Who We Are

Al Davis got his first taste of the home furnishings business as a salesman at the Quality Tire and Appliance Company in downtown San Diego in the 1950's. Later he managed the housewares department at Sol Price's first Fed-Mart store. One of Al's favorite stories is about how one day he thought up Fabric World in one corner of the store. A couple of days later Sol Price walked up and gruffly asked, "Whose idea was this?" When told it was Al Davis he walked off. A couple of weeks later there appeared in other parts of the store, "Baby World", "Tool World", "Shoe World", etc.

Al and his wife Bea found a small shoe repair shop for rent in Hillcrest in 1960. They rented it and converted it into a used furniture and antique store. Al soon started selling new furniture out of catalogs. The store he started has now became known all over Southern California as a great place to get quality furniture, carpet, window coverings and mattresses at the lowest prices around. Al was well-known in Hillcrest for his giant rubberband ball. It's gone now since rubberbands don't do well when exposed to air. And no, Al did NOT own the Raiders! Al passed away in November of 2000 after a long bout with cancer and is sorely missed by his family and friends.

“ I was going to retire, but I checked my tires
and they're still good!”

Bob Davis has been working in the home furnishings field since he was a young child. After his father, Al Davis, opened his used furniture store in 1960, Bob would spend his after school hours rummaging through the treasures his father and mother had collected at estate sales, auctions and warehouses. Many times, Al and Bob closed the store at 5:00 PM and then started delivering sofas, dressers and mattresses to customers all over the city until 10:00 at night.

Bob started Mattress World next door to Al Davis Furniture in 1981. The first major lines of mattresses discounted by Mattress World were Sealy Posturepedics and Spring Air Back Supporters. Back then, name brand mattresses were not generally discounted. Over the years, brands added to the discount mix include, Simmons Beautyrest, Aireloom Handcrafted beds, natural all cotton filled beds, wool and hemp beds, pure Latex beds from Land and Sky with all natural quilting and ticking, Diamond Lady Americana beds and their own brand of generic beds. Loyal customers started telling their friends about the great deals on furniture, carpet and mattresses at that little store on University Avenue in Hillcrest. Today, even with competition from big East Coast mattress chains and Superstores from Los Angeles, Mattress World is successful and growing.

Bob is the father of two wonderful children, Sarah who recently graduated from Pomona College in Claremont, California with a degree in Black Studies and a minor in Math, and his son Taylor who has recently graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in Earth Sciences. Sarah is an apprentice midwife specializing in natural home birth, and Taylor is an assistant supervisor at an eco-friendly construction company in Berkeley, California and is planning on becoming a general contractor specializing in building natural homes.

In his spare time, Bob enjoys printing black and white photographs of the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest in his home darkroom. Bob's wife, Antonia, is an artist who's current passion is the creation of wonderful sculptures using found objects. She is becoming well known for her whimsical metal sculptures created using vintage aluminum kitchenware. Bob & Antonia's dog's name is "Trudy "and is a Bichon Frise.

“ We may not be as big or have as many locations as some stores.
All we do is offer the lowest prices, quick delivery,
and friendly advice in a ‘no high pressure’ environment.”

Mary Perry runs the computer and makes sure the bills are paid. She loves playing with her wonderful grandchildren and has a husband who builds computers and loves playing bass in a rock and roll band.

Rob Myerson is a salesman in both the furniture and mattress departments and arranges same or next day deliveries to customers. Rob has years of experience selling home furnishings and helps advise customers so they can purchase just the right items for their homes and the best beds for their backs. Rob and his wife Teresa enjoy their two dogs, Diego and Rusty, and enjoy traveling throughout the Southwest.

Bob Schraer manages all floor covering departments and arranges and supervises installation of carpet, wood, laminate, and vinyl floors. Bob always enjoys taking sales away from the large warehouse stores by offering lower prices and better service.