They do not trust the quality of mass-produced furniture. At the same time, they believe that anything other than corporate, mass-produced furniture is available only to the wealthy. The consumers we interviewed wanted to know, in specific terms, who made their furniture. When a name and location was attached to the source, respondents seemed reassured about the quality of workmanship and pleased to know about the existence of a local furniture industry. If a piece is signed, it's a good idea to draw attention to the signature.
Most consumers are aware of very few wood species used in making furniture.
Oak, cherry, pine, rosewood and mahogany represent the range of wood species familiar to most of the buying public, and few laymen can identify all five woods with any certainty. Specifying the wood helps flesh out the story and gives the product greater credibility. It assures consumers they are not looking at chipboard. People almost never think about where their wood comes from when they shop, and they have little or no awareness of a furniture industry in New England. They believe that most furniture is made far away by huge corporations or sold in high-priced boutique shops.