What's wrong with this antique?

[griffibo]

Hi there,

I've been trying to sell this thing for ages - it's having its third go on ebay and noone is biting.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=170327390038

I know it's not in perfect condition but is there something wrong with it that I can't see and that is putting people off? It's pretty old so I wouldn't expect it to be perfect - but is it beyond restoration or help? Have I got the description wrong? I was told it's mahogany and satinwood...is it something else?

Obviously people think it's too expensive - but I can't see why! It seems a gorgeous thing to me (a bit big maybe). Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks and best regards,
Bonnie

[echnidna]

maybe the customers think its too dear.

[griffibo]

Yes, that's what I'm thinking - but I don't know why. You can't buy something like this for any less than what I'm asking, and usually you'd have to pay a lot more...

I'm glad I'm not an antiques dealer! I"m not very good at it! lol!

[mic-d]

Tough times to sell, I suppose you have to make the decision now to not sell it or put it up for auction and let it meet the market.

FWIW, it looks a bit like the style of this cabinet from early '20s. Its a bit of Sheraton revival meets art nouveau, with the beginnings of art deco. I would have said '20s (I am no expert though)
Good luck selling it, it would look lovely in a large Queenslander.
Cheers
Michael

[griffibo]

Hi there! You're probably right. but it's hard to let it go for under what it's worth - although everyone loves a bargain.

I agree with you on the sheraton revival meets art nouveau. That's pretty much a description of late victorian styles which went up to around 1910 (if I got my googling right! )

Turns out I can't change the listing now because it ends in less than 12 hours. Perhaps I'll have to ask a family member to take it off our hands instead!

So noone can see anything wrong with the wood? You all think it's just the price?

[FXST01]

I noticed you have limited it to pick up only, maybe you should have said something like you (the customer) can arrange a suitable courier to get people thinking outside the square.

Other than that, seems ok to me

[Woodwould]

I'd say the price is the sticking point. What you see in shops iusually has a 100% mark up (antiques are fickle and dealers can end up sitting on expensive stock for many years), so if you genuinely want to sell the piece, I would at least halve your asking price. It's also borderline 'antique' in terms of age.

From what I can make out, it looks like it's from the thick end of the last Sheraton Revival (1900-1920), so it most likely isn't an antique. This borderline area can also be a sticking point for buyers as some would rather have something that is definitely over a hundred years old (even if it's only a few years) so they can revel in the understanding they have a genuine antique and also justify the price. 'Vintage' furniture (which this piece is realistically better described as) commands lower prices.

If you must get it out of the house, how about lending it (with commensurate paperwork) to family or friends, if not for ever, at least until the market improves and the piece is generally aknowledged as antique?

[griffibo]

Thanks for that. I thought it looked very sheraton revival - but the cabriole legs threw me. I thought they went for the straight legs. Anyway, it's a lovely piece but just so big and 'impressive' that it looks a bit imposing and odd in our very humble little suburban post WWII house.

Do you think it is mahogany? I was pretty sure that's what I was told and it looks like mahogany with satinwood inlay and stringing (?) was a very common combination.

Well, if it's staying in the family, I suppose I'd better find out how to take care of it . Can anyone tell me whether I should be applying some kind of wood oil to the rippling veneer on the bowfront to stop it getting worse?

[Woodwould]

It's probably stained to look like mahogany, but being Post War, it could be anything. I would advise against using oil on it - especially if there's veneer lifting (it would make it virtually impossible for a restorer to get the veneer to glue down again successfully).

You probably don't want to pay a restorer to sort the veneer out, so a light application of a mahogany-coloured wax polish would give it quite a lift without causing any headaches - just keep the wax away from any broken weneer.

[sherriff]

What a beautiful piece of furniture. Never mind it looking good in a 'Queenslander' it would look much better in my house

I have been an ebayer for about 5 years and have noticed that antiques do not pull huge dollars on ebay. I am a collector of old furniture however am always on the look out for a bargin that I can restore and bring back to life again. I think that today people are heading more towards clean white lines in design with furniture and renovations and there are not as many lovers of fine furniture of yesterday's era..... I may be wrong and there are probably a lot of people who will disagree with my opinion on this site.

My suggestion would be to send it to an antique auction and place a reserve on it.

Good luck and hope you are able get the price you are after .... if I had the money I would travel the distance to purchase this beautiful piece.

[Tikirocker]

Well that's a real sweety of a piece and in bumper economic times I can see it selling for that price without any trouble. The problem I feel is that we currently live in uncertain financial times, peoples jobs are up in the air in many cases so money is being played a bit closer to the chest.

Based on what I am seeing of the market right now - and I live in an area filled with Antique and furniture stores - I'd alter your price to $800 and see what happens. I suspect you may get the sale at that price.

Best, Tiki.

[derekcohen]

Hi Bonnie

If you want to find out what it is worth, then list it at (say)$300 and include a reserve at a realistic bottom line price (which may be $800). At least then it cannot sell for less than $800 and who know what happens once people start bidding ..?!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[griffibo]

Thanks guys for the compliments on the piece. I do love it and I wish it was something we could hang onto (my husband is gutted that I want to sell it!).

I'm torn between the pain i feel at selling it and the need to use the space in the lounge room. I think i've been holding out for a big price to assuage the discomfort of parting with it.

I think you're right about people just not wanting this kind of furniture so much any more and also that the economic hardships are making people save their money rather than spend it on items like this.

In the end, I'll just hang onto it for a while longer and enjoy it and see what happens in the future )

[Horsecroft88]

I can hear your pain in the selling of this piece, and while it is not really my style (I prefer colonial and georgan antiques) it still nevertheless looks like a well made and loved piece, and this is to my mind something no modern furniture can or will replace. From my observations most modern and even repro antiques are poorly made, and use inferior materials.

As to the price, I would have thought that between $800 - 1300 would be about correct. I too have been collecting and restoring antiques as a hobby since the late 1980s. I have two old houses (1840 and 1824) and so antiques suit these homes.

As to e-bay, well I have bought quite a lot of furniture off ebay and had it transported over to Tassie but the cost of transport if outside of Vic is simply too expensive to make it worth while for me. However, I also agree with the comment made that most antiques sold on ebay go for less than you would see in an antique shop. Antique auctions may get you a slightly better return but there is usually the buyers and sellers premium (10%) which also will affect a price and therefore needs to be factored into it.

So, perhaps the best thing is, if you really dont need to sell it to keep it, afterall you do you like it a lot.

I am not so sure that the GFC is affecting prices and sales in antiques as much as some people think, for most things I am watching on Fleabay do sell. Just my $2 worth. Dave

[Lumber Bunker]

I always look at these on the bay and unless they are with in pick distance (one town over) i'll never bid. regardless of how nice it is.
You do have a nice piece
Realisticly your really only selling to people in your area.
Ebay is a place for bargins, yours is not on of these.
Try your local paper or trading post. Or give to a 2nd hand store on consignment...

good luck