Two words:
Heywood Wakefield

So as long as everything is structurally intact, it's worth getting and cleaning up for short-term use, then continue to save your money for a professional restoration.

Re-covering the chair seats is trivial. You can do it yourself with a staple gun in an afternoon. Is everything besides the table in good condition? If there's nothing wobbly or stained, it's worth going for, because you can always use a tablecloth until you get around to refinishing the top.

But one question to consider: do you really want everything to be a matched set? Me, I don't mind it, but I know some people have strong opinions about matched sets.

If you really love this set, and it's structurally sound, then I think it's worth it.

Also, remember that $400 is what it's LISTED for. You might be able to talk them down a bit.

I don't know if its Heywood Wakefield, I guess I should go and view it (these are photos from the seller) and definitely if it is not sturdy I would not get it

Thank you very much for the suggestion!

Don't know if it's a true set - the chairs and dining table definitely look like HW. $400 for the set - go for it. Start by getting the table refinished and do the rest when you're bank acct is replenished.

I have refinished so many pieces, and really what it comes down to is: do you love it? If you do, and have a vision for the finished/restored product, it's worth it. If you have time, get right to it. Don't wait, letting it sit until you no longer care. Make sure you sit on the chairs, turn them over, check for signature markings on insides of drawers. Does it feel right to you? The table looks solid, not veneer. If this is the case it will be no huge job. Veneer replacement is more work and may require professional help. Happy refinishing!

Go check it out and look to see if it is well made with dove tailed drawers and so if it is just such surface damage, I think it might be worth refinishing over time if it is HW or well made vintage

Offer $250-$300. NO ONE is buying antique furniture right now! If they reject it, wait until you find one in a better condition.

- I work in antiques :)

1. I would offer 300 and see what happens. 2. I have a question: if it is real HW wouldn't refinishing it harm the value of the pieces? As for the original question, I say if you like and have a use for all the pieces, get them and refinish the best up ones yourself. If you refinish the table only, might it be hard to match the color to the other pieces? But in terms of moving up from Ikea , if this stuff is solid and useful, this is a great move. Go for it !

My dining chairs are from an old school library and I love them. I think these pieces are cool and you should totally buy them. If you don't need them, just try to sell the pieces you don't want to someone else and recoup some cash.

Meh

A friend recently refinished a Conant Ball dresser that was about as messed up than that tabletop with Restore-a-finish. It's not perfect, but it's a huge improvement -- you can barely make out the trouble spots. I really like the look of the table and chairs -- definitely make an offer and check them out in person.

If you really love these pieces, not just because they're supposedly Heywood Wakefield or whatever, try offering them $200 or $300 and see if they'll bite. Remember, you're still gonna have to spend time and money recovering / refinishing them (do you know how to do either?).

And do make sure they can be refinished, that you aren't just dealing with veneer.

Personally, they look like a lot of work to me. I wouldn't commit unless I absolutely loved the pieces and thought they'd look great both in my current space as well as in any future space I'm likely to occupy. It would suck to spend $300 or whatever on this set, plus all the time and money to fix it up, only to have to dump it on Craigslist in a year or two when you have to move.

They're kind of a mess. I would hold off, or lowball if you just have to have them. Four hundred is too much for temporary furniture and they'll take work if they're going to be pieces you keep.

I do not think this set is Heywood Wakefield. I have the guide book and it does not match any sets in there. Typically Heywood Wakefield is constructed out of solid birch wood (maple for their early modern stuff) but the bookmatched drawers on the buffet would lead me to believe this is not constructed out of solid wood and rather veneer. In knowing it is veneer it would make it a lot more difficult for a non professional to refinish. Veneered pieces are infamously hard to restore since the wood is so thin it becomes really easy to sand through.

I would pass on this set. You can get a better deal from a thrift store.

DON'T DO IT.

MCM is the new shabby chic and you'll be sorry you ever fell for the trend.

There's always a tablecloth!

I second that you could get a better deal from a thrift store - this is in one hell of a bad condition for them to ask $400 for it - Cragslist seems to have turned into a place for people to offload their junk and charge ridiculous amounts for it

The table will be uncomfortable for more than 4 people to sit at. If you really like it offer them less.

I'm with the nays. The table looks like a really really lot of work, even if it is structurally perfect (which it probably is not, considering the condition of the top).

I bought an old set of generic Danish modern in better condition than this. Eventually just gave away the table because I didn't like the rickety-ness of the gate-leg. Refinished the chairs, which look pretty nice but squeak. I do like the china cupboard a lot, but it still needs some work too. If I had it to do again I wouldn't.

But good luck and have fun, whichever way you decide!

Definitely visit the pieces in person and see if they're sound... sit on the chairs, open the drawers and wiggle everything. Sit in the chairs and scoot them around. Peek underneath every surface to see if it's real wood and not particle board.

Personally, if it checked out, I'd grab it.

If you decide to pass on this set - I'd recommend looking at auctions and estate sales. In my experience, the best bargains have been for multi-piece sets - bedroom or dining.

Most people aren't interested in more than one or two pieces or else can't easily transport the items.

I bought a signed danish table & 4 chairs at an estate auction for $25. I've seen similar bargains for full dining sets. I doubt that there are many compable values available via Craigslist or even thrift shops.

I think that design-wise and given the quality of the material, they're worth refinishing. I think it's worth sanding and finishing. If it's not a Heyward Wakefiled, I would DIY this one. Heck, maybe you could make it really funky and if you're not enamored with the maple, you can stain to a rich dark brown or red, why not!

Go see it in person and determine whether it's rickety.
Weigh your own skill in the carpentry department with the level of ricketiousness and think about how much it will cost you in human cost AND actual money.

Decide whether you enjoy whiling away your hours making that kind of repair and whether the money you spend on materials AND the things themselves will offset the money you would otherwise spend those nights dancing a fandango.

Also think about whether you really care about this becoming an investment that you need to eventually see a profit from (you probably won't see a profit from it, to be honest).

If there's some sure way to determine it is NOT Heywood Wakefield, you might find yourself a tad more likely to finish however the heck you want to, so that you can just tell whomever might gasp in horror at the supposed desecration to just simmer down and drink their wine.

I spent $1,300 having a street find re-upholstered, which was so totally worth it. I had re-painted it myself, but since it was a chair with 3 backs on it, I knew it was completely outside my skill set, and I haven't regretted it for a minute. It's one of the jewels of my home. The chair was just such an interesting shape that I knew there was NO amount of money that would have made it happen any other way than to have found it and had it re-done.