Featured Old ladder back armchair, repair help, age?

Discussion in 'Furniture' started by say_it_slowly, Oct 19, 2018.

  1. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    As long as we are on the subject of highboys, most 18th century American highboys were made with a matching lowboy or dressing table and most of these first "suites" of american furniture got separated long ago. There are still some around though, this one was built in Philadelphia in 1726 by John Head, solid walnut, william & mary.
    Notice the proportion of the lowboy to the HB base, quite a difference in height & width.

    hi lo boy.jpg
     
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  2. say_it_slowly

    say_it_slowly The worst prison is a closed heart

    Those legs are made to withstand some serious weight or shifting!
     
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  3. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    They are called "trumpet" legs, popular in the william & mary period. I like stuff like this, a bit rococo for today's taste, also would like to have either one of those above pieces, FAT CHANCE! The lowboy almost looks like a toy compared to highboy.
     
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  4. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

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  5. say_it_slowly

    say_it_slowly The worst prison is a closed heart

    I'll keep an eye on that, I often like Pook & Pook auctions (actually sold something there once). I think mine looks a bit less rounded on the turnings and maybe more humble but certainly similar.

    (I did bring mine in from the garage:))
     
  6. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    GREAT! I'd say same form & era, late 18th -early 19th century on both plus, the one at pook has it's feet ended out which lowers price. Add in a professional photographer, spiffed up a bit with cleaning & wax and yours would look just as good.
     
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  7. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Ladderback similar to your chair sold for $750 on a single bid today, not bad.
     
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  8. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    I would say yours is worth at least that or more on a good day, the feet ended out seriously lowers value, those ball feet on Delaware chair are new. Many collectors won't even consider pieces with structural repairs like that.
     
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  9. say_it_slowly

    say_it_slowly The worst prison is a closed heart

    I was watching the auction, I was thinking it was a single $600 bid but I didn't add in the buyer's premium. Of course mine is going to have some repair too....and a new seat. (one of these days):)

    Hope you get your box!
     
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  10. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Yeah, you gotta add in that 25% BP, it's a real cost!
    Yes, yours will have a repair but it is not the same, new seats are to be expected & the seat rail that needs repair is covered by the seat so no big deal really, it's like drawer runners & the like.
    The feet are a whole OTHER THING! ditto new top on table, etc.
     
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  11. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    That box ain't happening, i can tell already, last time i checked this morning, it was up to 8 bids! I don't mind gambling hundreds on a piece but thousands? no, HELL NO! Not being able to examine it puts a serious crimp on my bidding prospects, it could very well be english.
     
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  12. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    UPDATE: 9 bids now :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
     
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  13. say_it_slowly

    say_it_slowly The worst prison is a closed heart

    Oh well....here I'll make up something nasty to say to alleviate the suffering.....looks over oiled:eek:
     
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  14. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    LOL, OK, it's a nice box but i don't have the luxury of spending real serious money on pieces i have not examined. Ruth's box on the other hand had a provenance so no worries that way.
     
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  15. cxgirl

    cxgirl Well-Known Member

    James, what does Legs ended out mean?
     
  16. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Well, I would say they meant "feet ended out" and it means basically the feet were damaged/gone and are now not original to the piece, new feet have been added to legs in a restoration project.
    This happens quite a bit on very old furniture, not only chairs but case pieces and tables as well where the feet have been replaced for 1 reason or another.
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018
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  17. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Naturally, the older the piece, the more likely a piece is going to have "feet" issues and value wise, the older the piece the more acceptable feet issues are. For instance, 17th century stuff & earlier almost always have feet issues and it does not effect value nearly as much as say 19th century stuff.
    Hopefully, i have you completely confused by now! :confused::confused::confused:
     
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  18. cxgirl

    cxgirl Well-Known Member

    thanks James, makes perfect sense to me:)
     
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  19. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

  20. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    The chair above sold yesterday for $2250. on 18 bids
     
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