This entry was posted on Sunday, April 12th, 2009 at 6:46 pm and is filed under comic.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Brilliant! Love the insight in panel 4. I think the other key is that all of their stores are in coastal cities near sea ports. Trucking inventory inland costs too much.
As a resident of the republic of IKEA (formerly known as Sweden) I will make sure the King hear of this!
Our state secrets shouldn’t be revealed in such a blatent manner.
Well I guess the skills to drive a stickshift and correctly assemble furniture will still be safe within our borders. Americans are clearly incapable of mastering either.
Oh, we’re just as stupid as everyone else. It’s just that the “scandinavian” model includes universal health care and education with supplementary state economic support. For free.
I guess we’re just the lucky ones because we got the best parts of socialism to work But thanks for the compliment though
“you’ve been ikea-ed” is what we say when we see someone in the carpark clutching an astonishingly well-priced chest of drawers/floor lamp/1000 tea light candles, and who’s just remembered they drive a 3-door hatch with a baby seat in the back. why yes, ikea do charge for delivery. lavishly. damn those brilliant bastards!
I’ve always been scared of stepping into an IKEA. I’ve heard it really is like a KÖRN maze. Hehe! How do you assemble a couch? Do you have to upholster it yourself??
As a home owner and idiot, I’ve kept every stupid tool that comes with my IKEA purchases, “just in case”. Seriously, I have useless wrenches all over my garage.
[...] Basic Instructions by Scott Meyer: Your all-inclusive guide to a life well-lived. "Like a corn maze with end tables?" (tags: comix popular-culture know-it-all-and-know-thyself) [...]
excellent advice as always. was wondering is there a “how to lose your virginity” comic? awkward sex is always funny. and basic instructions are always helpful. i would call it win…
[...] panel from Basic Instructions cracked me up as part of the strip, “How to Make a Recommendation“. And it reminds me that I might need a trip to IKEA in the near future–a thought that [...]
Well both Chicago and Minneapolis have bulk transportation via the greatlakes system afaik(Minneapolis via the Mississippi and Minnesota River). So fully reachable by existing watershipping routes. Not sure that the the existance of these would “prove” IKEA focus on transporting goods thru waterways but the existance of IKEA stores in these citys atleast doesn’t disprove the watertheory.
*points at Brians next post, directly below this one*
He corrected himself the very next minute after posting, fellas. No need to quibble. Besides, a better “inland” example would be the IKEA location in Plano, TX, near where I live. ;-]
I live in Sweden (but am an american, mind you) , and IKEAs get the same wrap here. Swedes are proud going Ty Pennington on their apartments once a year. Also, right inside the entrances are massive play areas with ball pits and slides and what-have-you. The little kids all have equally tiny vests with a number on them. Imagine my surprise when I tried to order a “#4, no mayo” and was only laughed at. That was actually my dad’s idea.
you obviously have never seen me do either of those tasks… I AM THE GREATEST DRIVER OF STICK AND ASSEMBLER OF INEXPENSIVE FURNITURE EVER! BWA-HA-HA!!!!!
April 12th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Yeah, dude. Well said.
April 12th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Brilliant work as always Scott
perfect link to send to ppl who ask what IKEA is
April 12th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
What about the meat balls. Yum. It is what supermarket owners would like to do, but can’t. Never ending isles of food and lollies.
April 12th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Brilliant! Love the insight in panel 4. I think the other key is that all of their stores are in coastal cities near sea ports. Trucking inventory inland costs too much.
April 12th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Edit: I guess my long-standing biases were misunderstandings. There are plenty of inland IKEAs. I’ve been misled!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Classic. But you forgot to mention the meatballs! And the lingonberries!
April 13th, 2009 at 12:39 am
As a resident of the republic of IKEA (formerly known as Sweden) I will make sure the King hear of this!
Our state secrets shouldn’t be revealed in such a blatent manner.
Well I guess the skills to drive a stickshift and correctly assemble furniture will still be safe within our borders. Americans are clearly incapable of mastering either.
April 13th, 2009 at 3:29 am
Bloody Vikings!
April 13th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Oh, we’re just as stupid as everyone else. It’s just that the “scandinavian” model includes universal health care and education with supplementary state economic support. For free.
But thanks for the compliment though 
I guess we’re just the lucky ones because we got the best parts of socialism to work
April 13th, 2009 at 5:21 am
“you’ve been ikea-ed” is what we say when we see someone in the carpark clutching an astonishingly well-priced chest of drawers/floor lamp/1000 tea light candles, and who’s just remembered they drive a 3-door hatch with a baby seat in the back. why yes, ikea do charge for delivery. lavishly. damn those brilliant bastards!
April 13th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Eeeeh eh eh eh
I have to say though – the ONLY thing that you possibly don’t have to assemble are sofas…
April 13th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Except they have stores in Chicago and Minneapolis, pretty much as inland as it gets.
April 13th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I have never meet anyone who bought a couch. The way I get a couch is by waiting for someone to drag one to the crub. The same way everyone else does.
April 13th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Cool comic, which of course reminded me of the song “Ikea” by Jonathan Coulton: http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Ikea
April 13th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Here is a great explanation of IKEA in song
http://www.jonathancoulton.com/songdetails/Ikea
April 13th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Classic! I wonder if IKEA will follow the Air Force’s example and be contacting you soon… hmmm
April 13th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I’ve always been scared of stepping into an IKEA. I’ve heard it really is like a KÖRN maze. Hehe! How do you assemble a couch? Do you have to upholster it yourself??
April 13th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
so THAT’S how you spell umlaut.
April 13th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
As a home owner and idiot, I’ve kept every stupid tool that comes with my IKEA purchases, “just in case”. Seriously, I have useless wrenches all over my garage.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:04 am
[...] Basic Instructions by Scott Meyer: Your all-inclusive guide to a life well-lived. "Like a corn maze with end tables?" (tags: comix popular-culture know-it-all-and-know-thyself) [...]
April 14th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Would be great if your picture and or comic would hang framed in the demo rooms!!!
April 14th, 2009 at 5:54 am
[...] 14, 2009 at 9:16 f m (Kultur: Serier) (Serier) Scott Meyer, som gör Basic Instructions har kommit IKEA:s hemliga affärsmodell på [...]
April 14th, 2009 at 6:15 am
excellent advice as always. was wondering is there a “how to lose your virginity” comic? awkward sex is always funny. and basic instructions are always helpful. i would call it win…
April 14th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
[...] full strip also makes a creepy point about used sofas. Click the pic, or this link for the full [...]
April 14th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
[...] panel from Basic Instructions cracked me up as part of the strip, “How to Make a Recommendation“. And it reminds me that I might need a trip to IKEA in the near future–a thought that [...]
April 15th, 2009 at 5:09 am
Well both Chicago and Minneapolis have bulk transportation via the greatlakes system afaik(Minneapolis via the Mississippi and Minnesota River). So fully reachable by existing watershipping routes. Not sure that the the existance of these would “prove” IKEA focus on transporting goods thru waterways but the existance of IKEA stores in these citys atleast doesn’t disprove the watertheory.
April 15th, 2009 at 7:11 am
*points at Brians next post, directly below this one*
He corrected himself the very next minute after posting, fellas. No need to quibble. Besides, a better “inland” example would be the IKEA location in Plano, TX, near where I live. ;-]
April 15th, 2009 at 8:16 am
I live in Sweden (but am an american, mind you) , and IKEAs get the same wrap here. Swedes are proud going Ty Pennington on their apartments once a year. Also, right inside the entrances are massive play areas with ball pits and slides and what-have-you. The little kids all have equally tiny vests with a number on them. Imagine my surprise when I tried to order a “#4, no mayo” and was only laughed at. That was actually my dad’s idea.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Nice arc in this one.
April 15th, 2009 at 11:40 am
you obviously have never seen me do either of those tasks… I AM THE GREATEST DRIVER OF STICK AND ASSEMBLER OF INEXPENSIVE FURNITURE EVER! BWA-HA-HA!!!!!