I don't think I've hidden the fact that I am a retail furniture salesman. I don't mention it in every post, but I don't deny it. I think shopping around is a good idea. I've never suggested that somebody NOT shop around. I have said the lowest price isn't always the best deal. There's a big difference. In fact, I was just looking at eyeglasses. I started by asking about prices. They were very taken aback, they're not used to that in an eyeglass store. But I look at it the same as anything else. I'll check them against a couple of other stores. It may be a $350 purchase for me, so I'll see if can't save $50. As for free shipping, I'm too cynical to believe that. Shipping is expensive, more now than ever. Free shipping just means they build it into the price. Anyways, the bottom line is the number you have to write on the check, not how that number is broken down. If a local store is being stubborn on pricing, then you don't buy there. No big deal. Just remember that furniture isn't perfect. A good local dealer will do more for you if you have a minor problem, and do it more quickly. The timing is important if you need to file a chargeback with your credit card company. You can search the posts here for people left high and dry because they didn't file a complaint in time. Where I am, the retail selection is much greater and pricing is more competitive. Where I am you could easily find someone to match or maybe beat the NC price on a Stanley bedroom set. Or you could find something similar imported from China but without the brand name for 20% less, which saves you a lot more than going there. If you don't have enough selection, if the local retailers are difficult to deal with, if the pricing is really that much different, if the sales tax isn't an issue, then yes thats a good reason to buy out of state. So it sounds like buying in NC is the right thing for you to do, especially since you're going there anyways. But I still say that the savings aren't what they used to be, and that most people don't need to go there to fill a house with quality furniture on a budget.

I have to agree with Lowspark. I drive a SUV, a big one. I pull a trailer with it in the summer, and it's the only tow vehicle we now own. (So I don't get slammed as I have in the past for driving a gas hog!) That said, I wish I had the back up camera, which was not available when we bought it in 2005. I use my mirrors, I turn and look, but there are blind spots, as there are with ANY vehicle. We do have a back up camera in the motor home. What a God send! DH even added a side view camera, as the glass in the door is a frosted privacy glass. When you come to a diagonal intersection, you can NOT see from the driver's seat to check traffic coming from the right. Normally we are both in it so the other checks traffic, but there are times we need that side view camera, either when only one of us is in it, or when checking traffic at highway ramps. For some reason, people no longer think that they have to yeild when they are the ones entering the highway, they think we have to move over to let them on. Well, I have news for them. Some day they will be buying someone else a new vehicle. There are times you just can't be nice and move over for them! Especially driving a large vehicle, SUV or motorhome as examples. Those cameras are great! You might only use it once in a while, but that one time might save a life or a car,no matter how careful you are. Tami

I have not had relationships with Medallion, Dynasty, Kemper, Decora to know their price. I am a straight shooter and find it so interesting to read this message board. I am here to learn the mind of perspective buyers and what is happening to them around the country to learn of ways to improve. I find it amazing that so many people state that an itemized estimate is rare find. Also that cabinet shopping is worse than buying a car. I have only bought a few in my life I keep them till they die.. I hated my expierence buying autos! That is a disgrace to the industry I chose to be in. I personally love the kitchen remodel process becasue it is a mini design build expierence where you can be proud of your kitchen when you are done. I have stated many times that people from this site need to compare discounts from MSRP to find the average per brand and then you can see if you are being given a good price. I am begining to think that most people on this site go to retail locations based on show room appearance and equate the quality of displays with the quality of the business. The computer design software I use is Pro kitchen. It is less expensive then the more popular 20/20 that many of the stores use. The program has a data base of symbols for the cabinets organized by cabinet maker. A material list is generated from the symbols placed on the drawing that references MSRP of all the items placed on the drawing with relevant options. It is so easy to have the material list print out as a line by line estimate which is how I do it. Stores do not want to take the 2-4 hours it takes to produce a design that you can send to countless places to see who has the best deal. I can understand that to a certain extent. To me what does it matter the individual cost per item or the total as the items create the total. I had a customer in Orlando who I worked with for weeks providing quotes using different cabinet companies to get a price lower then the first go round. All my estimates were itemized line by line including all options to the custom cabinets. The husband got upset with me to the point of being almost rude that the other cabinet companies would not itemize the quotes so they could compare them to mine. I was amazed at his disdain towards me when I was the only company that gave him the info he wanted. I was told to make the kitchen fully loaded on exterior look and interior function which I did. They had 30 lineal feet of cabinetry 39" wall cabinets with crown and light rail soft close drawers and doors factory built intergal side panels on all exposed cabinets. 1 piece wainscott panels on the backs of the island and so on. Their price varied between approx $9,500 and $12,000 depending on door style chosen. The competition had a similar door style for 10,000 no crown no light rail and no upgrades. They went with the competition instead of asking me prepare a quote with out all the options. They asumed that I would not be able to match the competition because my detailed estimate gave them the ability to subtract out the options costs to see where the price would be without the extras. I would have made approx $3,000 on the $12,000 estimate. If they had asked me what was my price instead of assuming and said to me the competition is at $10,000 and been willing to show the paperwork I could have easily made another estimate with out the bells and whistles and seen my cost and decided what I was willing to negotiate to. I could have beat the competition easily. They assumed things they did not know or ask. We both lost. I could have given them a better price and we both would have been better off. Do not assume things wether you have a written total cost or a lump sum. Go to smaller stores that are more family owned get your quotes from each company and then share them with the competition and say can you beat this. You will be taken much more seriously if you have a honest written quote than a verbal story of your prices to compare. I am actually to the point where I am going to offer instead of free quotes as I do now to charging $150 for quote and measurement that is refundable if you do not purchase with me and you show me what the quote is you are going to buy and if I can not get the business for any reason and I then see a signed agreement I will refund the money. That way I will atleast see how I am losing to my competition and have a chance to learn and improve. Many dealers do not get the sales they want after working for them. Honesty is the best policy for all involved. Treat your perspective dealers and contractors as you want to be treated and you might be surprised what will happen. We have consumers playing games with us all the time. It sounds as though the dealers are doing it in kind. You have to be the adult to end the games and go with a straight face. The beauty of a free market is you are able to compare as many prices as possible. Take your written quotes and use them to your advantage and quit worrying about if I say the budget they sales person will set the price to the budget. So what if they do. Take the quote to the next guy and ask if they can beat and repeat the process until you reach the bottom price. Then size the company up and see if expierence and reputation are adequate if so you found a good deal.

We're in the market for a fridge, and the main thing is that it be reliable. We're using a super cheap 14 cu/ft place-holder until the house is done, but the darn thing runs perfect! We would prefer a bottom freezer, but a top freezer would be OK. We fell out of love with the french door models, although they seem to be taking over. I'll have to check the reviews on the Artistry to see how it stacks up. We don't care about ice makers or water dispensers either. While talking pricey vintage look fridges, check out Elmira. Beautiful, but 4 times what I would spend.