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Is Ethan Allan good furniture?

post #1 of 38
4/11/10 at 12:26pm
Thread Starter 
Is there any consensus on Ethan Allan furniture? I have recently inherited a kitchen table and chair set that was purchased at Ethan Allan over 50 years ago. The top has since been re-stained but it's in great shape and functions well. Comes with two leaves to expand it from 4 - 8 person table. It was my father's dinner table as a child, then mine as a child then years after I moved out my parents gave it to me. I don't know a whole lot about furniture construction so I can't really comment on it, but the fact it's over 50 years old and it' still together tells me something, especially given the disposable nature of today's mass produced furniture.
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post #2 of 38
4/11/10 at 12:43pm
Depends on your perspective. Ethan Allan (especially 50 year old furniture) will be made the proper way - with real hardwood, real nails, and appropriate construction techniques. Quality will be very consistent and quite high. Despite this, it's still mass-produced furniture, so it's not going to be the sort of thing that is worth a ton of money. It's never going to be a high-end 'antique' - but should be a servicable piece of furniture for a very long time.
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post #3 of 38
4/11/10 at 1:10pm
Thread Starter 
Yes, I'm very cognizant of the fact this is still mass produced furniture so it can only be so good. I'm not really concerned about the value since it was free and holds more sentimental value than anything. What I am interested in is the quality, construction and design.

Here are a few pictures...



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post #4 of 38
4/11/10 at 2:41pm
We've an old EA table that we inherited.... probably c. 1965 construction. It's been pretty indestructible.
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post #5 of 38
4/11/10 at 2:46pm
The older stuff was probably made of real wood so it is just fine. I wouldn't look my nose down at you for having that table in your kitchen.
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post #6 of 38
4/11/10 at 3:46pm
Good quality but very expensive in my experience.
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post #7 of 38
4/11/10 at 5:08pm
Thread Starter 
On and another note does anyone know any good antique or historical furniture sites where I could possibly get some information to the ancestry of the dresser in the background? This is something we got from her father. Looking for something like an antiques roadshow of the interne... Ha ha...
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post #8 of 38
4/12/10 at 1:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by tj100 View Post
Depends on your perspective. Ethan Allan (especially 50 year old furniture) will be made the proper way - with real hardwood, real nails, and appropriate construction techniques. Quality will be very consistent and quite high.

Despite this, it's still mass-produced furniture, so it's not going to be the sort of thing that is worth a ton of money. It's never going to be a high-end 'antique' - but should be a servicable piece of furniture for a very long time.

Be sure and check that it does indeed have real nails.

but yeah, what he said, it's alright for what it is.
If you need a ____ and don't have a ton of money than EA is ok, but it's not something you seek out at flea markets or auctions.
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post #9 of 38
4/13/10 at 12:22am
Is new Ethan Allen a good value, or a ripoff? It seems like "old person" furniture.
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post #10 of 38
4/13/10 at 12:24am
ethan allan is way nice. i dont have anything from them but my folks love that brand. haters are going to hate though
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post #11 of 38
4/13/10 at 2:15am
Guys enough, this is a clothing forum that considers 99% of the public's wardrobes to be unsuitable for the light of day, if ever there was a place for haters, this is it. EA isn't bad, but it is what it is. Clothing equivalent: think of it as a Jos A Bank, or Brooks Brothers 1818. Nothing spectacular, but more than serviceable, can look good if done right.
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post #12 of 38
4/13/10 at 2:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruben View Post
Guys enough, this is a clothing forum that considers 99% of the public's wardrobes to be unsuitable for the light of day, if ever there was a place for haters, this is it.

EA isn't bad, but it is what it is.
Clothing equivalent: think of it as a Jos A Bank, or Brooks Brothers 1818. Nothing spectacular, but more than serviceable, can look good if done right.

They are. Your numbers are a little generous though.
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post #13 of 38
4/13/10 at 2:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruben View Post
Guys enough, this is a clothing forum that considers 99% of the public's wardrobes to be unsuitable for the light of day, if ever there was a place for haters, this is it.

EA isn't bad, but it is what it is.
Clothing equivalent: think of it as a Jos A Bank, or Brooks Brothers 1818. Nothing spectacular, but more than serviceable, can look good if done right.

ha ha. it is just my saying these days.. that is all. haterz gonna hate booya!
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post #14 of 38
4/13/10 at 2:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruben View Post
Guys enough, this is a clothing forum that considers 99% of the public's wardrobes to be unsuitable for the light of day, if ever there was a place for haters, this is it.

EA isn't bad, but it is what it is.
Clothing equivalent: think of it as a Jos A Bank, or Brooks Brothers 1818. Nothing spectacular, but more than serviceable, can look good if done right.

Brooks is a good comparison, or maybe even Hickey Freeman. Functional, sturdy, better made than most of the stuff out there, but content to offer a conservative, mainstream styling that some folks will find vanilla and uninspired.

If you like the look of it, it should serve you well, but it's not an investment piece.
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post #15 of 38
4/13/10 at 1:47pm
Back in its day (which was well before I was born), Ethan Allen was relatively good stuff. It was never high-end, per se, but much like Brooks Brothers, it used to be really well made and had a lot of value for the price. These days, I'd probably put it in league with the stuff you'd find at Crate & Barrel, or Pottery Barn, or whichever of those interchangeable furniture stores hasn't yet gone bankrupt. Probably made in China of fabricated materials, with wood veneers in place to create the illusion of solid construction. If you're lucky, you'll find a piece made entirely of real wood. But such a piece will command a sky-high premium, and the wood used will not be spectacular. Or, in other words, I'm a hater who's gonna hate.
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