Why do you think they won't sell as is? You bought them, right? I think that you need to keep your goal in sight, or you won't make a clear profit on your booth. The more time you spend on each one of items is time lost that you won't get paid for.
They won't ever look like chrome (bentwood chrome?) so why not just leave them and see if they sell as is?

Well, I bought them with the intent to fix them up. I thought that a few minor changes would (again) make them stand out and look appealing. I dont feel that people shopping for furniture pieces at this mall are looking for fixer uppers. but Here's a more close up of the chairs and you can see why I think they needed some work.

I agree ... leave the wood as is but recover the seats. When I go to a market, I am not necessarily looking for something that stands out but rather something that I can't seem to find, don't have the time to look for or can't get my hands on before someone else buys it. This set would be one of them.

I tried the shiny silver spray paint this past summer on my son's feet for his dresser and it didn't work. I think it is pretty hard to replicate the finish with spray paint.

you really think these chairs are ok as they are now? they look pretty rough to me, I dont want to put anything in my booth that is going to look trashy or like a fixer at least a sand down and maybe a restore a finish or maybe I will paint them black.

Any other creative ideas on the table top, something simple that will still make a statement?

I'd paint the chairs black ... same with the pedestal base.

Yes you're right , they need to be painted or refinished; I've had painters do a faux finish duplicating metal, it was done with a brush and silver and black was used. Let us see the final result, it's a cute set !!

I wouldn't try to make the chairs look 50ish as bentwood isn't 50s, it's more 30s, or even 20s, maybe 40s. The table is not original to the chairs either, it's way too "new". I'd try restore a finish and see what they look like.

I agree with marg411. I would buy those in a second, but not if they were painted. I'd go with a 'restore a finish' product like Formby's (do they still make that? lol).

Now me, I see the potential. I'd definitely paint them and cover them with the red vinyl. Now, you won't get the chrome look with spray paint, no matter what type you use, but you CAN get a decent shiny silver if you buy GOOD spray paint and use a hi-gloss clear coat. I'd sand 'em then give two coats of gray primer. Then when it's well dried, paint with the silver paint. Let dry, repeat, dry and 2 coats of hi-gloss.

Do the base and the edge of the table the same way, then paint the top in red...then HI GLOSS spray paint sealer.

No one is going to believe it's an authentic 50's diner set, but it could pass as a cute kitsch set.

In order for metallic paint to look good the surface has to be flawless. I am not sure you would get return on the time you would need to spend in order for them to not look ...well, worse than they do now. You may get more bang for your buck painting them in a black satin.

The original bentwood is 19th c. and it had some crossover with the Aesthetic Movement and the Vienna Secessionist movement--both styles had 'ebonized' or black furniture.

If these are old, they are pre-40s and if they are new they are late 60s-70s. This would not have been a style that was fashionable in the 50s , red formica and chrome era.

It's SO easy to use Restore-A-Finish on things like that, with a bit of 0000 steel wool. If you have any, I bet they'd clean up in a flash, and that would be much easier than painting. You might find it makes some of your other pieces look better, too.

I don't have stock in RAF, but I have been impressed with it. I bought this old spool leg table from CL, and it was BLACK, with age and grime. Look at the finish on the legs, and it appears that it got too close to a fire at some point in its life and the finish was bubbled.

After some RAF and their feeding wax. See the stringer at the bottom and the feet on this side - see how much better they look? I hadn't finished the table at this point, but I think the difference shows up.

Well here I am the crazy wood loving lady, stain it or let someone else have it that appreciates wood kind of person saying those chairs would be better off painted.
Making something fit an era doesn't necessarily mean it's authentic, but has "the look" or "feel" of that era. These have great potential for either a Coca Cola or Ice Cream Parlor look.
I found a picture of a set that looks as though the "chrome" spray paint was used. As wonderful as it is, it doesn't look like chrome even in the best of conditions, but it can work.
If you're not liking that I'd go with a high gloss black enamel along with the red vinyl seats for the chairs and pedestal. As for the top of the table I'd think about a top coat of that pour on poly that's really thick.
And if you are really into the chrome look there's always faux silver leaf with a few coats of poly to seal the deal.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

I think the silver and red looks great in that picture. If you were keeping them yourself and spent a lot of time on prep a metallic finish could give you exactly that look. But if this is going in your shop, and you don't want to spend too much time on it before selling it, I am concerned that every nick and chip will be emphaized by the silver, (at least thats how my quickie silver sprayed things have looked to me). I guess what I am saying is do a cost benefit analysis of your time and do whatever is going to be enough to get it sold without overdoing it.

I am also really impressed with how the Restore-A-Finish worked on that table.

Yours probably aren't Czech or Viennese but who knows? Listed on 1stDibs under Thonet/Bentwood. c. 1900s Czech. @3500 for a set of six.

{{!gwi}}

Justgotabme, that's exactly the look I was imagining. I tried to find that silver/chrome edge for the table, but figured since I did not find it that I could improvise somehow. Even with a decent paint job, I could acheive that look.

I would also be ok with black and I would also consider the RAF. Can you do RAF first and then paint over it?

Wouldn't I feel lucky if that were so!!! My chairs are distant cousins to those :)
1987 Acquires Thonet Industries U.S.A. Gebrüder Thonet is the originator of the bentwood process for chair manufacturing and has been in continuous operation since 1830. In the 1920's Thonet introduced furniture designs of the Bauhaus Architects, including, Marcel Breuer, Mart Stam, Anton Lorenz, Mies van der Rohe, and Walter Gropius.

here's what was/is on the underside of the chairs

If the silver look is what you want then go for it. I think it's cute.

I've not used the Restore-A-Finish before though my guess is it's similar to other furniture refinishers I have used in that it smooths out giving a more even look. Though I believe Restore-A-Finish may have colorants in their formula too.

I spray painted some "carved" mirrors with the chrome finish spray paint and though you know they are not chrome they do look nice. The color is smooth not....not, well not like it used to look. Kind of digitized. Sorry I've my ipod on with Dan Fogelberg's latest music in my head and it's taking me away. Ahhhhh.......

I looked to see if I had a photo of the mirror frame, but can't find one on this computer. I'll try to remember to take one tomorrow, but if I remember right it still looked better in person.

hey, something else, that I thought I'd ask, I just discovered (not sure why I didn't see this before) but these chairs are teak (they are marked as such under the seat cover with the makers name and info). And I want to make sure that I do the best thing to make them most sellable. I love the idea of the set with red seats, a red table top and painting the chairs black and the base black, I'll try to do a faux gold/silver edge/ trim around the edge of the table top, I think some type of metallic paint will accomplish this since the space is so small.

But what about these chairs? Is there any advantage in just freshening up the stain, keeping the pads as is and selling them apart from the table, maybe I can come up with other chairs over time for that table?

I posted something similar to this on the woodworking forum, so please forgive the overlap, but I know that this group may have a different approach to this dilema.

Shelby Williams still makes them. It's style # 800

You're right--the wood is pretty cooked, but I'd go for a stain or black paint.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shelby Williams

Just for fun, I emailed SW and asked about pricing for these chairs. this is what I got back. Surprising really, but how do you think I should now try to price these as I try to sell them? any suggestions?

"The list price for the SW 800 Wood Side Chair using COM, standard wood frame finish is $361.00 (list) per chair".

Maybe.....instead of offering them at your booth.....offer them for sale on the internet. You'd get a larger clientel base, possibly someone that wants them the way they are? Possibly more $$$. Also Christy's auction may accept something like this and even with a commission.......you'd do better than at a booth.

I don't think it is SW 800. If you look at page W387-A of the Catalog CD it shows a chair that looks similar, but it is not the same as yours. Maybe you could send them a picture of your chairs and ask them if they are still making that style.

I sent a picture, you are right, that one is similar but not the exact chair. I will consider ebay or something online, need to research what has sold already in this arena. thanks for your input