Bossnass

Round these parts, cherry is somewhat expensive, not really anything you could call 'relatively cheap'. Its more expensive then maple. Red or White oak is relativly cheap, aspen is even cheaper, about on par with poplar. Walnut and Ash aren't usually available, I hate to think about what they would cost.

Probably a case of supply and ecomics, but I would very much like to get cheaper cherry. I recently priced out g2s 1/4 cherry ply at $134 (can) for a 4x8 sheet.

This is true to a point. I am not really a defender of IKEA or anything like that, I didn't really like the place long before Tyler Durden said 'deliver me from sweedish funiture'. However, even as a somewhat handy person, I simply can't seem to find anything of comparable quality for near the price. Sure, if I had more money I would like everything made out of higher quality wood, handcrafted, etc. But that just isn't an option yet.

While pricing out a section of book shelves, only particleboard/melamine types were in my price range. The ones at ikea were cheaper and higher quality then at any other store we looked at, and were still cheaper when I priced out matierials to do it myself.

Further, alot of their tables/stools/etc are of solid wood. Not hardwood, mostly pine and birch, but solid wood nonetheless.

Ikea is cheap because of the mass 'wallmart factor'. They are huge, multinational, efficent, and popular. They can make everything in such numbers with interchangable parts and hardware that they are cheaper then most anywhere else.

While strapped for cash last fall and needing to furnish a new apartment, my girl and I ended up with a table, 4 chairs, and a large set of bookshelves from ikea. Sure it was easy to assemble, but they still came in flat boxes and you can pretend you are a manly man while putting it together.