Evening star., 1925-01-16
TREAT FURNITURE
LIKE USED CARS
Dealers Permit Exchanges in
New Methods Adopted to
Boom Sales.
BY j. C. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, January 16.--Auto-
mobile sales practice has broken Into
the furniture trade. Just as they turn
in their used cars against the pur-
chase of new models, furniture own
ers are now being permitted to ex-
change their old couches. chairs.
tables and beds for new. upon pay
ment of a price differential. The fur
niture men in scores of cities have
adopted this sales plan and are re-
finishing the old pieces and Offering
them for sale at bargain prices
This and other sales impulses are
counted on to land over $1,000 600. 900
worth of new Furniture in American
homes during 1925, according to
manufacturers and buyers now gath
cred at the Chicago and Grand
Rapids furniture expositions. These
men say that the taste for better
things displayed today by the aver
age American is resulting in brighter,
better designed and more artistic
furniture and In a sales demand
which spells wide and continued
prosperity for the industry.
More Color i'm Homes.
Displays at the two great furniture
fairs indicate that from this time on
the American home will be more
for practically every room in bright
shades, such as burnt orange, delft
blue, carmine, Nile green and combi-
nations of black and Roman gold.
Lighter and more graceful lines pre-
dominate, and the heavy. overstuffed
pieces are becoming conspicuous by
their absence. The upholstery ma
terials trend toward mohairs, velvets,
tapestries, velours and damasks, In
many instances.
Present Prices to Stay.
Prices for these new products, fur
niture men say, will show little
change from those Of 1924. at least
throughout the first half Of this year.
All indications point to an even more
prosperous period in 1925 than last
year, which was a banner one in the
industry, according to P. E. Kroehler,
manufacturer and president Of the
Furniture Club Of America. "All OF
us in the furniture business are op-
timistic," he added. This sentiment
was re-echoed by other makers and
dealers, who declared people were
turning toward the better household
furnishings and stressing quality In
stead of cheapness. The cheaper lines
have comparatively little attention at
the furniture shows.
Moving pictures and the schools"
said j. L. Schnadig, president of the
Pullman Couch Company, today, ARE
considered by us as big factors in
improving the taste of the buying
public. Movies show homes we'll and
artistically furnished, and the schools,
through their domestic science de-
partments, are teaching the future
housewives the benefits of good
household equipment. AS a result,
cheap, unsightly furniture Is gradu-
ally disappearing"
Manufacturers point out that util-
ity is not being overlooked in the
struggle for artistic appearance. This
is emphasized in the prominence of
utility furniture in the exhibits. Com
bina tion furniture of all sorts Is be-
coming popular dealers say. This
has been encouraged by the gradual
change of many families from the
large rambling houses to small homes
and apartments. Improved workman
ship is making these combination
pieces much more slightly than In
past years.
Display Rooms Too Small.
The Chicago Furniture Mart. used
for the first time at the semi-annual
exhibition last June, has already out
grown it's quarters. This huge build
ing, constructed at a cost of 10000
600, was expected to provide ample
display space for at least 10 years.
Already. however, authorization has
been given for construction of huge
addition, so that manufacturers who,
desire to show their wares in that
city may be accommodated. In spitsl
of this evidence of big business, thu |
Grand Rapids show gives no sign 4
losing it's position of prominence II |
the trade.