8 way hand tied sofa on a tight budget

16 years ago

I really want a eight way hand tied leather sofa but not willing to spend Hancock & Moore prices, can anyone give me a cheaper alternative but still good quality?

Featured Answer

mogator88

16 years ago

The thing about furniture, so many people think there's an angle, or a way to get the Lexus for the price of a Toyota.

But just like cars, if you really want a Lexus, you gotta buy a Lexus. So you don't want to spend that much money? Get the less expensive model, or finance the purchase, or wait a little longer and save up some more. Or, if you're not into the status, just the quality, then get the Toyota.

Really what is it you want? I bet you really want a quality product that will feel good and last a long time. You don't have to buy an 8-way sofa to get that, and you don't have to buy the H&M name to get that.

I don't know what tight budget means, but it doesn't mean a $3000-$5000 sofa. Usually it means closer to $1000. So don't look for a knockoff of H&M specifications, I've seen these things, they cut corners in ways you won't see right away. And don't look at a $1000 sofa as being an investment. It isn't. I know $1000 is a lot of money for you, and you see a lot of inexpensive sofas out there. But a $1000 sofa isn't an investment, and if you buy with that mentality you'll end up disappointed.

This is the best of times for consumers looking to spend less on decent (not great but decent) and inexpensive furniture. There is a major price war going on among Asian factories, and among large retailers in many markets. A lot of this furniture is fairly well made and the right choice for a lot of people.

But as factories and retailers close, the price war will come to a close, and you will not see anything like the kind of prices you see today. Furniture sells for less today than it did ten years ago, while overhead costs have gone through the roof are still going up. Nobody is making money in this business. Everybody is hoping to told out longer than the other guy and still be around when prices do go up.

If you still want a pinnacle brand or product like H&M, you can educate yourself and save maybe up to 20% by buying a lesser known brand, perhaps in a closeout leather, but in the end be prepared to pay. Good luck, I hope you find something that works for you.

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Comments (11)

furnone
16 years ago
Try McKinley Leather. Comparable quality at lower prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: McKinley Leather
cedar_hill
16 years ago
Checkout Smith Brothers. Amish made. www.smithbrosfurn.com
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sds333
16 years ago
Stickley and Hickory Chair both make real 8 way hand tied furniture. It is very good quality. It's still not exactly cheap, but it's not as expensive as Hancock and Moore. I know Stickley does a lot of leather, and it's beautiful and comfortable. I'm not positive if Hickory Chair does leather, but their website can tell you for sure.
Good luck!
musetta
16 years ago
Check out the Lee Industries website for styles and dimensions, and request swatches. In October, order your Lee sofa from a Crate and Barrel furniture store during their annual "25% off custom furniture" sale. We are so happy with the Lee fabric sofa we got last October. (They have leather as well.) It's solid, well made, and supremely comfortable with the extra-frim cushion option. With tax and delivery it was about $2300.
PRO
iCustomSofa
16 years ago
You shouldnt buy upholstery based solely on which a manufacturer claims is a 8-way hand tied seat. Look at what your needs are for durability, comfort, and looks- then buy accordingly.
Yes, its a very tough time now for furniture manufacturers and retailers. Major shake-outs are going on in the industry. Their will be a continuation of furniture manufactures moving to lower cost countries. The quality is improving for imported upholstery from Asia, but very few can match the quality from better manufactures in the US. So many US and European manufactures and retailers are coming here to Asia and looking only for the lowest price they can get.
To be able to make a good decision when buying furniture is to truly educate yourself on all the aspects what makes a quality sofa.
PRO
acdesignsky
16 years ago
We're going with Lee as well. I know 8 way hand tied doesn't mean what it used to, but it seems the manufacturers that skimp on the seat, seem to skimp on most everything else too. After seeing the frame of our Broyhill sofa disintegrate in less than 2 years of daily use I decided I'd rather pay 3K for a sofa once than $800 every 3-5 yrs.
BTW, what is going to make your sofa expensive *isn't* the hand tied seats, it's the leather. Really good qaulity leather is expensive. In the end, we decided to go with a slipcovered sofa instead which cost 2/3 the price. We're just waiting for the CB sale this Fall.
nchomestore
16 years ago
We manufacture leather and slipcovered furniture in NC. Eight way hand tie is about a $100 upgrade on our standard spring system so it is no big deal. We can make you something far better than a chinese made sofa at prices far less than H & M. if you are interested I will give yu site etc.
jejvtr
16 years ago
I purchased both a Lee upolstered sofa last yr and a H&M leather -
Lee was in the clearance dept of local furniture store I think it was $1485 (orig 3,303)- best $$$ I ever spent on new furniture!

H&M sofa (chancellor) - large sofa was orig $8150 we purchased for $4890

my pt is it depends on what you are willing to spend - also there are deals out there you really have to go on a hunt!

Good luck
dcollie
16 years ago
Interesting thread. Here's my take on it, from someone who sells all levels of upholstery. Like you may expect, the good stuff lasts longer! Thats the bottom line. So, when you take a brand like H&M, sure its more on the front end, but you can get an honest 30 years out that sofa using reasonable care standards, and its comfortable every single day of those years. Lesser brands might go half that before need replacement, and won't sit as well or look as nice. Your cost of ownership amortized over the lifespan of the piece is going to be less PER YEAR with a premium brand.

If it's un-affordable, then that's another matter altogether.
Rayman23
12 years ago
Recently - Jan,2012 - bought a sofa and chair from a local retailer in Waterford Ct. that carried Temple 8 way hand tied furmiture. Got matching set of this mid level NC manufacturer's product at clearance price of $1699. Temple has an informative website that I checked out before buying. Some of the other local retailers I checked out did not carry 8 wayht, and others suggested it was not even available, and other said machine tied was just as good. I was not deterred by their spiel, because I had an 8 way ht couch for over 2o years and I was determined to get another one because of the quality and comfort. Hope this helps.