What’s In Stock and What’s Special Order? How to Shop Smarter at Fly By Night

You walk into a store, fall in love with the perfect sofa… and then hear, “It’ll be here in 18 weeks.” It’s frustrating—but not uncommon.

At Fly By Night, we believe in transparency and smart planning. Some pieces can arrive within days. Others are made to order and worth waiting for. The key is knowing what’s available now, what takes time, and how to shop confidently either way.

If you’re working on a short timeline, start with our in-stock selection. We keep a curated mix of ready-to-go favorites in our warehouse. These include versatile sofas and sectionals, cherry beds and dressers from our Noho Bedroom and Woodforms collections, dining chairs from ChairWorks, and ergonomic mattresses from brands like Berkeley Ergonomics, Gold Bond, and Ergovea. Solid wood coffee and end tables are often in stock, too. Inventory changes quickly, so it’s always smart to ask what’s available now—or what’s about to arrive.

But if you want something tailored to your space and style, a special order is the way to go. Most of our best-selling pieces are built to order, which means you choose the fabric, cushion firmness, wood finish, and configuration that works best for you. It’s not sitting in a warehouse. It’s being built just for you.

Lead times vary by vendor, but we’re always up front about what to expect. American Leather, Norwalk, and Flexsteel tend to arrive in 4 to 8 weeks. Brands like Younger, Vilmers, Halligan, Rowe, and Jonathan Louis take closer to 6 to 10 weeks. For solid wood makers like Gat Creek, Woodforms, and Copeland, the range is often 8 to 12 weeks. ChairWorks and TableWorks usually land somewhere in the 6 to 10 week range. We’ll always give you a realistic estimate—not one designed to close a sale.

Many of our customers use a hybrid approach. They’ll grab an in-stock mattress or bed for immediate needs and place a custom order for the sofa or sectional they really want. That way, they’re not compromising comfort now—or style later.

What makes our process different is the honesty. We don’t play guessing games. We won’t tell you something’s in stock when it’s not. And we don’t disappear once the order is placed. You’ll get clear answers and steady communication from start to finish.

Need help deciding between fast and custom? We’ll talk you through the pros and cons, with zero pressure.

Come visit us in Northampton—or soon, in Maynard—and let’s build a plan that works for you. We’ll help you see what’s ready today, preview what’s coming soon, explore fabric and finish options, and decide what to order now vs later. Our job is to make furniture shopping feel easy—not overwhelming.