After reading quite a few reviews on this piece I decided to purchase it. I was nervous that the pieces would arrive scratched up, but accepted the fact that that was a risk I was taking for the price I was paying. I wasn't wrong to be nervous. every board has scratches all over them. Fortunately most of the scratches were on the inside of the pieces and are hidden inside the cabinet. Putting it together was a little bit of a struggle to do by myself and it probably took me two hours. If you had someone helping you it would go together much more quickly. One of the pieces did not have the "pre-drilled hole" which was another challenge as I do not have a drill, but with a little effort and the end of a screw driver I got it done. All said and done, it's a fine piece that fits in my small apartment well. Definitely a "get what you pay for" piece.