July 10, 1922 



Hardwood Record — ^Veneer & Panel Section 



35 



Furniture Makers Booking Good Business at 



Summer Markets 



Purchases Reveal an Approach to Normal Conditions; Bulk of 

 Buying Is in Medium Priced Lines 



That the furniture industry has, since January, made further 

 substantial progress through the wilderness of Depression toward 

 the promised land of Normalcy, is indicated on every hand at 

 the annual mid-summer market in Chicago, which opened on June 

 19 and will continue until July 15. The signs and symbols of 

 recovered prosperity are many. The sales manager of a large 

 organization manufacturing bedroom suites, declared: "We have 

 had the best business since 1920. We are sold ahead to Sep- 

 tember I , w^hich is as far ahead as w^e will book orders for." 

 Another sales manager for a bedroom furniture making institu- 

 tion, when asked about "business," held up a handfull of orders, 

 w^hich must be returned because his production is already con- 

 tracted ninety days ahead. The star salesman of the great Show^ers 

 Bros, institution declared that the best business in the history of 

 the organization is being done in this market. The president of a 

 large consolidation of furniture factories, w^ho desired to be con- 

 servative in his statenient, asserted that "w^e have done a good 

 business. It is a marked improvement over January. We are sold 

 up to ninety days." "The best business in our history," said a 

 Chicago dining table manufacturer. A Rockford manufacturer 

 of fine dining room suites declared that "business is very satis- 

 factory; much better than in January." Another manufacturer, 

 w^hen asked to compare the business of this market w^ith January 

 estimated 50 per cent increase in orders booked. Reports of 

 good business were made alike by case goods, chair, table, uphol- 

 stered, novelty, all kind of furniture lines. Out of many approached 

 by Hardw^ood Record for expressions on the business of the pres- 

 ent market, not one failed to say that business w^as vastly im- 

 proved over January and very satisfactory. Business is not yet 

 back to normal, it was said on every hand, but it is "good!" 

 Size of Orders Increased 

 The size of the orders and the attitude of the buyers toward 

 prices gives evidence of an almost complete return of their con- 

 fidence. They no longer appear to be afraid to place orders 

 for the stocks they need. The individual orders are larger than 

 was the rule in January, when buyers made a practice of purchas- 

 ing only their most minimum requirements. There is a noticeable 

 lack of rumors on this market; virtually no talk of price slashing, 

 and kindred reports that characterized the markets of 1920 to 

 January of this year. 



In general, prices have remained about as they were in January, 

 though there have been small reductions in some lines and slight 

 increases in others. However, prices have been steady since the 

 opening of the market and this has added to the confidence of 

 the buyers. The general feeling is that prices are pretty well ad- 

 justed to the new^ conditions, or at least, that they w^ill not go 

 any lower. It is believed by the majority of those on the market 

 that if any changes in prices are made w^ithin the next few^ months 

 they will be upward. To support this contention the manufacturers 

 point to the fact that lumber and glass prices are advancing. 

 It is believed that prices would be a good deal higher now than 

 they are, if it w^ere not for the severity of the competition that 

 prevails. Manufacturers of furniture have been compelled to 

 absorb recent advances in raw materials in order to get their 

 share of the business. They will tell you, too, that they are giving 

 better values for the money than they were in January. They 

 are showing lines more carefully constructed and with more mate- 

 rial in them than w^ere exhibited in January. 



In the matter of styles there have been no marked changes since 

 January. The Italian renaissance is still the leading period in 

 dining room and living room furniture. In the bedroom lines the 

 Queen Anne, Adam and the French periods are still largely shown. 

 But there is a great deal of evidence of increased individuality in 

 the interpretation of the various periods. The manufacturers have 

 tried to apply to their lines individual touches, which will give a 

 tone of newness and thus meet what they believe is the de- 

 mand of the buyers for something "different." In the bedroom 

 ana dining room lines the duo-tone effects are every^vhere in 

 evidence, and the chief efforts at decoration are made in this way. 

 The conquering sweep of walnut has continued to a remarkable 

 extent, and a great deal of highly figured and burl wood is shown. 

 The 'tragedy of mahogany" is more apparent than ever. Ma- 

 hogany has almost disappeared. Many of the lines are not show- 

 ing any mahogany at all. Everywhere there is walnut and walnut 

 finish, and though some orders for mahogany are being booked, 

 it amounts to only some fifteen per cent as compared to 85 per 

 cent walnut. Some left over lines of mahogany are being shown, 

 which their offerers say are receiving little attention from the 

 buyers. 



Oak Shows Further Recovery 



Oak is showing further recuperation in demand, largely as a 

 result, the manufacturers say, of the improvement in the employ- 

 ment situation in the industrial regions and the returning pros- 

 perity of the Western and Southern agricultural sections. Oak 

 in the staple lines is going better than it has for years. 



The buying is more generally distributed than it has been since 

 the first market of the depression period. All regions are in 

 the market for something like their normal requirements. 



The feature of the market is the demand for the medium priced 

 lines, indicating a recovery by the middle class of its buying power. 

 The cheap lines are also in good demand, because the industrial 

 workers are getting back their jobs and the farmers again have 

 money to spend. 



The fact that the buyers are buying more freely and in larger 

 quantities and evidence much more confidence in the stability of 

 prices than for two years, does not mean that they are not exercis- 

 ing considerable care in buying. They are shopping around a 

 great deal and are questioning ofiFerings closely. They must be 

 shown that they are getting a good deal for their money, or they 

 won't buy. They are showing no excess of eagerness, but com- 

 mendable caution. The manufacturers, on the other hand, are 

 inclined to meet their demands and they are not in the "take it 

 or leave it" state of mind that developed during the boom period. 

 Some manufacturers are disposed to question the probability of 

 price advances in the fall and will argue that lumber and other 

 materials will noj: make advances that will warrant increased fur- 

 niture prices, because in the fall the heavy production season of 

 both the automobile and the building industries will come to an 

 end. They consider the present tendency of the buying public to 

 resist advancing prices and do not desire to hamper the restoration 

 of normal demand by price increases. 



Harry Klein of the Louisville Veneer Mills reported the mills 

 on a better running time and said that while there is not much buy- 

 ing the outlook is encouraging and prices will advance in the fall. 

 The market has a better tone, Mr. Klein says. 



