If you sell it, you probably couldn't get more than $40 for it as whoever bought it would need to pay for reupholstery. Is it worth it to you? Or just give it away? We have a buy nothing fb group in our town...you might try that.

MY upholstery projects · More Info

Years ago...I upholstered these similar chairs.....it was a good practice project....I don't see anyone else wanting to copy me....😂 note: The Waverly fabric was left over from a Parade Of Homes project.

I would give it away in exchange for someone coming to pick it up and get it out of my house. It wouldn't be worth a lot anyway, so having someone make it go away would be worth something to me.

Curbside and free sign when weather will allow. Habitat and Goodwill wouldn't take it in that condition and it wouldn't be worth your effort to sell unless you recovered first. Some of these older well made pieces are valuable to the right person - and I'd hate to see it at the dump - that person with an eye for older quality and possibly DIY skills.

OT but I have a chair we bought before we'd married at a junk shop on the way to my sisters. We paid three dollars for it, they had been asking $5 and (soon to be) DH dickered. Straight back that is upholstered as is the seat. Wooden arms and legs. It makes a perfect guest chair for someone with bad back....arms with which to raise themselves and no nonsense right height seating. My mother recovered it for me once, I had it professionally done another time, and have done it myself once. I have some waverly fabric here right now to recover again for a guest room. It's been with us 50 years and isn't going anywhere 😊

Toss. First person to arrive to take it away claims the prize.

I love giving things away on Buy Nothing. It's nice when things don't go to waste. If you think something is salable, have your estate guy sell it ... they will know best.

You need to be willing to put time and money into reupholstering, and that has gotten more expensive than replacing -- but someone who appreciated the solidity and longevity of the chair might love the project. I have a friend who is an artist who wants to work on some artistic furniture redo's. She'd love to find things like that.

You could try selling it but as others said, it will cost a fortune to have it reupholstered. If you live in a neighborhood, have you thought about putting it next to the curb with a sign that reads Free?

I'm sure it was nice in it's day-but I'd say give away.

I will echo other's opinion of offering it on a Buy Nothing group. Someone just might be able to reupholster it themselves.

Thank you all for assuaging my feelings of guilt. Im trying to get mom’s house in shape to show it, no small task. In the back of my mind I’m thinking that there must be someone somewhere who would gladly take this on as a project. Fat chance!

Out is goes, along with a bunch of other junk. I just needed your permission!

It's not junk, so I would give it away, but I would not just throw it out and hope someone took it.

Because if it sits out in the rain and it will be junk then. I would give it away for free but actually hand it over rather than putting it outside and hoping for the best, even if it meant I had to hang on to it for a bit.

It would be cheaper to buy a new chair to reupholster it, but that does not take into account that the chair that you get that is cheaper to reupholster than this is an inferior chair. It's like saying, you will get rid of a Mercedes because you can buy a Mitsubishi Mirage.

I am sure people are tiring of reading it, but I spent several thousand dollars reupholstering two 50 year old tub chairs. It was expensive. But two new Baker tub chairs, that still probably aren't as good as my two retail for $14,000-15,000 for a pair.

Unfortunately, it isnt the kind of neighborhood where you can put it by the driveway with a free sign. There are complications with giving it away, too too.

I bought a used Lloyd Flanders wicker set years ago. The cushions finally gave out so i had new ones made with Sunbrella fabric. I couldnt begin to buy it new.

If this got put out with a sign on it in my neighborhood, the cushions would disappear immediately and then no one would want it, and it might possibly get set on fire some night.

A sofa was burned each of the last two years one block over. Lots of furniture gets abandoned when medical residents and such move out, and I am sure they are hoping someone takes it but usually it disappears in increments and eventually trash picks it up.

I’ve always heard that if it is hard to pick up because it is heavy, it is good and should be re-upholstered. But if you don’t want it, give it away. The sales price of used furniture is not worth the effort of selling it.

The reason for not putting it at the curb is because the neighbors would be complaining about the eyesore. The Main Line, dontcha know, Pal!

Do colleges or trade schools still offer classes in upholstering? If so, you might want to check with them to see if they would want to take the chair and ottoman, as a project for their students to learn how to reupholster.

You could list the chair in a freecycle group or board -- that may be the best way to find someone who would love to recover it. I'd try before just trashing it.

Your estate sale guy should be able to take care of anything you personally do not want, including knowing the best place to donate something of this ilk.

It's interesting, there are 6 houses in the next block in the $3M range, two of which were full cash transactions, but they don't seem to have particular objections to how bad the street can get sometimes.

I think people put up with a lot of things in urban settings. People seem to accept that they are living among a wider range of people and circumstances and behaviors, and that the police have better things to do.

Place it at the curb with a free sign and no one will take it, but put a "for sale $5000" and someone will steal it. Last fall I had an estate sale and couldn't sell the old heavy pieces. $10 Tiger oak dresser, 125 yr old secretary desk for $5, drum tables for $40 just like this Scully table for $4K. I had no interest even on Facebook and craigslist for months even when I lowered the price to free..

The salvation Army would take the wood furniture and was able to give away some modern upholstered furniture in perfect shape. But the older upholstered stuff like yours along with mattresses/ box springs I had to pay $50 each to get rid of because they weren't allowed in the dumpsters by any company. If you can give it away you'll save money.

I did keep the drum tables along with a family made dresser and bedroom set my great great grandfather's furniture company built before 1900 operating from 1857 to 1957, and if I can't find a family member wanting the stuff I'll die with it.

I will echo in about giving it away. See if you can post it on your buynothing or even maybe marketplace for free ? Obviously no one is going to take it thinking it's ready to put into use, but you could connect with someone who does want to give it a try and for free, they will come get it. (just specify that it's heavier than it looks). Is there a porch or covered outside where you can leave it for a day or so if someone says they'll come get it and you don't have to be there waiting for them?

Problem is that its on the second floor and way too heavy for and my son to get downstairs. Also, since the house is unoccupied, i dont want strangers coming in. Sadly, its going to get dumped along with some other useless items, since it seems to have no value. Thanks for all the suggestions.

Maybe there is hope?

Are there any vo-tech programs, that include an upholstering class, in your area? If so, call and offer it as a project chair.

Might an upholstery shop take your chair and ottoman to reupholster and sell? This looks like a uniquely comfortable set. The raked back positions the body to lie back, then the ottoman comes into play. It's a two-part 'recliner'.

Solution for the heavy chair. Use a utility knife and sawzall and cut it into pieces. Good point about the unoccupied house and understand completely. Had a trespasser back up a cargo trailer into the backyard of a unoccupied house for sale and caught it on surveillance cameras. The 2 people got out and looked around and must of seen one of the cameras and high tailed it out, but we did get the license plate number and filed a police report. But since they didn't steel anything there was really no crime except simple trespassing but they knew the house was unoccupied to be so brazen.

If you are going to have to pay someone to haul it away, could you just pay someone to take it downstairs and put it in the garage? Are you having an auction of other contents? Could you leave it in the garage while the house is on the market and only take it away if the buyer requests that?

It’s a fabulous old chair. I would take it in a heart beat. It’s similar to a chair and ottoman I had saved — it looks so comfy…

Yes, I just remembered a funky reupholster near me. Maybe they would take it!

kevin, eek.

Yes, i could put it in the garage. Not a bad idea.

Elunia, if you’re in the Philadelphia area, it’s yours!

Chairloom

I have been able to give away several pieces in need of re-covering on Craigslist. I make a point of saying that the frame is solid, stuffing is clean (when that applies), it is a classic vintage piece, no insects, etc etc. I always have gotten more than one response from someone who wants it.

Glad to see there are some possibilities but I understand being stopped with the upstairs location for now. And oh my - I probably pass by that shop at least weekly and had no clue. I may be heading to DD today so I will definitely pay attention and seek it out ( just for a drive by for context).

@User, I looked at your upholstery projects, very good, and discovered you used zip off slip covers for the wingback. I'd like to get one for mine. Are they hard to put on?

I've done one upholstery project and it was HUGE. I was quite impressed with myself. Take a look. 🤣

You're not close to TX are you? If you were I'd come and take it off your hands.

Nope, Philadelphia, or it would be yours!

I would have already offered if she were in or near Texas -- maybe if DS was still in Pittsburgh. I hope the chair finds a good home and a new life.