I am glad that they are not particle board. It is not bad for the price I would say. You do not have to worry too much about the quality. If you are keen to paint it, for your information, it does not require sanding before your primer and paint. If you want to paint it before assembly, remember to mask the sliding slot where you slide in your backing, but do not mask it too much as it will leave a gap in the end. You will understand what I am talking about when you get there. Took me some effort to paint two of them, and decorated the backboard with fabric. But assembly was fairly easy. This picture is not with all the shelves, I just posted it here to give you some inspiration as to what you can make out of it...It was my first time doing this and I did not regret the hard work!!! Might write a blog about the process....