# Should I bother recovering my couch?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-bother-recovering-my-couch/976777>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 19, 2022, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-bother-recovering-my-couch/976777 "2022-12-19T10:48:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-bother-recovering-my-couch/976777/21 "2022-12-20T00:23:55Z")

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> [@Jasmine](#):
>
> What about reupholstering? Does anyone do that work anymore in these United States?

> [@slash2k](#):
>
> For the cheap furniture, it’s not worth reupholstering

Yes there are still reupholstery shops around.

My father’s business was one (he was sales himself and hired the reupholsters) and even when he was alive, decades ago, it was the case that much of what he was brought in to give an estimate for was not worth doing. He told people that, that the piece was crap and for the same or less money they could buy a replacement piece of crap. It’s more true now. (Often he ended up with the customer deciding that a different quality piece of furniture they had needed work. And referrals.) An upholsterer who started with him has a shop near me and gets my business. But it is only worth it for an old beloved piece. They really rarely make them like that anymore. Most new furniture is disposable. And Dixie not Chinet.

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**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\
**Post date:** [December 20, 2022, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-bother-recovering-my-couch/976777/22 "2022-12-20T12:09:08Z")

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> [@slash2k](#):
>
> For the cheap furniture, it’s not worth reupholstering; the cost to fix the underlying framework PLUS the cost of the upholstery job is as much or more than a new (cheap) sofa.

> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Yes there are still reupholstery shops around.

Even though I’m a lay person, I can heartily agree from what I’ve seen.

So, the next question; are there any places left that sell real quality furniture that would meet the standards of our OP, or is he sentenced to keeping his old, tattered couch because the new crap he’d buy would be worse? I also ask because my couch is long in tooth, also, and needs replacement.

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