My dining set was gifted to me from a friend. She used it for 20 years, and I've had it for 15. I love it because it fits our California Casual lifestyle. The chairs and table are metal with chrome finish. The chairs were upholstered, but we have a pool, so we had them reupholstered with a cream colored vinyl so the kiddies can sit on them with wet swimming suits.

You might find quality for less at a second hand store. Not a thrift store. One that sells quality stuff.

Would you be open to used? I have found that sets of dining chairs are something that come up often in furniture warehouses and craigslist, and really good, solid ones are find-able. Where are you located?

What is your general style?

My parents have had Hitchcock chairs (well made/heavy solid ones), for decades, and they have been used (my dad is not delicate to furniture), and as they are the semi-painted ones, if my folks cared, with a little black touch up paint they could look brand new again, and structurally they still feel that way, as well as being comfortable. But, they are very style-specific.

I have antique chairs with cane seats from the 1850s. Found them on craigslist for $750 for set of eight. They were just like the ones we had when I was growing up, so I decided to sell the chairs I had. Sturdy except for one that needs some fixing, but otherwise just fine. Unless what you are looking at is a specific style that is more current, I would suggest craigslist. Mine were in Kentucky and we are in Virginia, so you don't have to just stick to your local craigslist. We do have a couple of old Windsor chairs at the ends of the table and they are very sturdy and comfortable, too.

As to whether new ones will last, you need to be sure of the material from which they are made and how they are put together. At one point, I tried RH upholstered chairs, but the seats did not stay comfortable for very long-they sort of collapsed, so the back of your legs near the front felt as though they were just resting on wood-which I guess they were really. Without knowing the style you want, it is hard to give specific advice.

One of the things I recently read about chairs from PB, RH, and the ilk is that the seats on well-made chairs have a tilta away from the table whereas PB chairs are flat seated, leaving you with a feeling of falling into the table. I join the club of advising to buy used.

Well, my dining chairs are about 90 years old and were my grandmothers. I'm in the process of having them recovered.

Now, my kitchen eating area chairs are about 4 years old and I too had trouble spending a bunch of money on chairs. These were $250 per chair and the wood itself it ok but the support is atrocious. I'm getting those recovered as well but they will have to be rebuilt.

So when looking do check underneath the chair for the type of support that the actual seat itself has. Even if it has a wooden seat on it, have someone sit on it while you look underneath it (get down on the floor) and watch. Do the legs of the chair spread, how far down does the seat sink, how far down does the bum of the person seating on it go down from his knees, can they still sit back with adequate support.

I have a 20-year-old very common mass-produced table and chairs that cost about $300 for the set. It's kind of like this (not my photo, just an example)

Higher price doesn't necessarily mean better construction. If you can, sit on the chairs you like, wiggle around, look at how they're put together. Some styles are more durable than others. Could you post a pic of the chairs you're considering?

OP here, I guess I should add: I shop on craigslist, ebay, etsy and the like. I am very familiar with my areas' estate sales and antique stores. The chairs I have seen that are 'used' (as in not new) in the styles I like are still expensive. The antiques market is alive and well in Pennsylvania and people know what their stuff is worth.

Here are some pictures of possibilities:

'Expensive' chairs example: (approx: $2400 for ten) Positives: awesome Chinoiserie design. Negatives: expensive. I may want to spend this money elsewhere, husband doesn't really want to spend that much. They would need to be worth it to convince him. Also, I'm not convinced they are the best fit.

'Cheap' chairs: positive- I need chairs and I can order these anytime. I really do love the way they look. If they look in person like they do online, they would be a great fit for the dining room. Negatives: will they last? Or are they quality enough to reupholster?

I would look for chairs with stretchers. They seem to be sturdier.

Like jlc I have an old country style, dark stained oak set that I bought in our only small town furniture store about 30 years ago. It is not pretty and will not DIE. I need to replace it but I hate to get rid of something that isn't broken :). I think I paid about $500 for it.

I have my dining set with 6 chairs for 25 years. I admit that we don't use the dining room on a regular basis, but the chairs are in excellent condition. I bought it for about $1000 back then from Havertys furniture store...just your average store. Love the set just as much today. I did reupolster the chairs about 7 or 8 years ago and that really updated the look.

We bought a Madison table and chairs set from Crate and Barrel that is used every day. One chair completely broke (leg snapped off) within a year. CB's customer service was worthless and I've stopped shopping there since. Within a couple years, the other chairs became wobbly and my DH reinforced them all (but they look bad because he just drilled screws in). I love the way the set looks, but am very disappointed by the poor quality.

Have you looked into restaurant-quality seating?

I am not always a big fan of Pottery Barn, but I have kitchen chairs from there and they take a lot of abuse and are still in great shape. Heavy, solid, and still structurally as good as they were on day one. I also had "dining" chairs from PB that I used as desk chairs for many years, and they also held up really well.

I would have a hard time ordering chairs online -- you really want to sit in the chair and see how it feels under your bum before buying!

I like the look of the inexpensive chairs, but I would be concerned about their durability because there are no stretchers connecting the legs. Unless the apron around the seat cushion is extremely strong and has cross-bracing under the seat, those legs could easily snap off.

My first comment was about my kitchen table set. My dining room table, with four side chairs and two armchairs, is a secondhand set we bought for $350. It's not the exact style I would have liked, but it's solid mahogany and the chairs have coil spring seats that I reupholstered. They are somewhat similar to the "expensive" set you posted, but just stained wood rather than the pretty chinoiserie. I wonder if you could find some similar chairs, and just paint them black for now?

It sounds as if you are sold on the more inexpensive chairs. If so, please read this seller's ratings before you purchase, and try to find the chairs at another retailer. The feedback is 1.98 out of 10! It sounds like a nightmare retailer. I'd hate to see you out your money, and left with junk.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/GreatFurnitureDeal

2nd, I hope nini does not mind me sharing her gorgeous dining room, but I wanted to show you just how great and fresh Chippendale chairs, like those jlc712 has, can look. I myself have 6 of these chairs and table in solid cherry in our storage unit from my parent's home. You can easily find sets like these at estate sales or craigslist.

Nini's dining room:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2692079/our-new-house-is-finished-my-white-kitchen

I don't remember the brand, but ours are 20 years old and are as sturdy as they were the day they were delivered. I believe we paid (on sale) at 2/$269.00

I have an oak mission style dining table and four chairs (not nearly enough chairs for the table when it is expanded but there are only the two of so we didn't think to get more when we bought) that we purchased about 10 years ago for ~$2400. So the chairs were probably about $300 each. They will still be going strong long after we've gone to the great beyond.

Antique/vintage chairs (or anything) doesn't guarantee quality. There is an amazing amount of poorly made furniture out there that has survived for decades. You have to sit on and examine them closely before you buy.

What constitutes "held up"? My DH won't buy furniture--he makes it. Chairs are tricky so in order to have proper dining chairs I had to find some CHEAP. I think it is funny how many compliments I get on mine--they were very CHEAP. Big Box store cheap. Their joints get to wiggling and DH has to tighten screws or re-glue joints..but I love their look, size and I can easily reupholster the seats. Mine are 16 years old and we have no plans to replace them--ever.

I think you will regret $150 chairs; even $250 is barely entry level for dining chairs unless you luck out with something vintage or on craigslist.

Stretchers do lengthen the life of a dining chair.

My dining room chairs are 1820 harp backs so they have lasted nearly 200 years and we have used them for every meal with small children for the last 8 with only wear to the fabric. I expect they will live at least two hundred more years! I do have high expectations of not only how a child should but also how they can act so no chair tipping, etc. at the table.

I think you should hold out for well made chairs or go vintage.

I inherited two sets of "antique" chairs when we bought our house. One set had 6 and they were falling apart everywhere. We knew nothing on how to repair and couldn't find anyone locally who would work on them. I gave them away to a friend in need. The other set had 4 and they were fine but not my taste. Gave them to MIL and within 3 months they were falling apart and trashed.

I replaced them with chairs from Target about 4 years ago. They are holding up fine. Solid construction and have had no trouble with quality or sturdiness. While they aren't antique or even old, they have been great for us.