I received a flyer from a store in Houston, Tx. called “The Dump” and they have an advertised shipment of queen mattresses which are handmade for high end hotels made of wool and pure silk european pillowtops, with 800 fabric wrapped coils, natural latex & foam construction. The brand name is (the Boutique Hotel Collection), and I wonder what you know about this brand? It states they are $2,500, but at this store which deals in buyouts, closeouts, etc. they are sellling the mattress and foundation for $495. I appreciate getting any information you may have.
Hi Anonymous,
The Boutique Hotel Collection mattresses are made by Paramount in Norfolk VA. Like any other mattress … evaluating their value is dependent on knowing the materials that are in them. In addition to this … how well any mattress works for any individual (regardless of its quality or value) depends on how the layers of the mattress interact with the person sleeping on it to produce the pressure relief, spinal alignment, and preferences that are important to that individual.
There are many mattresses that have the word “latex” in the descriptions but knowing the specific layering of the mattress is important because these layers are often a very thin layer to make the description sound better than it is. The law tag on the mattress will tell you how much latex is really in the mattress but even this is by weight (latex is much heavier than most materials) and not by thickness. Even if a mattress is “perfect” for an individual … the materials will determine how long it stays that way once you get it home and sleep on it for a while. This is especially true for the materials that are used in the upper few inches of a mattress.
I would treat liquidation outlets such as The Dump with extreme skepticism and caution. Clearly these mattresses are being sold below their “market value” in many (but not all) cases but the source of mattresses sold at outlets like these is questionable at best. They are often comfort returns or manufacturing defects which are sold through auctions, re-covered in plastic, and then sold as new or as having “minor flaws” or as “closeouts” to make the pricing sound reasonable to the “average consumer” who knows little about what makes a good mattress. In the case of the Dump their mattresses are most likely returns from Haynes Furniture. They are often not authorized dealers for the brands they sell and offer no manufacturers warranty. In cases like these … you are completely dependent on the integrity of the ownership of the outlets or chain you are buying from, their personal ethics, and the accuracy and transparency of the information they provide both to their own staff and to the public.
While there is no way to know for sure where they come from … if I was purchasing from an outlet like this and didn’t have reliable information about the integrity of the ownership and the source of their mattresses, I would ask myself if I was comfortable sleeping on a mattress that someone else had used before considering a purchase. If my answer was yes … and the price of a mattress was the only consideration in my purchase … and where it came from or what was in it didn’t matter … then I may consider purchasing from a place like this.
Suggested retail prices that are used to compare to and “justify” a sale price in most of the mattress industry (major brands and mass market outlets) are usually fake and only a selling technique to make a sale price look better than it really is. Nobody ever buys mattresses at these prices.
In the end … you have the opportunity to purchase a mattress which is below market value but is completely unknown as to its source, likely has no manufacturers warranty, and that may not be suitable for your height, weight distribution, and sleeping positions. If you have specifically tested this mattress for pressure relief and alignment and it is suitable for your weight and sleeping positions … and you are a gambler at heart and would risk the quality of your sleep for the next few years on the outcome of a horse race or a football game … then perhaps it would be worth considering.
Phoenix
Thanks for the info., we will not be buying a mattress that may or may not have been used.