I found this thread because I just got off the phone with my wife who informed me that replacement slings for our set of six Telescope chairs will be $780.00! That is a very tough pill to swallow, and like many here we weighed this heavily against just getting a cheaper set from HD, Costco, or any number of stores. Our set is about 10 years old to date (purchased summer of 2010) and the aluminum frames, table, and umbrella have held up extremely well (we do store them inside for winter though). Ultimately, I decided to stick with these and pay the exorbitant price for a few reasons: - The rest of the set is extremely high quality. I feel good each year when I pull it out of storage - heavy duty powder coated aluminum construction that has lasted well and still looks 9/10 after a spring wipe-down. - It does bother me how much importation has changed - pushing us toward a throw-away-away-and-buy-another culture. I do feel like we enjoy additional quality on these American made items (not always the case). - Less and less stuff is American made any more. As an engineer and a maker, I miss the days when we made most of the best stuff here. This set still exemplifies that quality. It's a little thing, but something I rarely get to enjoy these days. - After 10 years, with very little degradation (other than the fabric slings), I know what to expect from this set, and feel confident that they will last another 10 years easily with new fabric. The convenience of going 10-12 years between having to think about this, or take a gamble on something potentially less durable is worth something to me. Surely, I'll be feeling the sting of this bill in about a month (so good thing I'm writing this now!), but I thought I'd share what tipped us to reinvesting in this very expensive set. Pic when new April 2010:

I was in Target yesterday and they were having a big clearance of home furnishings and décor. I had not even noticed when those items appeared in the store, so I think they move them out quickly. I took a quick look at some of the furniture but was wondering about quality and durability. FWIW, a lot of art fair artists are selling stretched canvas prints now, both photographers and painters. (You know how most painters have both originals and offset reproductions of those in their booths). The printing on canvas technology has come down in cost recently enabling individual artists, not just large manufacturers, to be able to print their works on canvas. Its called a "gallery wrap" when there is no separate frame and the canvas is stretched all the way to the back so staples are not visible. I have a friend who is a photographer who has gone completely to this way of printing as it is so popular; no more glass or matting, or worrying if the frame will match decor to deal with. Its also less expensive (after initial equipment outlay) allowing them to pass on the cost savings and make more sales. She also sells her work online at a 2D art dealer and they said the gallery wraps are the fastest selling category they have going, regardless of subject. You could visit an art fair and get something so wont see everywhere, and know it wont be in Target tomorrow.

The insurance thing is true in business. It is sometimes called "key man insurance". Also many companies sell these policies in a transaction called life settlements. Did you know many people sell their life insurance policies in transactions called life settlements? Many people don't need thier polices any longer, or can't afford the premiums, or have no heirs left to benefit from the policies. So instead of not paying the premium and letting the policy lapse, they can sell the policy for more than the surrender value but less than the face amount. The new investor becomes the beneficiary and pays the premiums to keep the policy in force. When the person dies, the investor collects the face value amount. It is a win-win for everyone except the insurance companies because the figure over 85% of life insurance policies will lapse, therefore they never have to pay off on the policies. The old person gets more than he would if just cashing the policy in or letting it lapse in the case of term insurance. The investor gets a great return as long as the deal is structured right. There are many variables in these transactions such as persons age, health, premium amounts, life expectancy, cost of the policy, ect. As an example of a 1,000,000.00 policy with a 75,000.00 surrender value, the old person may walk away with 200,000.00 and the investor will cash in on the million when they pass. Premiums can be all over the board depending on factors, but say they are 30,000.00 a year and the person lives for 7 more years. Now the investor has 510,000.00 of his money tied up to take in a million when the person passes. Very interesting business transaction.

Please check w/ a realtor (or three!) before doing any upgrades or changes! They should know more about the market in your area and what the potential buyers will be wanting. Realtors will be aware of buyers who are interested in your townhouse complex and are just waiting for one to come on the market. I'm not a realtor, but have been helping some friends house hunt. I can't tell you how often a seller will "fix" something that ends up turning buyers away. A realtor may say that there are lots of younger (like you) singles or couples looking in your area and your modern take will be a good fit. Or they may say that the oldsters are more interested in more traditional finishes like those they have been used to.