Finding Value: Tips to Buying Vintage and Antique Chairs at Estate Sales

If you go to estate sales often, chances are an antique or vintage chair or two has caught your eye. If you immediately start thinking about how great the chair would look in a particular area of your home, it’s likely that this furniture piece is for you. However, there are a few tips to keep in mind when you’re buying chairs at an estate sale to ensure you get the best deal and leave the sale completely satisfied.

Chairs abound at estate sales, and the key is to check for overall condition. Make sure it isn’t wobbly and that the legs aren’t coming apart. Sit it in and make sure it has a good sound structure.

Read on to find out more:

Take advantage of the preview. Estate sales often have a preview a few hours or the day before so customers are able to check out items in advance. Use this to your benefit to get a good look at what will be offered for sale so you can focus your attention on the signature chair that is just for you. The preview also lets you know if actually attending the estate sale is worth your while and has what you are looking for. In addition, you can begin researching the chair in question to determine its value and what you are willing to pay for it. If it’s an antique, you can hopefully discover if it is authentic and not a reproduction.

Have a Way to get the Chair Home: It may sound silly, but a chair isn’t something that can easily be carted off in a small car once purchased thanks to its gawky shape and size. Make sure you arrange a way to have your new chair taken from the estate sale directly to your home as soon as you pay for it. In many cases, the estate sale facilitator will hold your chair there until the end of the day once you pay for it and return with a truck or van to cart it away in. If you’ve got a friend with a large vehicle, this is the time to call them for a favor to help you get it home. Be sure to bring a blanket and tape to cover it so that it does not get damaged in transit.

Tomorrow is Another Day: Many estate sales go on for at least two days. If you see a vintage suede chair that you want, but know you’ll have to change the seat cushion due to a stain or rip on the original one; or if the chair has scuffed wood that needs to be refinished, the price of the chair may be reduced on the second day. Keep your eye on the piece and ask the estate owner as many questions as you need to about the furniture piece. There’s a good chance the chair may be there the next day, along with small items that you may have overlooked, like artwork or throw blankets that will complement the chair. Some estate sales also offer discounted prices on the second day of the sale, so you’ll save even more money on your purchase.

Recover Ugly: Many times, chairs at tag sales can be in rough shape. Don’t overlook a chair simply because the seat cushion is stained or torn, as it’s fairly easy to recover junky fabric and give your new seat a whole new look. If the cushion inside is flat, it’s not terribly expensive to buy a new piece of foam cut to size to give it a new life. If a vintage chair has a shape you just love and good bones, it might be worth reupholstering it entirely. This is not a job to be taken lightly, and you should consult an expert in your town to help you revamp the chair. It really isn’t that expensive if you truly adore it and shop around.

It’s also a great idea to show up early to the estate sale so you can get first dibs on all the chairs you want. Happy shopping!

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