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Jordan
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 2:37pm | IP Logged
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So, I'm wondering...how do you guys feel about the quality of the materials you've purchased? Do you look at the less-expensive materials (ie. not Nienhuis) you have and feel so pleased with them that you can't imagine the more expensive materials being any better? Do you feel there is a difference in quality in what you've purchased from different shops? (Is that okay to ask here?)
The reason I'm asking is because last fall, I made a large purchase from one store that hasn't been mentioned on these forums, and overall, I think the quality was quite poor. I feel many of the materials I received are not even worth using. For example, for my pink tower & brown stair, the wood is so soft that it dents and the paint chips super easily. I am planning to get rid of them somehow. Also, my moveable alphabet and cut out numerals are very lightweight and cheap, and the paint chips. I think I'd do better to use laminated cardstock than these. Those are the worst of what I bought but I've been disappointed with other things too. I was also pretty disappointed with the wooden boxes that some of the materials came in. The bottom of my sandpaper letters box isn't strong enough and you can see where it's separating from the sides. It seems everything is held together by glue and it isn't beautiful the way the Montessori materials were intended to be, IMO.
What I'm really hoping is that I just made a big goof and purchased some bad stuff, but that the other online companies sell much better stuff. I hope I'm not being too picky since others seem to be happy with their purchases.
I do need to order some materials but I'd like to know if my experience was uncommon before I place another order someplace else. Do I just need to lower my expectations and know that if I want really nice quality then I'll need to pay LOTS more? I'd happily settle for really good quality, as opposed to the best quality, if I could save lots of money doing so.
I would so love to be able to touch and hold these materials and compare them before buying. I can't tell very much from just looking at the pictures.
Thanks so much for any responses. 
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Jordan
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Cindy Mac
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 3:27pm | IP Logged
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Great question. I'm looking forward to hearing the answers as well.
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Cindy - wife to Chris, mommy to my 4 sons!
Kellys Klassroom Korner
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
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Jordan wrote:
| Do you feel there is a difference in quality in what you've purchased from different shops? (Is that okay to ask here?) |
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Jordan, it is most certainly OK to ask this here, and I'm so glad you did!! I am VERY pleased with the materials I have received. Knowing that they are NOT Neinhuis but a less expensive representative is ok with me as I could NEVER have afforded the many items I purchased if I would have bought them there.
That being said, some of my items were less than desirable  and I simply called the compan(ies) and said what I felt was wrong with the item and they replaced it no questions asked  They didn't even want the defective/not quite right item returned.
It WOULD be so nice to touch and feel all these items, it's a hard decision to make on some of them. I know for myself being able to make such a large quantity of the nomenclature cards and putting together my own tackle boxes, and reading series kits has taken alot of the guilt off of having invested in the beautiful items for our school, even though they are not top of the line, they are still beautiful and perfectly paired to our homeschool 
I hope that helps ease some of your worries. I am certain that if you are not satisfied that you will be able to reach some kind of remedy with the companies we are buying from as they have all been outstanding and professional in all our dealings thus far!
Blessings!
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Meredith
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 4:04pm | IP Logged
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I am actually tickled pink at the quality of the materials I got from Alison's, Montessori Outlet, and Montessori N Such. Since they are less expensive I was expecting inferior quality but these things are really lovely. They surpassed my expectations by a long shot. I did read on both Alison's and MO sites that they had recently upgraded to a higher quality line of materials, so I don't know if I would have had the same tale to tell had I purchased last year.
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Theresa
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LaPaz Home Learning
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Jordan
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 4:21pm | IP Logged
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Thanks, you guys, for easing some of my worries.
Theresa, did you find that MO's products were as nice (premium quality) as they describe? Could you tell a difference or did it all seem comparable?
Meredith, you mentioned that you had problems with a few of your items and were able to have them replaced. Were the replacements satisfactory? I feel that with some of my materials, the problems are with the product itself and a replacement would have had the same problems.
Sorry for sounding so negative. I have been lamenting over this sad purchase since January. 
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Jordan
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 4:28pm | IP Logged
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It is hard to compare, because I got different sorts of materials from different places. Puzzles form Alisons, math materials from MO, miscellaneous things from MNS.
But the quality of the MO materials did seem just a notch above any of the others. They do seem to me like the premium quality that they advertise. But then again, I have not seen any actual Neinhuis yet, so those could be even better. For my needs though, MO quality is more than adequate.
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Theresa
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Land O' Cotton
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I'm following along too, as I've got to choose carefully which items I decide to order. I have to make most of them, but the maps and insets are really calling my name! 
I had thought about posting the same question, so I'm glad that it's open for discussion, and the replies are very helpful.
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 5:13pm | IP Logged
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Jordan wrote:
| Meredith, you mentioned that you had problems with a few of your items and were able to have them replaced. Were the replacements satisfactory? I feel that with some of my materials, the problems are with the product itself and a replacement would have had the same problems. |
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Jordan, you are not sounding negative, I can totally appreciate and understand your frustration, these are large purchases, and you SHOULD be happy with all of them.
I'll be specific about what I had replaced:
1) Trinomial Cube from Kid Advance was badly scratched on the side of the box where the pattern matches the inside of the cube. They sent a new one.
2) The Triangular Prism sent with my Geometric Solids also from Kid Advance was dented and chipping on three of the corners. He sent me a replacement, but it's a little smaller and not the same color blue But, I can live with it, AND I think I can work with the imperfect one, a little Sharpie perhaps
3) From Alison's: my World Puzzle Map was kind of dirty? and some of the little knobs were coming off, he's sending a replacement in August that is a higher quality, no charge, no return. My NA Botany Cabinet has 2 pieces that are pretty warped and he's going to also replace that for me (I think the whole cabinet, not sure yet as I need to email him some photos)
4) I was waiting for my Small Moveable Alphabets and
Box from Montessori Outlet and I called them on Wednesday and they shipped them same day and I received them yesterday. They are beautiful wood, I LOVE them!!
4) My order from Montessori Outlet was mostly Bead Materials and I'm very happy with all of them. The only funny thing that happened with them is they forgot to ship my Decanomial, I called and he sent it right way!
So I think that's it. Also, all of the items that I've order in the past from Montessori Services, and Montessori and Such have been excellent! Try not to be so hard on yourself. Maybe you should give the company a call, they might just surprise you
Blessings and hugs!
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Meredith
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Meredith
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Vicki, you might also want to check out this thread: Boxes are Arriving! as I know there's a ton of discussion about what specifically people have purchased and questions/answers about quality, etc.
HTH!!
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Meredith
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 5:52pm | IP Logged
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Actually, Jordan, would you mind sharing which company you bought the inferior products from? I think it would be good for us to know, as many of us have additional purchases to make.
And I do not think it is being negative to give an honest assessment of the quality of materials. Folks review products all the time (eg Consumer Reports) and it is just as important to hear about those companies whose products do not measure up, as those whose products do.
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: July 27 2007 at 6:10pm | IP Logged
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We have ordered from Kid Advance and Alison's Montessori. Both places we've had great customer service.
I can't attest to HOW they will hold up, of course, b/c everything is new. But, I am pleased with the initial quality of things and do feel good about the purchases.
A couple of the items I got at rock bottom prices and they weren't PERFECT.....but that's why the company was getting rid of them, because they found a more superior replacement. I expected them to be "not perfect" but they are certainly usable for us!
My items don't need to be classroom quality, because they won't be handled by hundreds of kids over the years. We WILL have to be gentle and careful with them, but I think the lesser quality (non-classroom, non-Neinhuis) is fine and I envision my materials lasting a LONG time and hopefully being able to pass them on to someone else.
I'm excited to add to our little "Montessori stash" in the future and WILL use both of the companies again.
HTH,
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Jordan
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| Posted: July 28 2007 at 3:51pm | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| Actually, Jordan, would you mind sharing which company you bought the inferior products from? I think it would be good for us to know, as many of us have additional purchases to make. |
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I ordered from Montessori Equipment in October of last year. Their prices were low, I got free shipping, plus the woman took 5% off since I ordered so much. The woman who ran the store was very competent and got my entire order exactly right and calculated everything perfectly the first time. I was out of town for the holidays when my shipment arrived and didn't open the boxes until early January. Initally, I thought almost everything looked okay. The only thing obvious from the begining were the problems with the wooden boxes. The woman at the store refunded enough money for me to buy glue--her idea. I think the other problems were not one-time defects, but just quality issues. It took me a while to realize what the problems were and by the time I came to grips with that, it was too late to do anything about it.
I think part of the problem is that I did expect the quality to be really good. I thought the difference between what I was buying and the expensive products was just where they were made. I didn't realize that the craftsmanship and types of wood used would be so different. I had never read a board like this or gotten people's options so was shopping on my own. I shopped around for weeks and compared prices at all the different stores before purchasing. I don't know why I thought the products would be as good as the premium ones. I guess I was just naive and when I read claims of good quality, I took that to mean they would be good quality like Plan Toys, or Haba, or some of the other wooden toy brands I was familiar with. I thought the cost savings came from lower manufacturing costs, not quality difference in the raw materials and construction.
I should say that most of what I bought is okay and will work for my purposes. It's just not what I expected. I think my expectations were probably unrealistic, with the exception of the things I mentioned before that simply will not hold up.
I don't know for sure if anyone else sells the same products. As I've done my shopping, I've compared pictures to what Montessori Equipment sells to try to avoid more of the same thing. I also don't want to offend anyone who may have purchased the same materials from a different store and is happy with them.
Has anyone else had the same problems I mentioned in my first post?
I am grateful to those who have responded and have shared their positive experiences. It's reassuring to know that many companies sell quality products and stand behind what they sell.
God bless you. You all are so kind.
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Jordan
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Jordan
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| Posted: July 28 2007 at 4:01pm | IP Logged
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I thought I remembered someone mentioning that Donna Marie had something that dented and had paint chip so I did a search and I just found this thread. I guess a few others have had similar experiences.
So seriously...the exact same companies are now selling better products? That is great news overall, but it's a bummer for me that I bought mine last year when I could have gotten better products if I'd waited.
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Jordan
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Meredith
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Jordan, thank you for sharing above about Montessori Equipment Co. I have never heard of them, and I am saddened by your displeasure with their quality. I hope you can find a way to remedy the situation for you and your family, and move on.
What about a garage sale Then you can apply your earnings to another supplier, just a thought. Hugs!
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Meredith
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Jordan:
I had a thought, but then remembered that you are in Europe....Do you have the equivalent to a Craig's List? Even if you recouped some of the costs back, you could use that money to buy a couple items that may be better. I'm amazed at what the used montessori "lots" go for.
I did notice just yesterday that the corner of one of the puzzle maps is "crushed". (we did this, as I'm almost sure it wasn't like this upon recieving) Hmmmm.... And, the puzzle maps are bending a bit in the middle. (IOW, when laid flat, they aren't actually flat, they curve up on the outside). DH thinks this is normal as b/c they are wood, they are heavy. they also were tight when we first put them in theh slots, now that they have bowed a bit, they fit perfectly. But, wondering how this affects the wood and puzzle in the long term. I guess only time will tell.
Anyone who has the Alison map cabinet/puzzle maps not lying flat? (sinking in the middle)????
I do think the Alison's cabinet and puzzles are a step up.
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Suzanne in ID
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AndreaG
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I'm just wondering if anyone bought the puzzle maps from Kid Advance? They are cheaper than Alison's, but I don't want to buy junk either.
And my pink tower (which I bought over a year ago) has chipped and dented, but no more than the painted thomas the tank trains we have, so I figured that was just what happens with painted wood.
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Andrea
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Jordan
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Suzanne, what is a Craig's list? Is that like eBay?
Thank you Suzanne and Meredith for your ideas. That would be really nice to be able to make some money back off the items I don't like. I think I'm just going to end up holding onto them for now and looking for an opportunity to pass them on or just using them for something different. I guess it depends how much I decide to replace.
Andrea, I'm just curious...when your pink tower dents, what color is underneath? Mine is white and obvious where the dents are and has barely been used.
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Jordan
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AndreaG
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Mine is white underneath also, but I must say that most of the denting is probably due to rough treatment (my boys building a tower and knocking it over despite my cries of improper use of materials!) The damage is much more apparent on the brown stair, because it is brown and the white shows more and b/c the blocks get dropped more b/c the vertical brown stair tower is much tippier than the pink tower. And the boys prefer the brown stair to the pink tower for some reason and thus use it more.
I'm sorry yours dents so easily it does sound like it is probably inferior quality. I was just throwing it out there that mine is a bit dented and chipped (especially at the corners which have become rounded) in case it makes anyone feel better that theirs isn't perfect.
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Andrea
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Celeste
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Speaking of imperfect pink towers: If it's any consolation, the pink tower at my children's school had definitely seen better days before they replaced it a couple of years ago (rounded corners and edges, wood showing through in many spots). And even the new one is showing signs of wear.
FWIW, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Montessori wrote about children being careless because their desks were bolted to the floor and their dishes were made out of tin. If there's a fragility to the materials the children work with, they (hopefully, eventually!) learn to handle them carefully.
That being said, Jordan, I'm so, so sorry about your experience. 
Celeste
P.S. Montessori Equipment is I-FIT.
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montessori_lori
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It's funny, because I remember when I-FIT started an eBay store about a year ago. They are one of the few Montessori eBay sellers of wooden materials that have never received a negative from a buyer. And eBay buyers are very, very picky...so it seems like their stuff can't be that bad. eBay ratings are all I have to go on since I've never ordered from them, but that's usually a pretty good barometer of quality.
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Are you happy with what you've bought?
