"Some" is almost always an understatement. Your purchased product bearing this phrase on its box has been divided into many very small, similar-looking parts. There will always be an excess of some parts (usually washers) and possibly a shortage of others (usually machine bolts). The instruction manual offers vague descriptions of the assembly process, and the illustrations usually look nothing like the actual parts. The instruction manual may have the same instructions in several different languages in between each step, so it can sometimes be hard to follow the process. Never underestimate the amount of time it takes to assemble something yourself. For example, if you have just bought a gas grill that needs to be assembled, don't make plans to cook tonight's dinner on it - having it ready for next weekend is a much more reasonable goal.

Yes, this is always an understatement. While trying to piece together a cute little computer desk, I thought, not altogether jokingly, "Why don't I just pay them $100 and they give me an oak log and an axe and ask me to make this thing?"

Or better yet, how about a "Grow Your Own Desk" kit? A couple of acorns in a plastic baggie. Sell this thing for $19.99 and you could make millions, along with a "Solar-powered Tanning Bed." A sucker is born every minute, and this has pyramid scheme written all over it.

Enough of this, I have to finish putting together my "some assembly required" desk now.

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