Is Ready-To-Assemble Furniture Cheap?
Build-it-yourself furniture has come a long way through the years. Once thought to be “cheap” furniture, a few manufacturers nowadays make quality, long lasting furniture that you must assemble yourself. Thirty years ago, assembling a desk or hutch was a real challenge. The instructions were difficult to read (some desk models would print an exploded view picture of the desk and expect you to build it from that!), holes weren’t drilled, or were drilled in the wrong places, and many pieces simply didn’t fit together as intended. Sometimes everything fit together great, but the manufacturer forgot to include the hardware! Technological advances in the past twenty years have improved things greatly. Seldom are pieces or hardware missing from the boxes. Holes are drilled where they should be. And most importantly, the quality of the wood has improved dramatically. Most of the credit for the improvement goes to three manufactures: Sauder, Bush, and O’Sullivan. These companies have set the b
