Featured Value of Shaw Spinet Grand Rapids writing desk?

My husband's grandparents bought this desk and chair new in the 1920s. They have never been refinished. A piece of decorative onlay is missing on the left side of the desk. The chair leather is original (obviously). We would like to sell but have no idea how much to ask. We appreciate your help. We live in Oklahoma City.

 

It's back to school time...
ask $175 , pick up only , and be prepared to come down to $ 125.... or so.
any buyer...gets the chair for free !

 

This is what's out there by Shaw ...
https://www.google.com/search?q=Sha...g0NjUxajBqN6gCALACAA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
... not sure what they are actually getting for them, or how quickly they sell.

 

$ 1725.......

ok , forget whatever the hell I said............ and find an auction house.

 

Asking price, not sale price.

Debora

 

https://www.maison-robert.com/shop/...iUsTeZZLyCZ8s-6iFHBq9tFSVavKIagFjOnIwO-1BbYj3

SOLD
Antique Mahogany H.E.Shaw Spinet Writing Desk
$1,725.00


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Hey Deb...... I'm only going by what's written !!!

If you're saying that this is not true , then whom am I supposed to believe ??

 

Apologies. I obviously need new reading glasses.

Debora

 

It is a pretty desk. Would take a specialist auction house/gallery to get that top dollar and I assume their take would be sizeable and would take a while to sell.

 

That sale price is astounding. I would have gone with Komo's initial price of $175/$125, and glad to get it.

But assuming you could find an auction house that would get that kind of money, you would have to take into account their take as @Joe2007 indicated, and you'd have to get the piece to the auction.

Longtime members of this site know that nobody loves brown furniture more than I do, but that $1K+ price is very optimistic, even for Oklahoma City.

But WDIK? Go Victorian or go home, sez I!

 

All I know is it's pretty. You'd be lucky to get the first figure quoted here. A lot depends on location. Where I live, Victorian furniture is the next best thing to firewood.

 

I am with Ghopper and Komokwa on this. I can't imagine getting much more than $100.00 for that here (Semi-rural Illinois).

 

maybe a little more than $100......... maybe ???

It is nice , compact , functional ...... no ?

 

Thank you for your input. We were figuring a price in line with Komokwa's initial suggestion, and then I found that same piece online that was listed for $1725, which made me wonder. I just couldn't imagine someone actually paying that much. Hence, my post. Ghopper, I'm with you on brown furniture. I'm so tired of seeing gray. And now, I'm debating on whether to get rid of it just yet. I was moving it out of a guest room to make room for a rocking chair because my daughter is expecting our first grandchild, but I might just move it to our master bedroom, which has plenty of room. I only hesitate because I don't want my husband junking it up. He tends to do that with desks. He has a thing for stacks of papers. I also have a young nephew with an old soul who appreciates antiques, so maybe he would want it. Anyway, you are a fun bunch, and I appreciate your help.

 

for the moment , I'd say Hold.... is a good idea.

as for your husband... , maybe u could turn it into your own desk.... and tell him...paws off !!!

 

The pricing thing is a pretty convoluted and inconsistent element. The gamut of when, where and how something is sold in the antique business is so variable. The high end shop in an exclusive vacation spot can pull off surprising figures. I'm always amused when I see a dinged up dusty piece of furniture way over priced on the market for many, many months, or longer . . . no sale in sight! I truly enjoyed taking items to the appropriate venue, show, auction, etc. and telling myself 'This is selling today' ! Must say I like Komokwa's ' get a free chair' with the purchase. Buying and selling has to be about having fun and making people smile. I know some real characters in the flea market world and have seen some very creative, if not crazy ways of closing deals. Bottom line - just know what the piece is, and what it is not.

 

Welcome aboard! You’re obviously someone with a good sense of humor. And a really nice desk! Maybe it would sell for a bunch of money, and maybe it wouldn’t, but you couldn’t begin to replace it with anything half as good for under $700, so there’s that.

 

In the advert for the desk that sold for $1725, it says that the piece has been restored. The color seems light for mahogany to me but I guess it could just be the photo. Doesn't restoration sometimes lessen the value? OTOH I know many people who want their antiques to look like new and the expensive desk fit that description.