What are "case goods," you ask? "Case goods" refers to furniture that is not upholstered, but has a basic box or case construction. Storage or display pieces are the most common examples of case goods. Examples are dressers, chests or china cabinets. When buying case goods, it's important to know what to look for and how tell quality from...well, "dressed-up" kindling! Make sure you know these things before you go shopping.
1. Hardwoods and softwoods. Make sure you know the difference between hardwoods and softwoods. Hardwood comes from a broadleafed, or nonneedled tree, like maple, cherry or mahogany. These woods have strength and stability; but those qualities can make hardwoods difficult to work with for intricate carving and detail work. Softwoods come from needle-bearing trees such as pine or cedar. They are easily carved or worked. Since their surfaces are often soft, they are more susceptible to marks and dings, which may result in a worn quality sooner than you prefer.
2. Solid wood. Make sure you know what "solid wood" means. "Solid wood" means that all exposed pieces of the piece are solid, but those areas hidden from view may be another material.
3. Plywood. Make sure you know why using plywood instead of solid wood may be your best bet! Solid wood expands and contracts as the humidity changes and it doesn't offer the needed stability when constructing large flat panels (like table tops or cabinet sides). Plywood or particle board (made of ground up wood) is significantly more stable and less apt to warp or split. These panels will often be framed in solid wood and covered by veneers to recreate the look of one large piece of wood.
4. Veneers. Make sure you know what "veneering" is. Veneer is the use of thin layers of decorative woods on top of plywood, particle board or medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Veneering makes it possible to match grain patterns or use inlays to create designs that mother nature can't produce in solid wood. But beware of cheaper furniture which reproduces wood grain photographically. If it is photographic, the grain will be perfect, with none of the flaws of nature, and the grain will have no natural variations.
5. Dovetailing. Make sure drawers are dovetailed and jointed securely, have smooth and easy glides and stops, have dust panels and are smooth and snag free inside.
6. Open and Shut Case. Make sure doors swing open easily without squeaking or rubbing and that long doors are attached with study hinges.
After you decide the furniture is well made, then ask yourself if you will still like this piece ten years from now? If not, it will probably not be worth the investment - whatever the quality today.
