#22. Negotiate for something expensive

See my old table and chairs:

I found them a little too country for my liking and especially the décor of my house. The table was far too small when we have more than four people eating at the same time. T had a table worse than this in the townhouse when I first met him. A guy at work offered me this table for free and while T was away on business I switched out the tables…., now it’s time for this table to move on to a co-worker who needs to furnish an apartment.

My dream has always been to have a large solid wooden table but in my quest to find what most deem a ‘harvest’ table I have always found the prices to be way above anything I could justify spending.

Then while shopping in the tiny town of Southampton last summer at the Southampton Market I found that they carried a large line of wooden furniture. I could get a table made of any wood, stained any color, in a choice of three lengths. How wonderful – only the chairs they had displayed with the table were again too country looking for my taste. I had decided to keep the table in mind and look for chairs elsewhere when on another floor with unfinished products I discovered black parson chairs that I think compliment the table, yet make the table more modern looking than country.

Now, I do believe that these items were priced at a bargain compared to any furniture store I’ve visited in the 7+ months since I first saw them. When it came to purchasing the furniture and having it stained the shade I wanted the price seemed to keep rising. The price difference between pine and oak was upping the cost. Plus my time to drive 2+ hours there and back, and the cost of gas, I was seriously reconsidering the purchase.

That’s when the owner who sensed my hesitance started negotiating. Seriously, I don’t think I would have pushed, probably just bought fewer chairs or something. Because I wanted to change from my original quote of pine to oak for durability reasons, and the color I wanted was going to be double the staining fee due to the darkness, we negotiated so that the price would not include additional staining fees.

So folks for the VERY reasonable price of $1302 (taxes in), a tank of gas, and a bottle of whisky, here is my new dining room furniture!

Note my solid, can't see through curtain.... and my wine stash. A wine bar is next for this room!