Is This Old Chair Worth Anything??

lydia1959

17 years ago

I picked this old chair up because I loved the shape of it and the carved wood (it was free too!). I had planned on seeing about having it recovered, but it also needs some work as it doesn't "sit" right and the arms aren't tight. Do upholsterers only do the fabric or can they rework the chair too? What would that cost me? Is it worth anything the way it is? Can anyone date it?

Photos were taken the day I got it, it's been cleaned up a bit since then.

TIA

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Comments (5)

magnaverde
17 years ago
Hi Lydia1959.

I'm neither an antiques dealer nor an apprasier, so I can't give you any figures, but I can tell you that a good upholstery shop can do wonders. With a chair as old as yours--I'm guessing early to mid 192Os--it's probably got rotten webbing, which means the springs have shifted & made the cusion lopsided, but a good upholstery shop can take care of all that and make your chair as good as new. Just make sure he knows you want the same construction when it comes back, so you don't end up with a brand new foam slab instead of what's probably a comfy spring-&-hair cushion.

Regards,
MAGNAVERDE.
lindac
17 years ago
It looks sort of 1940-ish to me...not a valuable antique...but a very nice shape.
Yes upholsterers do rework a chair...tighten what needs it and replace padding etc. It's not cheap...but It will get you a very nice chair for less than the price of a new one of the same quality.
I am still enjoying my $85 chair....$10 cost, $75 to re do....and that was just seat and back!. But I couldn't get anything like that for near that price.
It's nice...go for it.
Linda C
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lkplatow
17 years ago
I bought a very similar chair at the Salvation Army for $50 - it is almost exactly like yours except that it does not have the wood piece on the top of the arms. I bought it intending to have it reupholstered to look like the Blue's Clue's thinking chair - the lines were similar and I thought it would make a great gift for my daughter (then 2 and a huge Blue's Clue's fan).

When I had the reupholsterer evaluate it, he said that it was a very well-built chair and offered to buy it from me if I decided the cost of reupholstery was too much. He was really bummed when I told him there was a matching sofa that I did not buy because I couldn't fit it in my car.

I did get it reupholstered - I think I paid about $100 for fabric and $350 for the upholstery, so I it ended up costing a lot more than I had planned. It is a very cool chair, though, and now stands in all its bright red glory in my daughter's bedroom.

Good luck!
lydia1959
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all the posts. I guess I will have an upholsterer take a look at it and give me a price.

lkplatow - there was a matching sofa at the sale I found my chair at too (free also), but it needed a lot more work than the chair plus I didn't have any place to keep it. Your 'Blues Clues' chair sounds wonderful!
zeffyrose
17 years ago
Oh My ---I just love chairs----I wish I had more room----I too found an old wing chair at a yard sale---$5.00----I just had a cover made for it because it was in pretty good condition---I love the story about the "blue's clues chair---I bet your little girl loves it.

GREAT CHAIR--!!!

Congratulations,

Florence