Postal

When I found out I'd be in Greenboro, NC, for business, I immediately planned a trip to several furniture outlets in the area, expecting to save a lot of money furnishing a new house. Much to my surprise, NONE of the 12 outlets were any cheaper than regular furniture stores in my Florida hometown! Why do people say the furniture is cheaper there?

nina

Postal, where you comparing identical pieces from the same manufacturers? I've gotten several pieces of furniture from NC at a 50% savings.

Most of the furniture constructed there is very high quality, like Councill craftsman, Hickory White, etc. A buffet for my dining room retailed for over $ 6,000 and I got it in NC for half that price. Dining table and chairs would have been $ 15,000 and I paid $ 8,000. I've literally saved thousands of dollars shopping in NC.

Furniture

You weren't in High Point, which is supposedly where the outlets with the "real deals" are. For my own taste, most of what you find there is too traditional, too cookie-cutter, too much Queen-Anne or Early-American reproduction, nothing contemporary or "Scandanavian" and only a little of the Shaker-type of style. But Greensboro was the wrong place, anyway.

nina

Also, you don't have to go there. All you have to do is call up and give them the manufacturer's name and style number of the furniture, and they'll take your order over the phone. It's usually between 8 and 16 weeks for dekivery (same as most stores), you don't pay tax, only the shipping fees.

XXX

I've experienced the same thing! Unless you hit High Point and these furniture places on the great sale days there prices are not necessarily cheaper. You have to factor in shipping costs of hundreds of dollars, then add to that 1/3 to 1/2 the price as a down payment and then the balance when the shipment is made. Many stores are now offering 0% financing and no shipping costs. Even high end furniture stores will consider your offers - you don't have to pay sticker price. The first time I went to High Point I placed an order - then there was a slight problem a little later - as it turned out I wound up cancelling the order because it kept creeping up in price. I'll take my Florida furniture stores any day!!!

nina

Yes, shipping costs were about $ 200, but I would've paid about $ 800 in taxes, which adds even more to the savings! With free shipping I still would be out an additional $ 600 over and above the cost of NC, and that's not even counting the very discounted prices of the furniture. Even on sale, I couldn't come anywhere close to NC prices. We paid cash for the furniture anyway, and weren't concerned with financing, but if you are, I quess the 0% is a good deal.

I guess Florida has some great prices on furniture too, but not here in the Northeast.

XXX

Touche!!

I, however, NEVER use MY money when I can use THEIR money.

Tom

Does anyone have any websites and names of your favorite NC furniture manufacturers?
Are there any good NC websites? Thanks.

CAgal

Tom, I haven't used any NC websites to buy furniture, but I have used the little classified-like ads in the back of Southern Living magazine. Even with shipping costs to CA, I've saved big bucks buying by furniture in NC instead of locally. I've ordered by telephone without problems.

Lois

I'm planning on stopping in High Point on the way down to visit with friends in NC. I will also be staying in Greenboro. How far [time wise -- not miles] is it from Greensboro to High Point? Does anyone know what the best time of year is for 'sales' there?

Janice

Okay I have to step in here because I think there is some misinformation. Yes there are deals and no there are not. You have to do your homework and find out WHERE and WHEN to go. The best time is right at the end of market ( International Home Furnishings Market). You can buy samples for such a deal. Be prepared to pay cash and be prepared to have a shipping company lined up.
What you have to realize is that some of the "outlets" mark a very high suggested retail price and then put their price so that you think that you are saving 50% or more. The more upscale manufacturers such as Henredon, just to name one, will not let them discount anything. You pay the same price there as anywhere unless perhaps you go to the Henredon/ Maitland Smith outlet. I have a feeling that the October market is not going to be very good so I think bargains will abound. You really need about a week to really comb through everything. It is just too overwhelming if you don't. Ask locals and do not buy at the first place you see.

Janice

I forgot to mention that IHFM is usually in April and October. Hotels fill up fast so sometimes you will save a bundle by driving in.

kcd

I just purchased a dining room set which would have cost over $8,000 in New England, but paid juist over $6,000 from an outlet in NC. I found a set I liked here, measured it, sat in the seats, and decided I liked it. I ordered over the phone direct from the manufacturers outlet in Hickory. A website that I found helpful was www.hickoryfurnituremart.com

steve

I believe a past issue of BUdget Travel had an article on buying furniture in NC

jj

I live in NC and have bought furniture in High Point and Hickory. IMO, you get the best (actually, darn good!!)prices in the Hickory/Lenoir area. Very hard to beat anywhere!

xxx

You have to remember that the furniture you are buying in the High Point area is not the crap you can find in your local furniture store. This is high end high quality furniture that is very expensive to begin with. So where you may not find $4000 a bargain for a dining room set, the person that paid $12000 retail certainly would. In other words, don't come down here looking for cheap furniture.

nina

Great point xxx. I'm sure I could have found a dining set for a fraction of what I paid in NC at Pottery Barn or Macy's, but it's not the same quality. Not by a long shot. We aren't talking about cheap furniture, just deeply discounted expensive furniture.

The furniture manufactured at most of these places is the highest quality, and should become heirlooms that you can pass on to your children.

Postal

I checked out about 6 stores in High Point and 3 in Thomasville, and only one (Rose Clearance Building in High Point) had lower prices (in this case, on Stanley), but that would be eaten up by the $125 shipping charge for one piece of furniture! No, I wasn't talking about the "cheap stuff." The very same leather living room set I bought in Florida for $1600 was on "clearance" in High Point for $1750! I don't want to start an argument here, but I do want people to do their homework carefully before buying any furniture in NC!

Postal

By the way, in answer to someone's question, High Point is about 15 minutes south of Greensboro, and Thomasville is about five minutes aouth of High Point.

soundspretty

A leather living room SET for $ 1600?? Are we talking more than one sofa, or chair? A good leather chair will run about $2000 on sale, a sofa about $ $4000.

Ahem, I do believe you are talking about the cheap stuff.