum said, “There's a sucker born every minute!

[Scott Winners]

I would not buy that.

[Ray Newman]

Another old saw: "A fool and his money are soon parted."

[Rob Luter]

Not what I would choose, but to each his own. I know folks that think my Stickley was a passing fad.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991593369_177983fe50_b.jpg

[Mark Hennebury]

Beautiful stuff Rob! did you make it ?

[steven c newman]

IF a client WANTS it like that...Client gets what Client wants.....you could always NOT take any photos, so there is no evidence that YOU actually made it....and..sanitize the shop once you deliver the "product(s)" to the Client...and not say a word about that "extra" $400 in the bank account....:rolleyes:

[Al Weber]

I'd buy it for kindling to start the wood stove.

[Scott Clausen]

As P T Barnum said, “There's a sucker born every minute!
"and two born to take him"

Another one I like is "It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money"

[Rob Luter]

Not what I would choose, but to each his own. I know folks that think my Stickley was a passing fad.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991593369_177983fe50_b.jpg

I made several accessory pieces for the room, including frames, a wall hanging shelf, and the round top side table. I made the hall entry table too. The rest is genuine Stickley. We have a few antique items from Cron-Kills (desk) and Quaint Furniture too. We're huge fans of the mission/A&C style. Lamps are either from Ragsdale (https://www.ragsdalehomefurnishings.com/) or Mica Lamp Company (http://www.micalamps.com/). We've collected a few slag glass lamps over the years too. My wife made the baskets. Our house is full of self made items but I haven't had the guts to make anything really large yet. Maybe once I retire.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51990316542_6eed9238e1_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51130204534_cd67e0b972_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51130320749_ee0c628318_b.jpg

[Luke Dupont]

Asking this question here is kind of like going to a Berkshire Annual Meeting and asking a bunch of professional value investors if they'd buy TESLA and Doge Coin.

The audience being questioned is a bit too sophisticated to be interested, but there's obviously no shortage of buyers to be found somewhere.

[Luke Dupont]

I made several accessory pieces for the room, including frames, a wall hanging shelf, and the round top side table. I made the hall entry table too. The rest is genuine Stickley. We have a few antique items from Cron-Kills (desk) and Quaint Furniture too. We're huge fans of the mission/A&C style. Lamps are either from Ragsdale (https://www.ragsdalehomefurnishings.com/) or Mica Lamp Company (http://www.micalamps.com/). We've collected a few slag glass lamps over the years too. My wife made the baskets. Our house is full of self made items but I haven't had the guts to make anything really large yet. Maybe once I retire.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51990316542_6eed9238e1_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51130204534_cd67e0b972_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51130320749_ee0c628318_b.jpg


That is some of the coolest furniture and home decor that I've ever seen.
You have an incredible sense of style and ability to execute. I could never even come close in my head/imagination, let alone implementation.
Seriously impressed!

[Jim Koepke]

Asking this question here is kind of like going to a Berkshire Annual Meeting and asking a bunch of professional value investors if they'd buy TESLA and Doge Coin.

The audience being questioned is a bit too sophisticated to be interested, but there's obviously no shortage of buyers to be found somewhere.

You are right Luke. Well after posting it occurred to me the question should have been, "Who Would Buy This."

It was an advertisement that popped up on a page being read and it struck me as insane that someone would consider paying that price for something made of reclaimed wood.

It makes me think of a story told about a guy on a corner during the great depression selling apples. His sign read, "Wonderful Apples, One Million Dollars Apiece."

A passerby said, "you won't sell many apples at that price."

The man selling the apples said, "I only have to sell one."

jtk

[glenn bradley]

Wonderful stuff Rob. Made my morning. As to shabby chic and rustic as styles, I was a young adult during the 70s so I've seen worse. I mean where's the love for Clockwork Orange interiors???

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Gimmie some green shag carpeting and impossibly uncomfortable Jeston-esque sofas and chairs.

[Jim Koepke]

Not what I would choose, but to each his own. I know folks that think my Stickley was a passing fad.

Something so beautiful, welcoming and comforting will never be a passing fad.

I don't know about passing fads, but Stickley, Arts & Crafts and Mission furniture is some of the most comfortable furniture that still show cases the wood as a major element.

jtk

[Rob Luter]

That is some of the coolest furniture and home decor that I've ever seen.
You have an incredible sense of style and ability to execute. I could never even come close in my head/imagination, let alone implementation.
Seriously impressed!


Thanks Luke. That's very kind of you. I got hooked on Mission/Arts and Crafts in college in Kalamazoo. One of my minors was art, and I concentrated on architectural and design movement history. That's where I first was exposed to the Arts and Crafts movement. My wife and I would hit the antique shops looking for furniture that impoverished students could afford and trip over all kinds of Stickley and related furniture. Stickley Brothers had been located in Grand Rapids about an hour North and Limbert had been nearby too. The stuff was so durable it looked like new. I wish I'd had the money back then to pick up some pieces on the cheap. That was 40+ years ago. 20 years later it was crazy expensive as it got popular again.

Suffice to say our home has nearly reached critical mass on Quarter Sawn White Oak, Art Glass and Mica lamps, Copper Pieces, and A&C pottery. We've spent the last 40 years on the hunt for special pieces and making a few of our own. I'm hoping when it's time for the estate sale the style is still popular in some circles.

[Mike Allen1010]

E Beautiful furniture and furnishings Robb! Your stuff is truly “classic“ in the timeless sense of the word. I’m confident it will always be valued for its aesthetics, comfort at obvious quality materials.

As to the cabinet in the OP, Full points for creativity! I’m always shocked when I go to the lumberyard and see the prices for “reclaimed Barnwood“, some of that stuff goes for more than mahogany, walnut etc. Go figure – I guess it takes all kinds.

Cheers, Mike

[Jim Koepke]

I’m always shocked when I go to the lumberyard and see the prices for “reclaimed Barnwood“, some of that stuff goes for more than mahogany, walnut etc. Go figure – I guess it takes all kinds.

The old side boards from my pick-up were replaced after more than a decade in the weather. My plan was to use them to make birdhouses. Now my thoughts have turned to the possibility of making some shabby chic furniture and a fortune.

jtk

[Luke Dupont]

You are right Luke. Well after posting it occurred to me the question should have been, "Who Would Buy This."

It was an advertisement that popped up on a page being read and it struck me as insane that someone would consider paying that price for something made of reclaimed wood.

It makes me think of a story told about a guy on a corner during the great depression selling apples. His sign read, "Wonderful Apples, One Million Dollars Apiece."

A passerby said, "you won't sell many apples at that price."

The man selling the apples said, "I only have to sell one."

jtk

I've always loved that story!

And, I've always been keen to try it out... Or some variation thereof. You know what they say, envision your perfect customer if you want to find your market. I guess we all suffer from the habit of envisioning thrifty, rational, tasteful customers, when we could be targeting a much more profitable crowd.

[Walter Plummer]

My guess is whoever painted it did not build it. With all the upcycle, furniture flipping videos out there I think it came off the curb or from a thrift shop, got a quick "refresh" and listed for sale. In the eighties I worked with a guy that made some of the weirdest things you ever saw and sold them through a gallery for pretty big bucks.

[Matt Riegerix]

The listing says it’s made in India, so I’m sure there’s plenty of profit margin.

[steven c newman]

Deduct the price of shipping...

[Lee Schierer]

If you have watched the TV show "Flea Market Flip" or "From trash to treasure", you can see all sorts of stuff "upcycled" into a piece of furniture that they sell for ridiculous prices.