Costco blog/discussion forum

January and July are furniture months at Costco. You'll find a wide selection of different types of furniture during these months. At other times, you are limited to shopping for furniture at Costco.com or you to get to one of the two existing Costco-Home stores (in Tempe, Arizona or Kirkland, Washington).

Costco furniture is not cheap and inexpensive, like Ikea Furniture. Instead, you are usually getting very high quality pieces of furniture at a substantial discount compared to main line furniture stores. Costco also usually offers exclusive items, so you won't find the exact same piece at another non-Costco store. This also makes it nearly impossible to make direct price comparisons.

This piece, the Mckinley Hall Bench (Costco Item #234676, priced at $296.99 in July 2008), provides an excellent storage solution for the hall or entryway of your home.

Costco Connection describes it this way:

Constructed of birch solids, the McKinley hall bench will be the most useful piece of furniture in your home. The four wicker bins allow you to store almost anything, while the five drawers are great for organizing. The luxurious all top-grain leather
cushion provides a soft landing for you to sit on.

Finally, if you want to buy furniture at Costco, check the prices at other nearby Costco stores. I have seen 30% price differences at two Costco warehouses only about 30 miles from one another.

Have you ever suffered a power outage at night? This GE Steelbeam Lantern (Costco Item #265614) is one thing to keep in your closet for just those occasions.

I was looking for a good battery powered light, when I spotted this at the local warehouse for $14.99. For comparison, if you buy it online, it will cost you about $30, once you pay the shipping charges.

This, and most camping gear, is seasonal. It is available in May. If you miss it then you'll have to wait for next year. You might as well pick one up, you can always return it if you change your mind.

It is simple to use. You just install 4 D-sized batteries through the bottom, snap a door shut, and screw the base back on. Then with the press of a button, you have light.

The light bulb appears to be similar to the compact fluorescent bulbs sold at Costco warehouses and elsewhere. It is a 6 Watt fluorescent tube. I estimate it has the equivalent brightness of a 40 W incandescent bulb. They claim it is rated for 8,000 hours. A good set of alkaline D batteries is supposed to last you for 16 hours with this lamp, probably at room temperature.

Battery life is highly dependent upon the operating temperature. According to the Duracell specification sheet for D-cell alkaline batteries, a battery operating at freezing (32 F) temperatures will last you five hours, but operating at room temperature (72 F) it will last almost three times as long. So if you are going camping in the mountain, take extra batteries.

The KidKraft Outdoor Playhouse, model 00125 (Costco item number 152094) is currently being sold at many Costco warehouses for about $299. At our local warehouse, they display this playhouse on the floor. It inevitably attracts a crowd of children from 2 to 5 years old, who walk in and out, opening and closing the doors and windows.

The playhouse, once assembled, measures 73 x 45.5 x 56 (h) inches. It is mostly made of wood, not plastic. It contains a door, with door handle, a window with closeable shutters, a mailbox with flag mounted to the exterior, a simulated sink inside, a covered porch with two short bench seats and flower pot holders under the window. The playhouse does not come with a floor.

Walmart.com and other online retailers sell a similar, but smaller, Kidkraft playhouse (KidKraft model number 00132) for just under $400. This appears identical, but lacks the covered porch and benches.

As every parent knows, assembly is required. This playhouse has 124 bolts that need to be screwed in, so plan on spending a few hours assembling it once you get it home. Getting it home is going to require that you take out, or fold up, some of the seats in your minivan/SUV. You probably can't bring this home in a sedan. A pickup is the best choice. When you are leaving the Warehouse, ask at the door and they can help you load it into your vehicle.

Overall, this is will provide great fun for your 2 to 5 year old child. Also, it's a great price. Highly recommended.