[tomyedwab]

I find this complaint totally asinine. You can hand-craft software if you like, but cheap is what customers want and that's what they're going to get. Do you spend 10x as much for hand crafted solid wood furniture, or do you buy MDF flat pack? Most people are happy buying cheap stuff from China, and if it doesn't last as long they're happy to replace it.

[tjr]

I just took delivery a few months ago of some handmade solid cherry bookshelves. I would like to never buy cheap MDF furniture again.

[ta9000]

Great, tell that to someone making $25/hour.

[BoiledCabbage]

> I just took delivery a few months ago of some handmade solid cherry bookshelves.

Was the seller of that furniture the number one furniture retailer in the world?

The majority of furniture purchased is flat pack. Which means the majority of furniture produced and sold is flat pack MDF. Saying that you bought something not flat pack means nothing really.

Yes, you very well could have bought a piece of furniture where the maker took the care to sand the wood with his tongue. But if you're looking to design furniture to be produced and sold, you should expect to be designing flat pack MDF.

[tjr]

If you are looking to become as huge and as profitable as possible with furniture, then sure, MDF may be the one true path. But J. Random Small Furniture Builder is unlikely to become that huge regardless of how much MDF they use. Exploring ways to distinguish oneself may be worthwhile.

Serving customers who want non-MDF options can be a perfectly sustainable and profitable — even if smaller — business. There are plenty of small furniture shops doing just that.