Monday, March 8, 2010

The Mysterious Taylor B

Can you find Taylor B's?

That was the big question of the past two weekends. A friend of Melissa's had mentioned to her that there was a great place called Taylor B's that had amazing deals on furniture. We had already got a quote the week before on some things that we wanted to buy, but it was pretty high. We'd been told that Taylor B's has prices that were less than half of the other places we'd been shopping, so we really wanted to take a look at what they had.

We had an idea of where they were located, but we couldn't find a website or even a yellow pages listing for this place. After a bit of hunting and a deeper internet search, we had what we thought was an address; so 2 Sundays ago, we drove over there with our friends Joe and Linda to take a look. Unfortunately, when we got there what we found was a big warehouse by the docks that looked like it was mostly abandoned. Disappointed, we just drove on and continued our day.

The next week, Melissa asked around some more and confirmed the address with a friend. Last Sunday, we made attempt number two. Sure enough, it was a warehouse (next to the one we looked at the week before) near the docks. This building actually had a different furniture store on the first floor, but not the one we were looking for.

Melissa, Jack and I wandered around the building for about 15 minutes looking for a Taylor B sign without any luck. We asked one of the salesmen at the store on the first floor if he knew where it was, but he said that he'd never heard of it. The name wasn't on the store directory and after climbing a dirty maintenance stairway and peering through the door at 3 abandoned levels of the warehouse, we decided to give up. It was really hot and Jack was hungry and moving like molasses.

When we sat in the car and turned on the A/C, I could tell Melissa was pretty disappointed, so I told her to wait with Jack while I made one last look around on my own. I ran back inside and tried looking at every level. On the 4th floor, I could see that the door on the other side leading to the opposite staircase was open, so I walked across to take a look on that side of the building too. As I walked through, the 4th floor looked like someone was either moving in or out. There were random pallets filled with various tupperware boxes of all sorts of little things that were then wrapped up in shrink wrap. There was also a old pink couch that looked like it had been left behind a few years ago.

In the opposite stairway, I went down to the bottom assuming I could get out of the building at the bottom. Of course, you know what happens when you assume..... The door was locked. I then has to walk back up the the 4th floor, across the room with the weird pallets and old pink couch and then back down to the car.

"Sorry hun. I couldn't find anything," I said.

"OK, let's just go," said Melissa. As we were driving toward the exit, we noticed for the first time that there was a security guard near the gate. "What the heck. Let me give it one more try and see if this guy knows anything before we quit."

After I knocked on his shack window to wake him up, I asked him if he'd heard of the store.

"Yeah, go to the entrance over there and then take the elevator to the 4th floor," he said.

"I was just over there. There isn't an elevator. Just stairs."

"Yes there is," he said, "on the loading dock, the big service elevator."

"OK. Thanks. I'll give it a try."

Once again, Melissa, Jack and I wander around the to back of this empty warehouse and find the huge service elevator on the loading dock. It's big enough that I could have just driven my car into it. As the door slowly rises to open on the 4th floor, I am of course greeted by....the old pink couch that I walked by twice ten minutes ago.

Crap. Here I am again.

Then, this well dressed woman appears out of nowhere. "Are you here to see the furniture?"

"Ummm...yes?" Melissa and I say.

"Right this way."

She then grabs the handle on a humongous steel door that I had just assumed was locked before. There in front of us is an entire side of the warehouse we hadn't seen before. It was jammed full of furniture and decorations and artwork for sale. There was even a small "kid corner" with toys and games where Jack immediately retreated to.

To trim down what I though was going to be a quick, short post, this place was all it was cracked up to be. The prices were 1/4 to 1/3 of what other stores are charging and they had amazing stuff. The people who own the place work there themselves and provide awesome service. I guess you can have super low prices if you sell your wares from a nasty old warehouse and don't even have a sign, let alone advertising.

We'd gone in looking for patio furniture, but they didn't have much as their latest shipment has been delayed coming out of China. Even though we didn't find what we were looking for, we still spent $1,700 on other stuff that we just couldn't pass up.

So, if you'd like to know how to get to Taylor B's....don't ask me, I'm not telling!

5 comments:

Newby said...

If they have anything great, get it for me too before you move back!

Unknown said...

Since I know you'll be going back for patio furniture, I'll have to tag along. I cannot live with the hideous coffee table supplied by the condo owner, so would love to see if I can find something as awesome as it sounds like the stuff is at this place. Pleeeeeeeeeeeese?

Anonymous said...

it's not that cheep,average for Singapore>In fact any decent piece i saw there was rather expensive(think Curio)

Melissa said...

Anonymous - When we went it was 2010, we have not been back but I have heard from others that the prices have risen. What a shame!

The spirit owl said...

Found the prices rather high for the location too. Do check out Home of Homes Furniture at Park Mall if you like vintage and antique ish furniture. Affordable and high quality furniture. Www.ilovehoh.com
https://m.facebook.com/Homeofhomes?__user=732347323