Sunday, April 12, 2009

TIPS to being a successful Catalog shopper.

Below are some helpful tips on what to look for as you catalog shop for your next furniture piece. After years of selling online and most of my customers relying solely on a picture on some of their most important purchases, I know what will help the average consumer make their shopping experience less shocking. Even I go by some of these same guidelines when shopping for anything via catalog.

Furniture pictures used in catalogs are meant to project style and quality. Sometimes the color seen may be slightly lighter or darker in reality.

1. The first and most important tricky factor in catalog shopping is the color of the item.
If you are looking for an exact shade when buying your furniture, catalog shopping may not be for you. Below are a couple of reasons why.
a. The color pictured on your monitor may not be the actual color of the item you will receive. There are many factors that feed into this. Your monitor color settings may not be the same as your next door neighbor’s. For instance, if I go to my mom’s house, the color of the items listed on my website are much darker on her screen than on mine at home. So, if I go by my screen, I will be getting a light cherry and if I go by my mom’s screen, I will be getting a darker cherry.
b. The pictures are taken by professionals with professional lighting and professional cameras that distorts the actual color of the item. If I took the same exact picture of an item seen online with my 5.0 mega pixel camera, my picture quality will be much different and will make the color appear lighter or darker than what the professionals take.

When you are furniture shopping through an online or in-store catalog, it is a good idea to keep these color factors in mind.

2. WOODEN or METAL Rails?
How do you know if you are getting wooden rails or metal rails on your bed in case it is not listed in the item description? When an item has wooden rails, the distributors proudly show them off and you will see wooden rails in the picture. When an item has metal rails, there will be a bed skirt (material around the bottom of the bed) hiding where the rails are. You can always call the furniture dealer just to check but this is a quick way to scan for the rails you desire.

3. Size of the items in pictures. Occasionally, I have customers come to the warehouse and remark “that looked much bigger or that looked much smaller in the picture.” Most online furniture dealers list the measurements of the items they are offering. The measurements are listed under the picture on my website. Use those for reference so you are sure you are getting what you expect. Pictures can be deceiving on how big or small something is, so if you are looking for a particular size, check the measurements to be sure it will fit your needs.

4. Dining Sets: I often have customers try and order 6 chairs with an item not realizing the table they want to buy will not seat 6 people. Below are the minimum measurements and a good rule of thumb to know if the table you are purchasing will seat 6.

Round or Square tables: You want the table to be at least 54” round or 54” X 54” squared.

Rectangle or Oval tables: You want the second measurement to be at least 60”. The 48” tables will not be accommodate 6 people.

I hope this tidbit of information helps as you catalog shop for your next furniture piece. I know it is hard for some of us to catalog shop but being informed catalog shoppers can help insure we are happy with our purchases. If all else fails, call and ask any questions that may be on your mind especially if they are not covered in the descriptions of the items you are looking at. Happy Catalog Shopping.

By: Melissa Ward
Furniture Queen