Who will buy?

Let's face facts. We have three sofas. They're all leather covered and all are comfortable. In fact the one we've had for ten years is just coming into maturity as a piece of furniture. It is generous,warm to sit on and will last, accidents apart, for a life time. In addition, its design is quite classical and thus timeless, being of the design that came out of the 1920s/1930s - the kind of sofa I imagine being on the Queen Mary, or in smart hotels of that time. And the colour.... Its toffee coloured with simple cream piping.

As furniture goes, a good three piece should last a while and that is my belief that I may not need to buy another - ever. It may be passed down to another generation, which used to happen I think.
So I am amused by all the current advertising on television and indeed in the magazines for sofas and for sofas at remarkably inexpensive and easily managed prices.

They are clearly targetting youngish people, people who might find it a bit of an effort to stump up the cash for such items, or those who, as fickle fashion followers, may wish to re-define their lifestyle quite frequently with a new look in furniture. Whatever the route, the furniture ads are in your face when you tune in to TV.

Once upon a seasonal TV sales pitch, it was holidays. Companies strove for your two week attention at resorts around the UK and later abroad, especially the holiday camps. The very organ of information of TV stuff, the Radio Times was thickened by the extra pages carrying the benefits of a week in Clacton or Dunoon. These pages were stapled annoyingly between Christmas day's and Boxing day's schedules. Ripping them out resulted in the total disintegration of the magazine.

Later came the part works magazines which gave subscribers the opportunity to buy, over 48 months, bits and bobs needed to build the Santa Maria or a James Bond car. Each magazine came with the next part and in two years, after a layout of about £400 you had a model to be proud of. Or could be, if they all turned up.

But now the big push is sofas. So having three already, they are neither tempting or exciting. I'll simply stretch out and enjoy the ones I have already.