MDF flatpack items are so heavy, yet with fragile edges that you would never want to ship them anyway. It's better to drive the 100+ miles each way, certainly cheaper, too. Anything on Wayfair that meets your needs?

What's the exact part? Can someone buy it and mail to you?

IKEA is the same distance for me now, and it was a hard adjustment after living 20 minutes from one for many years.

Luckily, there is a great restaurant nearby so about once a year I go with a friend and we make a day of it. In between visits, I can usually find someone on my FB who is going in the next month and happy to pick things up for me, as long as they have room in their car. I do the same for them. So maybe try to find someone else who is going?

I feel your pain. There's an IKEA south of me, that Google says I can drive to in 1 hour and 42 minutes. However. The city of Boston lies between me and IKEA. There is no way, short of driving there in the middle of the night, that I can get there in under 2.5 hours, usually closer to 3 hours.

Heavy sigh. Right now, I'd like a duvet cover, and some boxes to organize stuff, but the shipping cost, although it is a lot less than $199, is holding me back. I agree that IKEA really doesn't seem to get the mail order business angle.

I usually make it to IKEA about twice a year, planing to visit with friends in the area after I've done shopping.

Seriously, I can run over and get it and mail it. 20 minutes only if I have to wait at every single light.

This isn't much of a help, but once or twice a year -- I think it was Christmas Day last year -- Ikea offers free shipping : ) .

I understand the downside well. I want another Billy bookcase for my daughter's room. The closest Ikea's would involve a drive to Denver, Phoenix or Dallas. The shipping cost is a no-go for me, too.

If someone thinks about it, if you know that Ikea is having a free shipping day PLEASE POST IT HERE for those of us who would otherwise be ignorant.

I drove there a week ago. We left at about 10 and I was about 5 before I got home...... We did get lunch and two bookcases :)

but it we are used to a good 1 drive if we want to go to target or Walmart (we are in Santa BarbaraCA)

I just wanna know who IVAR is and where have you been going?

IKEA is not top end, nor Walmart. You get fair value for the goods. They are not shoddy. You have to use imagination . As an example, their Billy shelving can look good with some ingenuity and a carpenter.

tishtosh,

I was about to provide a link to a guy we used a couple of years ago -- he made monthly trips to the Denver IKEA and delivered to NM. (We're 5 hours from the Denver (Centennial) IKEA). However, it appears he's no longer in business. But for others, look on CL or do a search for IKEA delivery -- maybe there's someone in your area. It's not cheap, but it's less expensive than IKEA's delivery charges.

That being said, two hours doesn't sound too far to me. That was the standard B'ham - Atlanta trip, give or take, and it was an excuse to have a nice lunch and hit some antique stores too. Maybe just make a day of it?

jakabedy, this is life for us. Edmonton is a six-hour roundtrip for us. Several times a year we make a big long day of it, usually when we need building materials my builder husband can't get locally, when he needs the tool repair company, or getting a family member or friend to/from the airport. It's our chance to fit in a trip to Ikea, the antique store, specialty supermarkets, and the Bluestar dealership.

I'll try to remember to post here the next time I get an email from Ikea Canada about a free shipping day. I would imagine the schedule is similar for Ikea U.S.

CL?

CL = Craig's List

I just today discovered how much ikea does not want to ship. I have an ikea in Houston so we could drive there however the piece I want shows not available at the Houston store. The piece is $99 shipping is $129. Nope not gonna happen. Is there a way to have something shipped to store and then pick it up with out a shipping cost? Those are crazy prices.

Kippy, I'd rather be in Santa Barbara CA, even if I have to promise, solemnly, to never set my foot in Walmart again:)

(We're in Orange County-granted, very pretty too, but Walmarts and Targets..Target is okay though, but Walmart gives me hives. Literally. Each time I happen to be there-I need to take 2 or 3 Benadryl..Maybe something they use to clean there?..

Another weird store that came here recently is Hobby Lobby. Well, this one is amusing at least. So much happy junk concentrated in one place, I couldn't believe my eyes.

(IKEA probably doesn't want to encourage customers to pick just what they need, and miss on the whole in-store experience:) BTW Craigslist is a cool idea for finding IKEA, less sure about IVAR, but many IKEA things you can find there in abundance.)

I agree with Craigslist, there is a ton of Ikea stuff on there, young professionals move around and just sell off their Ikea furnishings and buy new in their next city.

If I recall correctly, the shipping rates they do have are flat rates which are geared more to customers buying in bulk, i.e. an entire house full of Billy bookcases vs. just one.

There was an article in the NYT about two years ago saying that Ikea acknowledged it missed the boat on e-commerce and has to figure something out, especially as in-store growth has been slowing.

I found the article, here.

Just a pointer...maybe you live in Cleveland based on travel time- I do. There is an Ikea in Detroit and one in Pittsburgh. AVOID the one in Detroit...much better experiences at the Pittsburgh Ikea. Plus the Pittsburgh one is a few minutes closer.

Considering there are no IKEA's around me, there is no IKEA stuff on Craig's List that is local. I may go to IKEA someday when I am visiting friends in the area, but I am not going to drive 4 hours for one shelf frame that costs $20.00. I will have to do without until I get a chance to go there. I could have a friend ship it to me, but as F2BH mentioned, it may be expensive. Am spending the day re-configuring IVAR for the sitting room, so we're still on speaking terms!

We have no local one, either, and make a day-trip of it once a year. Usually the zoo in the morning, lunch, then IKEA in the afternoon!

IKEA just needs to partner with Amazon and let them handle the distribution....

Sushipup, did I read that correctly??? Were you actually offering to drive to your Ikea, buy and ship the OPs desired item? There have been other generous deeds on this forum, but that's gotta be waaay up there. You're a doll!!!

Shipping UPS or FedEx, especially to a residential address may cost more than you think. If you can ship to a business then it will save some money. Does anyone know the weight and dimensions? If so, UPS will give you an estimate.

I'm shocked that Ikea doesn't offer better rates. Years ago I wanted to buy a bunch too but passed because of their shipping costs. Now we have one locally and I haven't even bothered visiting the store since they put it in the ghetto (STL). I'll just shop elsewhere.

I think Amazon actually sells some Ikea stuff. Have you checked there?

I think Ikea has decided not to be in the furniture mail order business, and so they do not subsidize shipping. It may also be that shipping seems very pricey relative to the low cost of the item. My chair was $249 w 199 shipping (thankfully it's only about 90 min to an Ikea from the beachhouse or from my primary home). If I had paid $1500 for a chair, 199 would have seemed less egregious.

Jakabedy, We had friends who used that guys service, too, and they were pleased. I wish that were still an option. Dh will actually be in Denver for a wedding 2 weeks for now. Unfortunately, our truck does not have functioning A/C and so he will be travelling in a Corolla with 2 teenagers, which would make fitting the tall Billy in the car rather unwelcome.

The other downside of Ikea is the awareness factor. When you are aware of some of their products and how well they would suit the bill, it makes it that much more difficult to pay more for Sauder that would be much less functional. Many of their products are just what I need for my kids desks, etc.

Sushi lives in my old neck of the woods near my old IKEA. That's where I first met IVAR, many years ago! Thanks S, your generous offer is very much appreciated but I think I may be in the area of the Detroit IKEA this fall visiting friends and can pick it up then. I will make do in the meantime. I was just there last month when I took a friend to the airport but did not realize I needed the frame, darn it!

Well, I'm here, you know where to find me!

OT, wish I could visit! Will be very busy this fall though, teaching a class and implementing a grant, plus all the usual crazy of my job and life . . .

We have a guest room, just in case....

I really did have NO idea what or who IVAR was :( I do now tho.

monicakm_gw - neither did I. So I googled it. The two top responses? An IKEA shelving unit or this guy "Ivar
the Boneless was a Viking leader and a commander who invaded what is
now England. According to the Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok, he was the son of
Ragnar Lodbrok and Aslaug. Wikipedia"

So now I'm trying to figure out what I pinkmountain is doing moving a dead Nordic guy around her living room ;)

...oh, and the plot thickens! Maybe she'll come clean about her decades old relationship with a dead Nordic dude <g>