Help me ID/Valuate this Baker find?

Hello,

I found this piece for $25 at a local thrift store (was going to use it for storage next to my toilet... I know I know...). I saw the Baker logo only when I got it home. I believe it is a dumbwaiter - but I'm having trouble finding any additional info on it - and have found nothing online.

Any help would be great!

 

I thought a dumbwaiter was built into a wall ???
It looks like a shelf unit from the 60's...or later... but WDIK ??

 

So this is what comes up when you search 'dumbwaiter' on google with Furniture in quotes. I know it sounds unusual but I think it may be the correct term?

 

Does it have wheels? I can't tell from your picture.
Looks like a table that served cakes/petite fours for high tea.
Either wheeled around or sat on top of another table.

@Ownedbybear or someone else might know the correct term for it.

 

Great Question! No Wheels to be found or spots for their insert on the bottom. I was told 'dumbwaiter' yesterday by someone on another forum who was rather... snippy? So that's just a guess!

It is much larger than a serving tray - maybe 36" tall or close to 40" with the rails.

 

It could be a magazine/book rack!

 

I have seen similar pieces called "dumb waiters", especially when used in the dining room, near the table, to provide space for serving dishes & the like.

I think these are also often called "tiered side tables" and can function in any number of settings to hold any number of things.

BAKER made some very nice furniture. I think you can and should use this piece anywhere you want to - and anywhere that all those nice shelves would come in handy!

 

Here's the strange part - the gap in between the shelves is not tall enough for books or magazines (about 8" or so) (however, I agree and this will probably be my use!).

 

Thanks! It is lovely and very heavy and well made - I'm just so darn curious what exactly it is!

 

Would expect a serving piece to have more space between the shelves. Think this is probably for magazines, papers, and the like. I am sure this was expensive when new. However, the limited use and depressed furniture prices would make value pretty minimal. In my neck of the woods, 99% of the customers wouldn't know Baker from Broyhill and would not pay a premium. I would struggle to get even $100.00 for this. I am sure there are places where this is not necessarily the case and you could get a bit more.