Len Lewin

I’ve been writing this book for 42 years! Of course I didn’t realize I was writing a book. I was living the book. Fresh out of college in 1962 and looking for a challenge I ran into one of the furniture industries most dynamic personalities: Elliott Wood, who said in effect, come with me young man, we are on our way, and we need young people to run the race.

And it was a race. Competing each day with the other players in the game for the consumers approval of your product. Your total effort geared to making your product look better, sound better, be better than the competition. I often used the expression in my training sessions that a good salesperson is like an evangelist. First you have to believe in what you are selling and then you have to sell it with passion and conviction that your product is the best for your customers.

As the years passed and my experiences grew I realized that all of the professionals in the business were saying the same things to their customers. It is this foundation of belief, that each manufacturers product is the best, that presents you the consumer with such a confusing, frustrating, and often exasperating experience when you begin to shop for furniture. 8000 manufacturers or more, can’t all be the best!

After 42 years in the business I can walk into a store look at an item of furniture, check the price; and immediately know if it is a good buy. I don’t need anyone to tell me if the item is worth the money. I know. But you don’t know and you couldn’t know if you haven’t worked in the business. There isn’t another book like mine on furniture shopping in the bookstores today. I decided one was needed.

Of the 8000 or more furniture manufacturers in the U.S. today a handful are the best. Many are outstanding. A large group are good. A fair number could be considered poor and a small percentage are terrible. Do you know who belongs in what group? I do and I’ve told you how I rate the majority of the ones that you most often will run into in the retail stores; but more than giving you my opinions I’ve given you the tools you need to smartly shop for furniture. There is nothing magic about quality and value once you know what to look for. And when you know what to look for you can make better decisions about how to spend your money.

You will stop over-buying, stop wasting money on cheap product, stop being at the mercy of every floor salesperson, and finally be in control when it comes to your furniture shopping. I’m proud of this book. It’s about time this information was available to you. Thank you.

- Leonard Bruce Lewin, Folsom, CA

p.s. Read my first blog post to learn a bit more about where I’m coming from.