Hi there everyone ! Hope you are doing well ! :D

THANKS very much everyone !!!! Thanks for all the comments and flowers and your valuable time !!!!!!
Oh and look ... 6001 flowers !!! :) We are soon to hit Spring so thank you !!!!
:D

We have IKEA's here in So. California...don't require a membership...but I have never been to one, so I am not really of any help!

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Thanks very much for the comment anyway dragonflyer!!! It is free to join unlike Costco that opened up here a couple/few years ago. They require an annual fee of $65 . Way too steep for my liking just to go in and spend lots more. I too haven't been but I'm a little bit of a 'principle' type of gal. LOL.

Yes, IKEA is addictive. No membership, but they do have a frequent flyer type program that gives additional discounts at times.
A word of caution for those that embroider kitchen towels. Wash first! The ones I bought there shrunk almost a third and required significant starch and ironing to get them in shape to embroider. When washed again they reverted to their wrinkled messy natural state... fine for drying towels but nothing we would sell or display

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Hey kingmar! Thanks for that GREAT info !!! That probably is what they have said. On the flyer that was delivered with their catalog they worded it as "We'd lover you to become a member of the IKEA FAMILY." It is free and probably as you describe , more a frequent flyer type thing. A great piece of advice regarding the kitchen towels too as there would be nothing worse than to make something like that as a gift and not know how it looks after being used!!!!!!! Thanks again !!!!

I think she means signing up, not joining as a paid member. You only sign up for emails and specials and they will send out project inspiration. I really don't know why it would hurt, unless your email box just can't hold one more item. You can always unsubscribe if you don't like it.

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Yes that is what I meant, thank you ! But it is great having fabulous input from such great people! Always helps in getting to know overseas companies. Thanks jrob !

IKEA is wonderful...I have never heard of memberships....I have shopped and do not have a membership. I LOVE IKEA!

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Thanks sewdoctor !!!! I received their first catalog yesterday . It was dropped off on the driveway and it seemed like a way of getting 12 months to return some products extended from 3 months , if you apply for a free membership. I'm hoping to LOVE IKEA too ! :)

by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Sewdoctor where are the products mostly made ? So from what you've brought are they good quality products ?

I have only been to the one in my state (MN) once but I did not have a membership to shop there.

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Thanks queenofhearts !!! The membership is free but I'm just hoping is as good as I'm feeling it could be! Costco opened a few years ago and they have an annual $65 fee.

No membership here in The Pacific Northwest of the US either, Wish ours was closer than a 4 1/2 hr drive but it has been well worth it when we have been in the market for certain products. From what I have noticed they pride themselves on creating the best they can for the least amount of money possible and try hard to be environmentally friendly. Bring your own bag or tote, or you can purchase one of their large blue IKEA bags if you need or want one of them. Sometimes they have boxes available but those disappear quickly. Our biggest gripe is also how they keep their prices as low as they do. The store is a huge store, that they set up to try to make you walk through a majority of the store and for most of the areas you write down the code of where the item is located in the storage warehouse then at the end, you walk through the warehouse storage area and pick up the cartons off the shelves from the numbers you wrote down. This means only one of most items is displayed and you purchase them in pieces and you put them together. Instructions are clear and we have not had any missed pieces etc, which would be a pain if you are from out of the area like us, but I have seen DIY TV shows that use their products all the time (when I use to watch those shows, several years ago) and when they occasionally had missed pieces the problems were always fixed quickly in those rare cases. Now for my actual gripe...Due to my poor mobility I have had to get them to let me back out a shorter way to check out and took a manager to open the locked doors (enter only doors with no way to exit) Staff were not always easy to find, especially when my body was giving out. Once you found an employee that was authorized to let you back out that door, then most have been helpful. but only once they understood that no you could not just follow the arrows on the floor to get to the exit. The Manager was patient and understanding when I explained the difficulty as that time my husband swore he would never be bringing me back to that store. and no I will never try again without my electric wheel chair instead of my walker that was a horrible struggle with not enough places to sit and rest if a person needed to and took the manager escorting us to the check out. I have only convinced my husband to bring me back once since that time and I do hope to be going again next month though my poor husband is not yet aware of that desire of mine, when we are up that way in a few weeks. We will have our daughter with us, so likely he will just take a nap in the car so he will not have to deal with the situation and I will have the elec chair and a shopping buddy that will love the store as much as I love the prices and selection. The prices are exceptional, not "high end" but definitely not low end either, though I think most DIY'ers would be in 7th heaven checking out everything in that store and creative people who can think outside of the box will come up with awesome ways to use many of the products. If you see a special item in children's toys or during a special sale make sure to pick it up at that time, as it may not be there the next time you want to find it. During one of their back to school specials they had various sized art memo tablets under $1 per note pad from small pocket sized up to Xlg about 10x15 inches and all had nice hard covers, I truly wish I had picked up all they had left. Live and learn as they say. Also not all children's toys were there the last time and I missed not having all the wooden toy selection from the previous visits and from seeing previous catalogs so was surprised they were not there on that visit and the employee's we checked with did not know if those would return again. Worth checking them out and picking up a current catalog. Pick up paper, pencil and paper tape measure on the way in the store, if you have not brought your own. Daycare is available and cafeteria on site with great prices and good food. Elevator or an escalator is available for those who can not do stairs. A friendly warning...From their food department across from check out. do not try their cinnamon rolls if you are ever on a diet as they will forever be on any shopping list for every future trip and the cinnamon rolls freeze really well which is also a blessing and a curse! Likely more information than you were needing but hope it helps with your decision. Pam

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

WOW Pam ! We had Costco open up a few years ago and membership is like $65 Aus per year !!!! I find that a bit steep it would be a different story is it weren't an annual fee. The problem with that is that even if you buy in bulk to save you still need to be able to store it all at home. Thanks very much for all that info and the time you spared for me !!!!! Thanks for tips on the writing implements , tape measure and grabbing things as you see them and see them. I have two girls one 7 and the other 10 and so it sounds that they will probably love it. I was delivered a new catalog yesterday as they aren't due to open the store until November and it looks interesting. Our closest one is about 4 hours away but I have never been. Our store is free standing so it is nice sometimes to be able to grab a coffee (hubby will do this most times we are out) and a treat for the girls. We try not to eat tooo much junk (comfort food, LOL) but every now and then is nice. Oh I will have to try keep away from the cinnamon rolls then. Hee hee hee.Great to hear they were helpful to you. It would make it hard and very tiring when you have mobility challenges. Hope you are doing ok though !!!!!! That's what you want , helpful staff , and to me that means great customer service! Sounds like the place you visit is just huge !!!! Hope your husband isn't too shocked when you break it to him (gently) that you are going to visit again . :D Hopefully you'll be able to have a much more relaxing and enjoying visit when you go with you daughter !!! I don't know if ours have two levels . From driving past quite a few months ago it looked like a huge building . It is built near our airport and the area is quite open but it shall be very interesting to visit when they open. I won't go straight away but give it a few weeks so that the rush of open day can ease a little. Thanks again for the very informative outlook. I will look forward to going to check it out.

The stores here in Australia don't have a membership.. But oh the savings and specials worth checking out the store..

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

I am in Australia and they have said membership helps to get longer warranty and it is free to join. They are due to open in November. Thanks I will look out for their specials .

Ikea does not require a membership, at least not the one I go to. I never had the need for customer service, so I am no help here. Prices are good so have fun just snooping around.

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by katmug 17 Aug 2015

Thanks crafter! The membership is free and not necessary but the website said it helps with extended warranty and returns.