Back In Business

[kodydog]

We finally closed on our house and spent the last two weeks moving out and organizing my new shop. I'll be working out of my 2 car garage until better accommodations can be found. It's tight.

We're booked through Christmas and just received our first order for new years. A customer came by Sunday to pick up two chairs. Right before she left she said, my sofa will be done by Christmas right? Um, okay.

When the new years customer called she asked for an estimate. When Rose quoted her she replied maybe I'll just buy new. She then told rose her sofa was a Henredon bought in the 80's. This really got Rose going as she explained Henredon was top of the line and you can't find sofas like that anymore. And if she could it would cost $3000 to $4000. Rose topped it off by saying if she wanted to get rid of it be sure to let us know. The lady called back later and wants us to do it. Shes looking at $40 a yard fabric. Now she wants to know if we'll pick up in St Augustine, 1-1/2 hour away. Rose told her that would be an extra $150 and she has to have someone there to help me get it out of her 3rd floor condo. She said no problem. Funny how things work out.

[byhammerandhand]

I did the work for the local Henredon store here.   They opened around 2007 and really fell through the floor after the 2008 great recession.   Closed a couple of years later.   They spent a ton of money fitting out a large new store, all down the drain now.

I worked on a number of Henredon pieces and not not impressed.   Probably the worst example was a $10,000 leather sofa that squeaked with you sat on it.   All around the bottom was a grid of perforated metal straps held on with roofing nails.   Of course the stress and shrinking wood frame made a bunch of the nails pop.  Some were completely out, some just loose.   I removed them all and replaced with screws.   This unit, and another later, were still both in the showroom.   "Made in China"

> Henredon was top of the line and you can't find sofas like that anymore

[sofadoc]

All around the bottom was a grid of perforated metal straps held on with roofing nails.   Of course the stress and shrinking wood frame made a bunch of the nails pop.  Some were completely out, some just loose.   

Yup. I've seen a bunch of those. When I see stuff like that, I can only think to myself........"Damn, they knew this wasn't going to work when they did it"

Another prime example is the chaise recliners where they didn't sew the padding into that section between the seat and the footrest. They just stuck it in there, and expected it to NOT bunch up.

Ed: Glad to hear you're back up and running. Any good leads on a shop?

[byhammerandhand]

Big difference between knowing and caring?

Speaking of chaises, there were some in same store where the legs had a nice curve in the, but they paid no attention to grain direction and they split right off in short grain area.

Hmmm.   Maybe it was not the recession that just drove that store under?   I remember talking to some of the designers before they closed and since they were 100% commission, they made no money the prior month.   Another reason I want to punch old people who complain, "I'm on a fixed income."  (wah, wah, wah)  For most of my life (including when I was salaried at a company with recurring financial problems, I'd be glad to have my income fixed for a given year.   At least SSA gives COLA)

All around the bottom was a grid of perforated metal straps held on with roofing nails.   Of course the stress and shrinking wood frame made a bunch of the nails pop.  Some were completely out, some just loose.   

Yup. I've seen a bunch of those. When I see stuff like that, I can only think to myself........"Damn, they knew this wasn't going to work when they did it"

Another prime example is the chaise recliners where they didn't sew the padding into that section between the seat and the footrest. They just stuck it in there, and expected it to NOT bunch up.

Ed: Glad to hear you're back up and running. Any good leads on a shop?

[gene]

Big difference between knowing and caring?

Yea, I now there's a big difference between knowing and caring, it's just that I don't care.  :)

Ed, try not to gain any weight whilst working the the 2 car garage.  :o

We really can take things for granted when we have them, don't we?

gene

[Mike]

I would / could never pay 10,000 for a sofa "im on a unfixed income"

today I had a guy dome in the shop for a ballpark price to reupholster his hurricane deckboat I did and said I can come out later and give you a firm price. he says ok it cant hurt nothing.  I knew then it was probably a wayste of time. so later when I went out it was a tad nore because there was foam damage untold I gave him a $2500 price and he said he wasn't sure he wanted to spend that much on a old boat. but if he was to sell it it would suddenly be worth so much  and he was in a high class hood