Although picking up a pair of Meeks Stanton Hall pattern chairs seems like it could never be a bad investment, that all depends on the price of the acquisition, and with this pair, the asking price of $4,400 is above where auction activity has put these chairs.
A pair of abused chairs sold at Cowan's for $1,700, though I wouldn't use them for comparison for a set that hasn't seen major repairs. John Moran auctioned off a pair for $3,250 in November, and Neal sold a pair for $2,350 in '06. You can't compare prices with armchairs since they tend to nearly double those of chairs without arms so I ignore those prices.
If you were to buy these chairs in a retail environment, then a price like the $4,400 or more would not be unexpected. However, on Ebay or at auction I would not be a buyer and assuming I had time to wait, would expect to find a pair pop up in the months ahead that could be grabbed at a $2,500-$3,500 range, including any fees. ... Or about the price that each of us Americans will owe on the $700 billion bailout.
The listing for the set on Ebay is here.
2 comments