Pretty common in my experience. My local (small city) antique store wants 50% commision. If they sell a thing for $200, I only get $100. I grabbed 4 chairs off Craigslist for $30 each a few months aso. They were made by Conant-Ball in Boston, Mass +/- 1930. They need total take down, mortise and tenon clean up and then reglue-reassemble, with refinishing, and deserve to be re-glued with a hide glue so they can be restored again in another 90 years. Pine seats with birch spindles and legs.Originally Posted by Mike Henderson
All I have to do is take them apart with water and heat, clean up the MTs with sand paper and reassemble with glue and clamps. Then sand and milk paint. If they would sell at $100 each, which is unlikely, I would clear $20 per chair which is a very very bad deal for me. Once restored they might sell at $50 each, which would be a losing proposition for me after commision.
This is a problem for sure. I don't know the answer. My wife has been firmly instructed to not bring home any more derelict chairs, but instead to take pictures of derelict chairs she finds that are comfortable to perch in but to not bring home no matter how cheap they are. Not even free. No more derelict chairs in the shop, even with that special thing she does once or twice a year as a treat for her husband, it is not worth the trouble.
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