Buying Thrones in the US vs Importing From Abroad: Costs & Considerations

Should you buy your throne locally in the United States, or import one from abroad?

Many first-time throne owners ask themselves this question, debating whether it’s cheaper to purchase signature seating from abroad. 

In this buyer’s guide, we’ll explain the real-world considerations and reveal the pros and cons of each option.

The Case for Buying Thrones in the US

Aside from the obvious advantage of supporting US-based businesses and, therefore, the American economy, buying a throne chair in the United States makes a lot of sense from a buyer’s perspective. The main benefits include: 

✅Quality control: Throne Kingdom seating is made from high-quality, durable materials like mahogany. Though reflected in the price, this quality is something you can’t guarantee when you buy a throne chair from abroad. 

✅Shipping/delivery speed: You will receive your items within a few business days when you order from a US company and you can trace the delivery from the showroom to your property for peace of mind. 

✅Logistics and paperwork: Don’t worry about import permits, duties, and taxes. Simply order your throne in person or online and wait for it to arrive. 

✅Consumer protection: When you buy from a reputable US company like Throne Kingdom, you know what you’re getting - a high-quality product with guarantees. Should something unforeseen happen in the delivery process, you’re protected as a consumer with refund and return options unavailable when you buy from abroad.

 ✅After-sales support: US companies like Throne Kingdom provide unrivalled after-sales support, giving you support and help long after you’ve purchased your throne.

The Case Against Importing Thrones from Abroad

Before we get into the case against importing thrones from abroad, we want to address the elephant in the room: 

You might find a throne listed at a cheaper sale price than in the US market, but when you add delivery fees, duties, and taxes, when the throne arrives at your home, you will almost certainly have paid more than if you had bought it from an American company. 

We run through a cost analysis of importing thrones from abroad in the next section, but for now, here’s why we don’t recommend buying thrones from abroad: 

❌Quality control: When you buy from abroad, there’s a big question over quality control. Many suppliers use inferior-quality materials to save on costs, and it’s pretty much impossible to visit the workshop before ordering to check this. Often, you’re taking a huge gamble on the quality of your throne when you order from abroad. 

❌Shipping/delivery speed: While most thrones in the US are delivered within a few business days, it can take months for a throne to be shipped from abroad to a US address. What’s more, the cost is often extremely high (several hundred dollars), adding to the purchase price. 

❌Logistics and paperwork: When you import furniture from abroad, you’re required to compile all the necessary paperwork and permits. This is a headache, but it’s also expensive. You can hire a clearing agent to do the needful for you, but again, it adds to the cost. Levies on imported goods are also high. 

❌Consumer protection: You don’t have the same consumer protection when buying furniture from abroad, so if you’re mis-sold a throne or something goes wrong in the delivery process, you might not have the recourse to do anything about it.

❌After-sales support: Following your purchase of a throne chair from abroad, the after-sales support open to you is limited. You have to deal with different time zones (and often, different languages), making it extremely difficult to get the assistance you need if there’s a problem with your order.

The Costs of Buying Thrones in the US vs Importing From Abroad

We touched on this above, but many people erroneously think that buying a throne from abroad is cheaper than purchasing one in the USA. In our years of experience, we know for a fact that this is simply not the case.

Our royal thrones start at $695 with affordable, fast shipping throughout the United States. The cost of shipping depends on many factors, including the size and weight of the throne and your distance from our Brooklyn, NY base - feel free to contact us for an accurate shipping estimate before ordering.

We also invite you to read our shipping policy for full details on what you can expect when your throne leaves our warehouse.  

So, how does this compare with the average cost of importing a throne from abroad? Here are the costs you’ll need to account for if you go down this route:

All told, you can reasonably expect the shipping fees, insurance, customs fees, duties, and US delivery fees to be over double the purchase price of your throne when importing from abroad. 

Add to that the headache and extra difficulty of buying furniture from abroad, and you’ll see that it really isn’t worth it when you have access to high-quality, affordable thrones in the United States via Throne Kingdom.

Order Thrones from the US Today Via Throne Kingdom

Throne Kingdom is the leading supplier of thrones and luxury seating options in the United States. Based in Brooklyn, NY, our thrones are bespoke, beautifully designed seating options that will serve as a statement-making piece of furniture in your home.

Browse our royal collection and choose the perfect throne for your property today.