Yesterday, we ran a quiz which posed the question, "Which one of these chairs costs more than a new car?". Ready to see if your antique spotting eye is right on? Click here for the quiz post or jump below for the answer:
As many of you very smart people knew...it's A! Set at $39,000, it is priced at over $30,000 higher than the next priciest piece in the group and last time I checked, you could pick up a pretty nice new car for that much spare change. I was super impressed with how many of you got it right and how many folks really knew the reason WHY this particular chair can command that kind of asking price. It is available on 1st Dibs from HL Chalfant. Here is the scoop:
• The chair was made in Pennsylvania circa 1780.
• It is constructed of Maple with a rush seat.
• It retains the original blue paint finish and is in excellent condition.
• Overall, it is an excellent example of an early ladderback with ball and ring front stretcher and a ball feet.
Now, many of the comments mentioned C - it seemed to be the hit in terms of general popularity and got lots of votes for most expensive...but it's actually the cheapest in the group. Priced at $550, it is American, made from metal with a molded seat and is from the sixties. It's available (there is actually a set of six!) from Foley & Cox on First Dibs.
D certainly looks it's age (late 18th century, like the winner above) and was handmade from Chestnut in Ireland. But, with all of that interesting info, it is still priced under $1000 - it's available for $975 from Essex Antiquarians.
Last but not least, B is a Peacock Chair by Hans Wegner for Johannes Hansen. The only chair in the group with a designer attached, it is from Denmark and is an original from 1947. It's in excellent condition and available from By Design Modern for $5,500.
Well, how did you do? Were you able to spot the chair? Either way, I hope you enjoyed the quiz and look forward to stumping (some of!) you again soon!
Images: 1st Dibs, individual direct links above
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Is the Peacock Chair #B? Came in second again...
yep, I got it. Wow, don't i feel special...
I guessed correctly too :) it was also my favorite by far of the group
Hmmm...I would have guessed that as the third most expensive.
Guess I need to watch more Antiques Roadshow!
Yay, I guessed correctly! American + eighteenth century always wins big.
Something told me it would be A. I just chose the shabbiest least worthy looking one and voila! I would rather redecorate my entire apartment and go on a lengthy trip to Europe than drop that kind of money on one piece!!
@ jamalama: amen.
I think that last C needs to be changed to B...
Oh come on, jamalaman... I bet it would look alright if it was given a lick of paint! ;)
CocoChic, yes, you are right! thanks for the heads up - it's fixed.
of course....my gut said B but partly because A seemed
too obvious! I did not expect that of a quiz.
Nope, I chose B. I think it's my strong bias toward Hans Wegner.
I did not spot the chair, but this was fun!
Yep, I got it. I wouldn't consider paying that kind of money for any chair unless it was actually made of gold and functioned as an alternative investment vehicle, but A looked the most "worthy" of a big price tag. I don't really get the appeal of B, though--it reminds me of those cheap, ubiquitous kitchen chairs of the 1990s (I believe ours may have come from Kmart)--same color wood, same feel upon a quick glance, though obviously not the same design details. I couldn't bear to pay real money for something that looks like the chairs I put out on the curb when I moved out of my college apartment.
I cheated a bit. I was in the auctioneering/antiques business for years. ;)
I'm with you hyzen. I never saw the appeal of the Peacock chair.
I got it right. But my favorite is still C, guess I don't have expensive taste after all. ;-)
My years of watching the Keno brothers on Antique's Roadshow helped me guess correctly. ;)
But it is still not a Windsor Chair!
hanosh,
Me, too!
Wow, D is on sale just a bike ride down the road from me. And I guessed right on A because it looks kinda like the chairs in the museum I sometimes work in just a short walk in the other direction.
A cheery note in an otherwise difficult day.
I agree with hyzen about B - my parents had those chairs in the early-mid 90s. Didn't like them then, don't like them now!
I do find A attractive, but I think that even if I had big bucks, I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a chair... or anything else, really, short of a down payment on a house.
I like C much less knowing it is metal. Shame. XD
@Everyone who says they don't like the look of B because they had cheap chairs like this in the 90ies. Watch the devil wears prada which has a scene that explains how thing filter down from the runways to the dollar bins at wallmart.
The chair is from 1947 and apparently it took 40 years for its looks to filter down to the cheap chairs your parents bought.
Hey, apartmenttherapy, I really like the "quiz" idea - could you do more of this kind of post? :)
Hah, I was right. However, I also maintain that C is a gorgeous piece of gorgeousness, and it's nice to know it's not all that pricey after all.
A was kinda an obvious choice due to its rarity and original finish. However, it also has a number of other features that should be pointed out, such as the delicacy of the turned stretchers and arms, the ladderback itself which goes from large to small, and the beautiful wood showing thru the wear in the painted finish. It is not something you are likely to find in Walmart.
Again with the 1stDibs. You know, I just picked up a set of four Paul McCobb Perimeter dining chairs from the Goodwill for $5 each. There is a set on 1stDibs priced at $3,750. Rrrriiiiigggghhhhttttttt.
A set of four AND a table sold at a BURCHARD GALLERIES INC auction in 2004 for $500. I'm pretty sure that they haven't appreciated THAT much in 7 years. People are free to price items how ever they like but I don't think that 1stDibs is a good place to get an idea what an item is worth. Try eBay Completed Listings to get a closer REAL world estimate of value.
Mr. Modtomic
"I wouldn't consider paying that kind of money for any chair unless it was actually made of gold and functioned as an alternative investment vehicle"
Actually, Antique 18th Century American Furniture IS an alternative investment vehicle for some folks.
When cared for, they never lose value and frequently appreciate as well as provide a useful and beautiful piece of furniture for one's home - Which isn't something you can say about gold coins or bullion.
@Modtomic - Agree completely re: 1stDibs. Their prices are absurd, and after reading about your Goodwill score, I'm more convinced than ever that prices are set without any rhyme or reason--except the belief that the higher the price, the more people will think the item is desirable.
I've never paid more than $25 for a chair. I wonder how man starving African children could be fed for $35K? Still, you wouldn't have anywhere TO SIT. Ugh. I can't even...
I could swear that my great grand mother had one or two of the A's. The wicker seats were in very poor shape. It also could be that I'm just remembering them incorrectly.
I actually own a wooden version of C. I seriously doubt its worth anything though. I've been painted several times, the supports are loose, and there are several chips throughout the entire piece. Got it for free from the in-laws.
Wow, I was sure you were going to pull a fast one with it being a famous butt in the chair. Well played AT. But really 39,000? This seems wrong.
bepsf - granted, "When cared for, they never lose value and frequently appreciate as well as provide a useful and beautiful piece of furniture for one's home" -- BUT, in my house, between the kids and the dogs and whatnot, if we tried to use such a chair it would *quickly* depreciate in value, so I'd have to rope it off in a corner or something, and at that point I'd rather have bullion in a vault so I could keep that corner free for something we'd actually use. :)