January is 'Please Sell my Entertainment Center' Month

I can’t sell an armoire/entertainment center. I used to. I used to watch them being moved by two, three, sometimes four strong men with good backs and small hernias who would load them into empty trucks, vans and SUVs. Seeing a 400 pound solid Cherry Walter E Smith monstrosity being carried down a sweeping staircase in a million dollar home, to me, is as nerve-wracking as watching my 16 year old drive in the snow for the first time. They used to sell; there was a good demand for them.

But then ... the flat screen TV became...affordable. Now that we all head over to Costco and give flat screens for Christmas, out goes the tube TV AND the entertainment armoire that housed them. My parents have one. My in-laws have them. We had to buy them flat screens that are less than 35” so they could fit them into the entertainment center. We told them we could mount them on the wall. Or buy them a nice small stand so they could put their VCR and VHS tapes in it...but they wouldn’t go for it. They are loyal to their entertainment centers. Perhaps they are holding up the ceiling in that part of the family room. My dad always was a stickler for sound structures...

My clients don’t understand. They think I have something personal against their entertainment center, but I don’t. It’s nothing personal...I had one. I agree that 10 years ago they were functional. It hid the cords that I hated looking at and housed my husbands growing collection of components. And it was just a sharp looking piece of furniture. Put all my VHS tapes in it...Titanic, Terminator (all 3), Toy Story, Terms of Endearment...A lot of “T” movies, aren’t there? Anyway, my clients feel that they spent $500-$8000 on an entertainment armoire, they should be able to get something for it. I completely agree, but my customers are just not buying them.

Oh, I’ve tried reasoning with them:

“You could put shelving in it and put your clothes in it...”

“You could turn it into a computer armoire/desk...”

“Put it on it’s back, take the shelves and door off and it’s a toddler bed!”

“Turn it on it’s side and put the flat screen on top?”

Younger customers: “Bar?” No. They don’t like entertainment centers and just do not appreciate their versatility.

What do we do with them? Craigslist? Armoires “R” Us? What happens to the T-Rex of all furniture pieces? I don’t know...I will give it some thought though and try to come up with a plan for them while I watch my 55” LCD conveniently mounted over my fireplace. Perhaps I will come up with a solution for all of my VHS tapes as well...