abe_froeman wrote:I worked at W-S for a holiday season a couple years ago and we really did accept anything back.

Do you know if they price match to other stores? Thanks

You mean in comparison to other W-S locations or other stores? I don't know if there's an official policy, but I had a pretty laid-back manager (this was the Woodfield location) and she had discretion about how much to charge people for stuff based on damage, open box, etc., so I don't see why they wouldn't.

One of my favorite purchases from my time there was when there was one copy left of The Gourmet Cookbook in back and it had a little rip on the cover. It was normally $40, and my manager asked me how much I wanted to pay for it. I said $20, intending for that to be the final price, including my employee discount. She thought I wanted my employee discount taken off of $20, so I ended up getting it foe $13 or something ridiculously low. Woohoo!

abe_froeman wrote:You mean in comparison to other W-S locations or other stores?
!

I meant other stores. Do you know if they accept competitors coupons,like as an example a 20% off coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond? Thanks again for your reply.

Oh, I don't know for sure, but I doubt it. I never saw anyone try it in the 8 weeks or so I worked there. Maybe if there was a specific item that you could prove was cheaper at another store, they'd work with you.

I think you pay a little (define "little" on your own) more there for the luxury of their return policy. I don't think they're interested in competing with places like Bed Bath & Beyond. That's not a slur at BB&B; I can't afford 98% of what W-S sells and think their markup is ridiculous on most things, so when I do need a new utensil or piece of equipment, you'll most likely find me at BB&B.

They do not accept coupons, like those from BB&B, but I think they match prices if you take some proof in of the other price.

I will second their return policy. Someone brought in an Emille Henri baker that had a corner broken off -- replaced.

An amusing look at the Williams Sonoma holiday catalog from Deadspin: http://deadspin.com/5959212/the-haters-guide-to-the-williams+sonoma-catalog

Dear gosh that was funny.
My only disagreement was the opinion on the ebelskivers. I have an older non stick electric model that is used quite a bit. Also is great for squid and octopus balls.

Very funny. And if people are paying $39.95 for stockings made out of an old Hungarian grain sacks, I think I better dig out my sewing machine and get started on doing the same with my Hungarian paprika sacks. If you are an LTHer, I will sell you one for half price, only $20!

I've always thought of WS and Sur La Table as cooking stores for people who don't cook - style over substance. I will say that the few things I've bought at WS were of good quality (but overpriced), I just don't see shopping there regularly.

Ursiform wrote:An amusing look at the Williams Sonoma holiday catalog from Deadspin: http://deadspin.com/5959212/the-haters-guide-to-the-williams+sonoma-catalog

"This catalog does nothing but give me pantry envy. All I have in my pantry is flour and gum. I don't even HAVE a pantry. I have a cabinet. Rich people have pantries. Rich people have entire food closets lined with whammies and biscuits and emergency rimming sugar GOD I HATE RICH PEOPLE SO MUCH."

My local sur la table often has end of season/closeout items that are cheaper than amazon. As well as some small items like different syrups for the soda machines not found elsewhere.
Smaller items like silicon cookware, etc. other than that, it is a best buy type of place. Go in to look, purchase on the net.

I would probably buy a new slow cooker from WS. They have several that you can brown foods in before cooking them. I have one like it but not the same brand and I love it. I have a sear setting and I can brown or saute my food before cooking it. I would look into that. I also like their chocolate peppermint bark they sell during the holidays.

Ursiform wrote:An amusing look at the Williams Sonoma holiday catalog from Deadspin: http://deadspin.com/5959212/the-haters-guide-to-the-williams+sonoma-catalog

Classic! I lol'd through most of it but especially loved these lines:

at deaspin.com, Drew Magary wrote:Every holiday season, my mail slot gets bukkake'd with monstrous catalogs packed with shit I would never, ever buy, and the W-S catalog stands out among them.

at deaspin.com, Drew Magary wrote:Because, honestly, what can you do with a pumpkin soup bowl besides put pumpkin soup in it? If you put tomato soup in it, God will murder you.

at deaspin.com, Drew Magary wrote:Why have an ordinary rimjob when you can add just a touch of Madagascar vanilla? That's how classy folk do their rimming.

=R=

"...This is one of the harsh truths you learn when you get married: Basic shit like a table costs a f*cking fortune. Two grand for a wooden table... If it were up to me, my family would eat dinner off a milk crate."

I think I may have peed a lil.

Williams-Sonoma lover/hater Drew Magary also has a deep and burning desire to be a contestant on 'Chopped.' Ted Allen admitted to liking the cut of his jib on Facebook, so keep your eyes open. . . .

zoid wrote:I've always thought of WS and Sur La Table as cooking stores for people who don't cook - style over substance. I will say that the few things I've bought at WS were of good quality (but overpriced), I just don't see shopping there regularly.

Agreed with the caveat that I think Sur La Table is a far better store for an actual cook than is W-S. SLT has a much larger selection of more specialty tools.

Funny comments on some of their products like this one...

Item #02-1496058 Potato Scrubbing Gloves

Williams-Sonoma says: "Scrub potatoes clean while preserving skin that's nutrient rich. Set of two."

Price: $11.95

Notes from Drew: I desperately wanted it to say "Set of one" at the end. But anyway, who WOULDN'T like to have special gloves for whenever you have to handle potatoes? Potatoes are dirty and smelly, so it behooves you to wear a pair of gloves that will absorb all that dirt and grime and then get soaked through. Be sure to let them dry on your radiator! I also like that these gloves come with the word POTATO labeled across each one. Late at night, I often go digging through my basement screaming, "WHERE ARE THE GODDAMN POTATO GLOVES?" Because I usually end up grabbing the carrot gloves first, you know?

More @ The Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog

I've been researching single-serve ("pod") coffeemakers lately, and W-S sells basically the same one as the Starbucks Verismo for twice the price. However--and this is a big however--it is gorgeous. Stainless steel, beautifully designed, would look really good on a counter, etc. So, from one angle, spending $400 on something that you could get (in its identical workings) for $200 seems foolish. But if you have the $400, and aesthetics matter to you (and they do matter to me), it's not foolish. I suspect this applies to a lot of the things W-S sells, which is why W-S occupies a valid space in the retail firmament.

Hi riddlemay- I am sure that this will not to your liking, but on another site that I visit, somebody posted how they purchased a keurig coffee maker for $60 on line at Kohl's. It lists for $299.

http://jillcataldo.com/node/24448

I was just at Carson's for Black Friday on Friday morning, because I had a $10 coupon for the store, with no minimum purchase, but when I got there I discovered that you could not use the coupon on door busters, and most of the items I wanted to buy were door busters. I finally went up to the kitchen department to see what I could use my coupon on, and noticed that at least half of the coffee makers there were pod type ones. I know that many people here love them, but as far as I am concerned the pods are a whole lot more expensive than whole bean coffee, and from what I have heard the coffee in the pods is not nearly as fresh as what you can buy elsewhere. I know that people love them because they are convenient, and this summer when I was in Boston Market, I bought a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and a cup of coffee. The soup was really good, and plus I was sick, and was in a chicken noodle soup phase. They prepared the coffee using a pod machine. THe coffee was okay, and it was probably fresher than what I would have gotten otherwise, but I was surprised about that.
I go in the Winnetka library at least once a month, and they have a Keurig machine there, with assorted pods to choose from so you can make your own coffee or tea. Thanks, Nancy