Woodworker's Journal 2009-33-2, страница 8
the woodworker's journal Value Equations s In our State of the Woodworking Industry survey, we asked woodworkers whether they used their craft to save money as the economy becomes more difficult. Their answer was overwhelmingly in the affirmative. I've been known to do the same thing when my wallet was thin. In my family's youthful and leaner days, there was a bit of a running joke in the extended family at Christmastime: "So, what did Rob build for you this year?" And, while it was a bit predictable, those end tables and wooden toys were a whole lot more affordable (and a whole lot more valuable) than any gift I could have purchased. In fact, my propensity to build rather than buy had my preschool children convinced that I had built every piece of furniture in the United States. (Your furniture, the president's furniture, it made no difference. "My daddy built that!" they would utter with the sincere confidence of youth.) That's why I'm troubled by the sentiments of some of my woodworking buddies these days who complain that, "It's getting so I can't make a piece of furniture for less than I can buy it ..." Technically, that may be true if you are talking about a bookcase that was mass-produced from particleboard and shipped flat (and then takes you half a clay to put together). But if you price quality furniture — the kind you are more likely to build — that is not the case at all. Take the drop-leaf table featured on page 32. I priced nicely made, but clearly inferior, tables of a similar design on a few websites. At about $2,000 before shipping, they certainly cost more than the materials for the piece that Frank Grant built for this issue. And none of them were made of beautiful flame maple or nearly as feature-rich or well designed as our plan (based on a project originally featured in tha Journal way back in the summer of 1990). So, in my experience, building your own furniture does save money and increase value. It comes at the expense of time and effort, but consider: are those a net loss or gain? For me, that time in the shop is as good as a vacation — and a whole lot more productive. My children were convinced I had built every piece of furniture in the United States. "My daddy built that!" they would utter with the sincere confidence of youth. t^Thrifty WOODWORKING CLUB While it's not a panacea for these challenging financial times, Woodworker's Journal has created an exclusive online special offers page where members of the club will have opportunities to purchase woodworking-related supplies at reduced prices.There will also be money-saving tips and even a contest or two, all with the goal of saving you money on your hobby. Joining the club is free, and you can quit at any time, but the 26,000 people who have already signed up show no interest in leaving. Check it out at woodworkersjournal.com/thrifiywoodworking and find yourself a great deal. And in the "every little bit helps" department we've decided to pick up the postage on our reader service cards. If you want to find out the latest and greatest from any of our advertisers, simply fill out the Reader Service Card on page 71 and drop it in the mail. We'll take care of the postage, and our advertisers will send you their latest info. MARCH/APRIL 2009 Volume 33, Number 2 ROB JOHNSTONE Editor in Chief JOANNA WERCH TAKES Senior Editor CHRIS MARSHALL Field Editor JEFFJACOBSON Senior Art Director JOE FAHEY Associate Art Director MATTHEW BECKER Content Coordinator LARRY N. STOIAKEN Publisher DANASEVERSON Advertising Director ALYSSATAUER Advertising Operations MARY TZIMOKAS Circulation Director KELLY ROSAAEN Circulation Manager MEG CLARK Direct Mail Manager Founder and CEO ANN ROCKLER JACKSON Editorial Advisors NORTON ROCKLER JOHN KELLIHER Contributing Editors MICHAEL DRESDNER RICK WHITE GEORGE VONDRISKA ADVERTISING SALES J.F. Van Gilder Company 12740 Hillcrest Plaza Dr., Suite 295 Dallas, Texas 75230 DAVID BECKLER damd@jvgco.com JACKIE SMITH jackie@jvgco.imn JIM VAN GILDER jim@jvgco.com Phone: (972) 392-1892 Fax: (972) 392-1893 Member Audit Rurr.iu of Circulations Magazine Publishers of America EDITORIAL INQUIRIES ROB JOHNSTONE rjohnstone@woodworkersjournal.com 763-478-8255 JOANNA WERCH TAKES jtakes@woodworkersjoumal.com 763-478-8303 CHRIS MARSHALL cmarshallSwoodworkersjoumal.com 614-746-2985 SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES (800) 765-4119 o, Write Woodworker's Journal, P.O. Box 56583, Boulder, CO 80322-6583. email: uiooduiorkersjournaWmeodata.com. Include mailing label for renewals and address changes. For gift subscriptions, include your name and address and your gift recipient's. BOOK SALES AND BACK ISSUES Call: (800)610-0883 www.woodworkersjournal.com VISIT OUR HOME PAGE: ©2009 Rockier Press Inc. Printed in USA 8 |
