The last cycle I threw some cash at some quality solid wood products. They're a better investment.
They're a different investment. Furniture (outside of antiques) has practically no resale value. If you move around a lot, and value your freedom and mobility over most other things, Ikea is pretty much perfect. It's designed to be for the short term.
There does recently seem to be more crap, though. I tried to buy a floor lamp from there a couple of months ago, and they seemed to be basically not charging enough to be able to make their designs to a decent standard. If you're going to make a floor lamp for £30-40, just make it simple, don't put in a lot of hinges which aren't properly secured or balanced, or snake-like fittings which make loud groaning noises every time they are moved. Ironically I got something less ambitious and better designed from the local anonymous hardware store. Disappointing to see a company like IKEA which is supposed to be all about thought-out industrial design making mistakes like that.
Only Target and Walmart furniture have fallen apart on me--usually within less than a year.