Are these chairs antiques?
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I picked these 2 chairs up at a garage sale last summer. Someone told me they are worth quite a bit. I am not sure how to figure this out so I am asking my fellow hometalk friends if they have any clues. The chairs are a bit rickety and one of the seats has a hole. I love the claw feet. I need to know how to move forward and don't want to touch them if I shouldn't. Any help would be appreciated.
2 chairs found at yard sale
The claw feet
hole in seat on one.
17 answers
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The undamaged chair is worth about $75; the damaged chair would need to be re-caned, or sold with the caning removed for about $45.
MikkiGirl
on Jan 27, 2014
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You have some very nice chairs there, quartersawn oak on the back and white oak seats. I would re-cane the one seat and KEEP these chairs. If you went to a furniture store they would be $200 apiece all day long. BTW, nice detail on the feet. If I had more pics of the bottom I could tell you more. Don't sell.....!
Vintage Restorations.....Formerly Closet Furniture
on Jan 28, 2014
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oh wow I have a chair just like this at home. It just sits in the corner with a decorative pillow on it. But the legs are just straight. No pretty design like yours. I wonder if it is also worth some money:)
Xena Nierobisz
on Jan 28, 2014
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Please tell me everything about the chairs.....what's "Rickety" what's loose, do they wobble, etc. I restore antiques so I would repair and use the chairs...they are beautiful. the more i know about them the better i can advise.
Vintage Restorations.....Formerly Closet Furniture
on Jan 28, 2014
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The joints where the legs connect are loose. On one of the chairs it is really bad, I can get 1/8" gap. Should I take it apart and re glue it?
Thrifty Treasures
on Jan 28, 2014
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Whatever parts of the chair you can take apart you should, then put new pegs and glue then clamp.....I also use a small drill and a finish screw with an extra small head (drill and screw while clamped) if you want it indestructible...
Vintage Restorations.....Formerly Closet Furniture
on Jan 28, 2014
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These chairs are not antiques so the value would not be ruined....they are just very nice chairs. If they were antiques the wood on the seat would be quartersawn oak as well it's not, It's white oak.
Vintage Restorations.....Formerly Closet Furniture
on Jan 28, 2014
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Yes they are antique. They are just like mine, I paid $65.00 a piece for each one and that was 25 yrs. ago.
Patty
on Jan 28, 2014
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These two chairs are different. Look at the backs. They are beautiful, but not a pair.
Rosalie M
on Jan 28, 2014
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im thinking that with the lack of turned spindles these pieces are pre Industrial Age or before 1870. I agree that the one splat is upside down. If they are really loose it could be fixed. My opinion however is that they are yours do what makes you happy.
Carol Ann McDaniel
on Jan 29, 2014
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I did notice that one of the backs was put back on wrong. I am thinking the one that is very wobbly and rickety is the one that was done wrong so when I fix it, I will turn it back the right way. Thank you all for your input! It is greatly appreciated.
Thrifty Treasures
on Jan 29, 2014
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My guess on these chairs would be late 1960's early 1970's. If they were antiques (early 1900's) they would not have wooden pegs on the front of the chairs....I have one for sale in my store...no pegs anywhere on the chair. Next time I am in the store I will take a picture of it and post.
Vintage Restorations.....Formerly Closet Furniture
on Jan 29, 2014
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It looks as though the caning is hand woven through guide holes, rather than a machined sheet of caning material held in place by a spline. This may help in determining the age of the chairs.
Cass
on Jan 29, 2014
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I have seen some chairs like this at goodwill, and the restore store, they weren't too expensive, about $11 each, so I doubt they are antiques. but not sure.
Carolyn Hoxton
on Sep 22, 2014
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Ihave a set of 6 chairs exactly like these, claw feet and all...originally had pressed seats but had someone cane them for me..used daily along with pedestal table. Hubby reglued and we just use and enjoy. Of couse back in early 60's only paid $2.00 a chair at auction.
Carol Ann Robinson
on Sep 22, 2014
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...TIENES QUE SABER CUANTOS AÑOS TIENEN MAS DE 50 SON BROCANTERIE, MAS DE 100 SON ANTIGUEDAD
Marizul Barrales Barrios
on Sep 22, 2014
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Regardless whether or not the chairs are antique, I don't recommend inserting nails or screws. The best way to tighten them up is to gently knock them apart using a dead blow hammer. Once apart, scrape all the old glue out of the glued spaces, then brush new glue on all surfaces that will come in contact with each other. Reassemble the chair(s) and clamp either using pipe clamps or, if you don't have clamps, you can use heavy rope. Leave the chairs clamped for at least 24 ours to allow the glue to dry completely. The chairs should be as good as new. As for value, if they are antiques they will probably have a value of about $100 each, which isn't a lot in the scheme of things. A new chair, not that they are made that much better, can be purchased for about the same price. However, these seem to have woven-in cane seats, rather than spline-in, which would give them a little more of a value. Today's cane seats are rarely woven-in. Too time consuming and expensive to execute.
Swan Road Designs
on Jan 15, 2015
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