Sit on It … Forever

Peg Scholtes, owner of Capitol Kids, Madison, Wis., discussed one of the latest trends: "Companies that talk about where the wood came from and is it from a sustainable source. Since these are large purchases, customers ponder on this purchase for weeks and months sometimes, and this information is important to some of them."

Small World Toys’ CEO and president Debra Fine explained, “We manufacture some things in Thailand because of the quality and type of wood we find there.”

Scholtes also pointed out one of the most unique kids’ pieces: "Stokke’s KinderZeat is absolutely a wonderful chair. It lasts a long time, so it has value. It’s nicely made with great colors that are bright."

Kelly Monkevich, a sales associate for Lullaby Baby, Columbia, Md., said that parents look for brand names, such as Dutailier and Morgieau-Lepine. “People like them because they are solid wood and have a variety of finishes and a variety of styles, ranging from clean-line modern to traditional.”

Dan Marshall, co-owner of Peapods Natural Toys & Baby Care, St. Paul, Minn., said, "We’ve spotted a lot of children’s furniture that are painted and have a lot of different colors, but we really like the 'natural look.' Little Colorado Inc. has some great products that we’ve spotted that we think will be great sellers."

Susan Stanowiski, a sales associate at Kids Quarters, in Nottingham, Md., noted that. "Baby’s Dream, which is all solid wood, sells well because they have reasonable prices. Also, they are convertible and meet safety standards. They also have a limited lifetime warranty — 15 years — which is very good."

Miles Altman, owner of King Arthur's Court Toys, Cincinnati, Ohio, told TDmonthly that "KidKraft is our best selling furniture line. We only sell tables and chairs in two to three different sizes and price ranges. That’s what people seem to want."

Barbara Baron of KidKraft explained a little more of their philosophy: “We’re also staying in step with contemporary styles and color trends to keep products current and exciting. These renovations let children emulate real life situations and be just like Mom and Dad.” And wood is what Mom and Dad have.

Which leads us to the all-time best-selling piece of children's furniture: "People still want the wooden rocking chair for their child," pointed out Sue Wrzesinski, owner of Toy House and Baby Too, Mich. "That wooden rocking chair, something that lasts, is still what people are looking for."

The following is more information on quality children’s furniture.