Patio High And Low
I recently received a catalog from one of the box stores about a wide assortment of products they are offering for your outdoor environment. At first glance I thought this store had come a long way in offering some nice looking product and variety. I did notice however that these nicer looks came with a price. I thought it best to go see as much as I could with my own eyes. Upon further inspection it really just seemed like the same old same old. Lots of steel frames, questionable welds, lower quality fabrics, and no one knowledgeable about the product. Frankly, the prices are too high for what really should be considered disposable furniture. We are still waiting on some of our new furniture to arrive this season, but I think we have probably done our best job ever of hitting all the price points you might see in the big box places without having to compromise quality and style. As always there are also plenty of special order options as well. Perhaps more importantly, you can always count on a knowledgeable sales staff to help while you are shopping and also after the sale. I hope if you are looking for casual and patio furniture you make the trip out because we have something for every budget and taste. I look forward to seeing you!
New From Telescope Casual
Padded Slings!!! This isn’t the first manufacturer we have carried with this feature, but it is great to have an industry leader offer up yet another option to our customers. Basically a padded sling combines the comfort of a cushion chair with the ease of ownership commonly associated with a sling chair. To make this even better, Telescope Casual is now offering every fabric option from Sunbrella for their complete line of cushion groups and padded sling sets. You won’t find two companies more highly regarded in the casual furniture industry than these two, and that means you can expect the best possible quality in your purchase. We picked a fairly bold pattern for our stock set of padded sling, but we have literally thousands of combinations you can order if our in stock option isn’t the right fit for you. Either way, I encourage you to come in and give it a test drive if you are looking for new casual furniture. I’m sure you won’t regret it.
The Umbrella Forest Returns!!!!
Every year we have a huge display of umbrellas and this year is no exception. We brought in some new stripes and solid colors. Also in the new product mix is the Shanghai umbrella, which is truly unlike any umbrella you have seen. Every year we go round and round about what colors are the right ones to take a chance on, and this year I think you will see that we have plenty of universal neutral tones as well as several bolder options. I think it is safe to say that we will have something to fit your needs…and even if we don’t we are always happy to order just the right combination for you. If you are looking for a new umbrella please stop and let us tell you all about the features and benefits of the quality Treasure Garden products we offer.
Christmas From July
We have all heard the saying Christmas In July, but for me, the month of March brings Christmas From July. What? Well you see, the buying season for casual furniture begins for me in July when the patio furniture manufacturers show their lines for the upcoming season at the Furniture Pre-Market Show in Chicago. Between July and late September, all of my orders for the 2012 season were written. The time period between then and March is when all of these orders arrive, but March is when all of these new items start to make it to the showroom floor. So for me, as each set makes its way to the floor, I eagerly wait for each set to make its grand appearance. I wonder to myself, did I pick the right color, the right fabric, the right accessory pieces? Will I like it now as much as I did 7 or 8 months ago? Heck, sometimes I even forget exactly what I purchased, so it really is like opening a Christmas gift.
I invite you to stop into Eastgate Pools & Spas and share in my holiday joy while checking out all of the latest casual furniture for the 2012 season. I truly believe this year’s lineup is the best ever, and I hope that you will agree.
I recently went on a business trip with two other Eastgate Pools
employees, David and Debbie, to Berlin Gardens in Berlin, Ohio. We carry
their line of furniture here at the store, and they were holding a dealer
expo, so we went up there. A little information on the company is that
their furniture is made out of recycled milk jugs, and is ran by the
Amish. It was a very scenic 3 1/2 hour drive to get there. As soon as we
turned off of the highway, the road started getting very hilly and curvy.
I am not one prone to carsickness, but this time it hit me hard. My head
was killing me, and I was getting dizzy. Until we entered into the Amish
realm! Then I had something to focus on. We were all checking out their
houses and yards seeing how many horse and buggies we could find. David
had me googling on my iPhone to see the etiquette of dealing with the
Amish culture, such as can you pass a buggy? Then we go around this curve
and all of a sudden it is like we are on a roller coaster, perched at the
top of the hill waiting for the drop! After another couple of miles, we
made it to the town of Berlin. It is very quaint and very scenic. There
are a lot of little shops and a really nice hotel! We had an itinerary to
follow, so we had to report to the plant immediately-no sight seeing for
us! 
We were warmly greeted and made to feel at home. We gathered in
groups, and took a tour of the manufacturing facility. It was pretty
interesting to get to see these people you think of as having no
technology, to be running pneumatic screwdrivers and CNC machines!! Also,
most of the factory workers are female. After the tour we reported to the
showroom, which had been converted for the expo. Usually this building is
also a manufacturing facility to make pergolas, pavilions and gazebos.
The owners wife had been a busy little bee getting the show room ready for
our visit. It was so warm and inviting. The decor was done very well. She
did a great job of “table scaping”. We then were fed the most amazing food
ever, provided by Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen. The dessert table was
astonishing! After dinner, we listened to the owner talk about their
product and also heard from a motivational speaker. Then off to our hotel
rooms, which were very nice! The next day consisted of pretty much the
same type of things. Learning about products, hearing from guest speakers-
including a gentleman from Tangent that is the company who actually
fabricates the “lumber” that Berlin Gardens uses, and we were fed
delicious food again! Then we were sent home and forced to come back to
reality. I really enjoyed myself on this trip, and learned a great deal
about the company, what they offer, what they stand for and how their
product is made. I’m really excited to be entering the sales season, so I
can start promoting their line of furniture.
Fall Switcheroo . . .
Every year in October you can expect to see some major changes in products shown in each of our showrooms. Just a couple of weeks ago I took off my salesman hat and helped to move the bulk of our casual furniture to our second showroom and we loaded up the primary showroom with all the fun game tables for those cold months indoors. There are still countless options for casual furniture, several fire pits, and plenty of patio room options to be had. We are loaded to the brim with options for every category so please stop in and we will help you find just what you’re looking for.
Craig
Christmas In September????
Well, it is official. It is Christmas in September time. What am I talking about? Well, the other night, the 18th of September, I needed a part for my lawn mower. Being Sunday evening, I visited my nearest big box store to see if they had it. Obviously, NO ONE cuts grass in September as the remaining stock of parts was all thrown into unrecognizable piles on the bottom of a few shelves. Further examination showed why. The former home for merchandise such as mower parts was now occupied by Christmas light sets. Ho, Ho, Ho! Need some casual furniture to enjoy these late summer days and the upcoming beautiful fall days? Good luck here as well. I predict Christmas trees and inflatable snowmen will be in this presently empty space by later this week.
Thank heavens there is no grass at the North Pole for Santa to cut and luckily he is too busy making toys to worry about enjoying beautiful weather sitting out on his deck, patio or porch. But, should he need some outdoor casual furniture, he can always shop Eastgate Pools & Spas as we have a huge selection even when others are making it look a lot like Christmas. In summary, if you need Christmas light sets in September, you are in luck at the Big Box stores, but if you want to enjoy the remaining warm weather, head over to Eastgate Pools and actually have lots of choices.
Furniture Blowouts!!
It is reaching that time of year where all of the box stores are moving on to Halloween accessories and away from outdoor furniture. That is not the case here! We still have two showrooms and three tents full of quality casual furniture products for you to choose from. As summer comes to a close and the fall approaches people sometimes forget that is probably the most comfortable time of years to step outside and enjoy the weather. As we start to put together orders for next year’s patio groupings we have to weed out discontinued frame and fabric patterns and styles. That means big savings for you. I encourage anyone in the market to stop out and take a look at some of these great values. We currently have closesouts available in sling, cast aluminum, wrought iron, and all weather wicker so I’m sure you can find something to meet your outdoor needs. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Craig
More Room For Casual Furniture
We have added more concrete so we can show our customers more great furniture deals. Check out our new addition.
– Tim
Furniture Blowout!!!
It is reaching that time of year where all of the box stores are moving on to Halloween accessories and away from outdoor furniture. That is not the case here! We still have two showrooms and three tents full of quality casual furniture products for you to choose from. As summer comes to a close and the fall approaches people sometimes forget that is probably the most comfortable time of years to step outside and enjoy the weather. As we start to put together orders for next year’s patio groupings we have to weed out discontinued frame and fabric patterns and styles. That means big savings for you. I encourage anyone in the market to stop out and take a look at some of these great values. We currently have closesouts available in sling, cast aluminum, wrought iron, and all weather wicker so I’m sure you can find something to meet your outdoor needs. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Craig
Add Some Tropical To Your Pool Area
Want to brighten up your pool area? Love to be comfortable? Trying to be more Green? I have the perfect chair for you. Our Tropical Collection Adirondack Chairs from Berlin Gardens will do all of the above for you. Available in 5 bright and fun colors, incredibly comfortable, and made from recycled milk jugs, these chairs are great for the pool area, the deck, patio, porch or wherever a comfortable, long lasting, easy to maintain chair is desired.
Amazing Feronclean!
Several weeks back, I wrote about one of our contract furniture customers that first bought from us in 2002. The customer had a couple of chairs that he thought were finished serving swim club members and destined for the landfill. Those chairs, complete with their new slings and glides, are now providing comfortable seating again.
When these chairs were brought in for me to look at, a 3rd chair that needed a new bolt and an insert was brought in as well. Telescope’s excellent parts department was able to tell me how to make the repair, and the chair is repaired and ready to go. However, while it was here, I couldn’t resist a little experiment. The chair’s white sling was looking a little gray, as this particular chair was from the Swim Club’s 2005 purchase. Over the years, I have always used a product called Feronclean on my outdoor furniture at home. My furniture has a few thin white stripes in the pattern, but it also has green, navy, and burgundy stripes. The Feronclean always made the white look like white again, so I was happy. My quest with this all white chair was to see how Feronclean would fare on a much tougher job. I wet down the entire chair, covered one-half of the sling, and then sprayed the cleaner on the exposed half and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Some light scrubbing and a rinse revealed a night and day difference. The pictures I took during this process tell the story better than I can.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means that my recommendations of this product over the years were so very much justified. It means that Telescope makes great furniture, that the Gordon Feron & Company makes a great cleaner, and that the swim club is getting a much cleaner chair back!
Old Sayings Are Often True
We have all heard the saying that you get what you pay for, and recently I saw a great example showing how true this saying really is. Back in 2002, we sold a local swim club several sets of Telescope furniture. Over the years, the club has added additional sets and chaise lounges as their budget allowed.
Last fall, I was talking to the club treasurer about furniture for his home and he mentioned that they had a couple of chairs at the swim club that they were going to need to throw away. I asked why, and he said that the slings had worn out. He thought the chairs were finished and destined for the landfill, as that is what they had to do with previous furniture that they had bought elsewhere. I told him NO! There are lots of reasons why Eastgate Pools sells Telescope brand furniture on most of our contract furniture sales, and the availability of replacement glides, slings, and other parts is just one of them. I had the customer stop by with the chairs, and within a minute I confirmed that all they needed were a couple of new slings and some replacement glides for the bottom of chairs. While I had the chairs in front of me, I also looked for the production sticker that Telescope places on their furniture. These chairs were from 2002, and had served the club for nine (9) seasons. They had never gotten this much life out of previous furniture, and even better news is that once the new slings arrive, they will have more years of service to give. Somewhere, a landfill is also happy!
And by the way, as great as Telescope Casual Furniture is for commercial applications, it is even better in residential settings. Let’s face it; it is hard out there for contract furniture!
So Long Winter!
I need Spring, sunlight and warmer weather. Thankfully Santa Clause is long gone and the Easter Bunny can’t come soon enough for me. I look forward to sure signs of Spring at the store. In a few weeks we will be seeing new colors and new styles of outdoor patio furniture along with our extensive selection of returning favorites. I am really anxious to see and try out the Amish made poly furniture made from recycled materials. The colors are bright and cheery and would add a splash to any back yard.
I enjoy talking to the swimming pool customers that are now coming through the doors. I get a chance to talk about a warm weather, summer fun item. It is fun to imagine that in about ten weeks they could be looking out the window and see an addition that is going to give them a whole season full of entertainment.
To anyone who is ready to get an early taste of Spring and Summer we extend a warm and friendly invitation to come and visit us.
