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Good Questions: What is My Milo Baughman Chair Worth?

10-15-baughman.jpgAT:SF, Hi there. I have a vintage Milo Baughman chair that I'm looking to sell. It's marked Milo Baughman for James, Inc. -- from 1975. I haven't been able to find one like it anywhere on line. It's an olive green vinyl & chrome recliner. Super cool and in perfect shape. Any ideas on where I can find out what it's worth? Thank you!
-Jeannine

 
 

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Comments (7)

I don't think any of us here are qualified to give a reliable number - either for resale or insurance purposes.

I'd call a professional appraiser who is familiar with MCM furniture to do the job.

posted by bepsf on October 15th 2008 at 5:11pm
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How much did you pay for it? Are you trying to make a big return on your investment?

Why not just list it on ebay or craigslist, and see what people are willing to pay?

You could alwasy find one similar, find its price/value, and go off of that.

posted by fledgling aesthete on October 15th 2008 at 6:15pm
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Go into Advanced Search on E-Bay. Check the box for Achieved Prices and you will see auction results. Ones that did not sell are in red. That way you can see what people are paying and how many are actually being sold--what the demand is. Another way is to find a dealer, send them pictures and let them make an offer. Talk to enough people and you'll find the price. It takes a little research.

posted by dandy on October 15th 2008 at 11:45pm
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Check 1st dibs.

posted by Staceydh on October 16th 2008 at 2:55am
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"Another way is to find a dealer, send them pictures and let them make an offer."

A dealer will only offer what they are willing pay in order to be able to mark it up and make a profit for themselves - Not an indication of what it's truly worth.

EBay isn't the best resource for pricing either as many folks are hesitant about making purchases for items unseen and/or dealing with shipping - some highly desirable pieces in remote areas simply won't sell on eBay because the sellers refuse to deal with shipping.

Nothing beats a written professional appraisal.

posted by bepsf on October 16th 2008 at 7:03am
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i'll take a stab at it.

chrome is hot, baughman is hot, and 1970's are increasingly hot in the design and auction world. plus as a recliner you may be able to avoid the discount that frequently happens for selling singles as opposed to pairs or groups. and your piece has great lines and a high back. a very appealing man chair for a certain type of man.

i bet it would be priced at $1500 and up at 1stdibs caliber dealers (more if reupholstered in leather). they in turn will pay you at most 25-40% of that to profit on it given their carrying costs, hence we're at $375-600 range.

i don't think you'll have luck finding a professional appraiser with mcm expertise. they don't exist yet. even some auction houses don't know what they are doing in this area and they employ professional appraisers. you can find auction results (that professionals use for comparables) yourself via wright20, lamodern, architonic, and rago's archives, or as mentioned above 1stdibs for retail comparables.

you might shoot a picture off to rago or wright for a inquiry about listing it in their upcoming auctions. while not a professional appraisal, if they are interested they will give you a value range and their commission will be less than the average dealer's markdown. for truly rare pieces, they get the best prices and can facilitate bidding wars between dealers and/or collectors.

worth here is relative to time. a dealer's price is not something you should expect unless you are a dealer or willing to hold forever, an auction price will vary by who auctions it and when, craigslist and ebay are great for quick sales and serendipity.

good luck.

posted by healthyhome on October 16th 2008 at 7:44am
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Here is a somewhat similar Milo Baughman recliner with ottoman on Craigslist. http://baltimore.craigslist.org/fuo/876008052.html

Your chair is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it. I love mid century furniture, and the chrome definitely devalues it for me. The one listed above on Craigslist is more appealing to me because of the wood, and the matching ottoman. On the plus side, it helps that your chair has the original label still on it. Do your research on Ebay, and best of luck!

posted by leely16 on October 16th 2008 at 7:45am
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