Featured Today's Thrift Store Find - Need Info on Pair of Vintage (1950's/1960's?) Aluminum Motel Chairs?

I found these today at my local thrift store - since I sold a room full of vintage toys last Sunday & can see the room again, I am trying to buy bigger & better things that won't crowd up a room (see 1st 2 photos of what room looked like before at end!).
These remind me of chairs that used to be outside each door of small motels along US1 when I was (a lot) younger. I love the backs - looks like the tree of life!
When were these made? (the seats are the old plastic straps that someone painted along with the chairs)
What should I call them?
Should I paint them or leave for buyer? If I do it - what color is best?
Thanks all!

 

Love the design of those.

In terms of patio furniture, you can't go wrong with black. I think you're in Florida, so this may not be the best choice, though. If they were mine, I'd sell as is. Someone may like the weathered look and that red.

 

That shape and colorway... Look 1980s to my eye. Re paint, leave 'em. They have lots of pizzaz in red. Buyer will be able to envision in another color if desired. MHO.

Debora

 

Love these. Is the material other than the seat part metal? I agree to sell as is, buyer may like the red.

You forgot your before/after pictures of your room. Always curious to see how people store, sort things.

 

Design reminds me of this... Julia Roberts in vintage 1992 Valentino evening dress at the Academy Awards.

Debora

 

I'd leave the red alone too, unless there's something even better underneath.

 

Before & after photos (I hung some of the posters up in there (they are stacked everywhere; over 200 so this was best use of space for now!) the toys & air guns & limited edition Hess and diecasts there now I brought over from in-laws house we are living in to make girlfriend happy - she'll soon have her dining room table back!!)- sorry!
What should I call these in a eBay, Craigslist, FB Marketplace, etc.. title?
Thank you all!

 

Can I call these metal - instead of aluminum - lawn chairs; that's what I see the most of trying to find another example of these?

I can't find anything like them - what should I call them/describe them as to try to find others?
Thanks all; have a great weekend!

 

There was an episode of the tv show Mad Men who had very similar chairs, and they were sitting on a lawn... just throwing this info out there.

 

I think they are lovely with that fantail backrest; but are they really aluminium? I find it hard to visualise aluminium easily forming into those curves. Bending can be achieves by a variety of methods, formers, mandels, rollers, etc. All are time consuming and require specialist equipment. Welding it requires a lot of experience too, or it disappears before your very eyes. It is lightweight compared to steel, and, of course, it isn't magnetic. That should be reflected in the price if you are selling.

 

These are lightweight (to me) but I'm going to test them with a refrigerator magnet now!

 

Just checked - magnet does not stick to it.
So what do I call them? Mad Men era lawn chairs?

 

I would not mention Mad Men in the title. They have gotten picky about using their name even tho the show is over.. Which is sad, since I loved it.

 

It would be misleading. They're not the correct period for Mad Men.

Debora

 

I agree with Brians point about aluminum.
Most stainless steel is non magnetic even though it is ferrous, due to the high nickel content. If they are stainless I’d strip and buff them and then keep them.

 

Eh, certainly can't say for sure without actually handling them, but having used and owned a lot of aluminum patio furniture, these look like aluminum to me, it holds up so much better than steel here in the heavy humidity and daily summer rains in Florida. In the '80s and '90s, I even used a pair of palm motif curved fan-backs with a hammered bronze finish (bought new) that I made nice cushions for and put in my living room because they were sturdy and lightweight for moving around at parties.

A lot of the elements of aluminum furniture are cast, the joints are welded and will say that I've never had a weld break. The good ones are not inexpensive, the last I bought were three pairs for Mom's patio, nice quality, fairly simple design, retailed for $400.00 a pair at Lowes, but bought for a quarter of that on clearance, that was over five years ago, been in use outside non-stop, still in good condition.

These look like right around the '80s to me too, could have been sold for home use, but are similar to some found poolside at good hotels, seem to remember similar at a local fern bar as well, and can remember one friend's sort of awful indoor dining set with taller chairs of similar design, poorly constructed of steel tubing (I like the OP's chairs).

Quick look around didn't turn up any quite like this, but did look at Leader's site, where the sturdy aluminum patio set at my house came from (an ex-boyfriend did manage to bend the steel spring on a platform rocker by leaning back way too far, but the frame survived the hard fall to concrete with 200 pounds of idiot attached) - this set has lots of curvy bits, and the pics enlarge to show the welds:

https://leadersfurniture.com/charleston-outdoor-cast-aluminum-5-piece-mixed-dining-set/

~Cheryl

 

Since I seem to be extolling the virtues of aluminum patio furniture, the pieces below are near identical to the anodized aluminum tubing furniture that came with my mid '60s built house, bought by the original owners. I had the vinyl strapping replaced with stripes of teal and forest green 20 years ago, as well as the rusty bolts replaced with stainless steel, and they still sit by the pool.


And of course, there's also the ubiquitous folding aluminum chair...




~Cheryl

 

I remember getting stuck to those when it was hot outside. Great memories.

 

lol Thanks!