On 2014-08-06 10:04 AM, Michael Nielsen wrote:

>
> You can buy e.g. furniture made from sawdust and glue that lasts 2
> years, or real wooden stuff that lasts 2 centuries.

Too many people care only about the price tag and they buy stuff that
they can afford at the time. I have known a number of people over the
years who bought cheap living room sets and wore them out in just afew
years. The cheap fabric did not stand up to normal use. It would cost
more to reupholster them than to replace them, but most upholsterers
won't touch them, saying they are too shoddily made to be bothered with.


I used to know a guy who made envious remarks about how it must be nice
to be able to afford some of the various pieces of furniture we picked
up over the years. Sure, they cost 3 or 4 times as much as the stuff
that he had bought, and then had to replace 3 or 4 times. Mine still
looks good. He is probably still replacing his cheap crap every few years.

Our dining room Tudor style suit in dark oak. We got that one from my
father in law. He and MiL got it when they got married back in the
1930s. They paid a good buck for it. We got it from him about 30 years.
It had been well used and the leather on the chairs was in need of
repair. We spent close to $3000 to have the table, sideboard and chairs
refinished and the chairs reupholstered in a good quality leather. It
would have cost a hell of a lot more than that to buy a new suite, and
this one still looks good despite a lot of use.