I wanted a slim Christmas tree to put in my small living room.  Was looking for something that looked real and this fits the bill.  I also wanted it to be easy to assemble.  It came in 3 pieces.  When I connected the middle to the bottom part I had to use a hammer to get them joined together tightly .  There ended up being a small visible gap but was ok as the branches blocked the view.  The top part was hard to see at first because it was somewhat still connected because of the light string and hanging on the side.  The top connector which went into the middle part is just some thick braided wire.  It tends to wobble a little bit so if it doesnt stay straight you might have to use something to keep it tight.  It took a while to fluff up the branches which are sturdy enought to hold all you ornaments.  All in all this is a very pretty tree and it is just the right size for my house.  I am happy with the purchase.