How do you sell chairs

[kodydog]

Gene asked this question in another post,

How do you sell your chairs? Internet, Craigslist local, newspaper, work of mouth, store front, consignment stores?

This topic comes up often so I thought I'd start a new thread and hope you all will join in. IBstichen answered a smiler question in his thread. I'm glad he is aboard, I think he'll be a valuable member.

First to add on to what IB said. For me buying and selling furniture is a hobby, a labor of love. And hopefully someday when I retire a way to make a little extra cash. Could I buy and sell furniture full time? Maybe, if I wanted to work harder and for less money, but I don't think that's possible. It is a good way to make a little extra money and its a nice complement to my upholstery business.

It also gives me something to do when we get slow. We just ended a 12 month working streak. For some reason, this year, everybody wants to wait till after Christmas to upholster their furniture. That's OK, I have a shed full of vintage, retro and antique furniture waiting to be done.

I sell all my furniture locally. There are people who do what I do and sell world wide. I don't want to hassle with packing and shipping. Especially when I see, first hand, what some of these shipping companies do to new furniture. That would drive me nuts.

Our best resale customers are our upholstery customers. Many times a customer will say they are looking for a piece to fit in a certain room and I'll mention I have furniture for sale. Next time I'm going to town I'll throw a couple pieces on the van and show it to them. Sold many pieces this way. Hint: Large ottomans are very hot and easy to find at thrift stores.

When I recover a piece of furniture my wife first adds it to our web site. Haven't sold a lot from there but it has brought many costumers to our upholstery business.

Many years ago we had good luck in the classifieds. I don't see much point now days. Newspapers are a dying breed. I think Craigslist has taken over this obscure mode of advertising. Only problem with Craigslist is scamers, but their easy to spot and when your dealing with cash you wont get ripped off. Craigslist only services large cities and we live rural so we turned our efforts to St. Augustine with some success.

I've had some luck in consignment stores too. But there commission is so high its hard to make a buck.

A couple of years ago we entered a garden and antique show. It was held at an up-scale shopping center in Gainesville. We only broke even but handed out business cards and picked up some costumers there. We are now getting ready for an antique and collectables show in St Augustine. Its supposed to be a good one. $400 for 3 days it should be. Here is the chair I'm working on.



I'll also finish the chair on my "chair date" post this week and start this chair next.


Interesting thing when I pulled this chair out of the shed I noticed a sticker that said, THE SERAPH A company owned by a lady named Alex Pifer. She designs 17th & 18th century reproduction furniture. Her web site
http://www.theseraph.com/
Its important to find info like this to resell your furniture. Just finished a leather chair. On the inside back was a stamp HW. Haywood Wakefield is very collectable. Its on my web site.

Hope I didn't bore you too much. I get carried away when it comes to furniture. I'll save "where to buy good used furniture and antiques" for another post.

[sofadoc]

I tried doing up chairs for sale many years ago. Never had much luck. Always ended up settling for less $ than my asking price. Since I never run out of customer jobs, it's hard for me to get enthused about working on something that I don't have an immediate buyer for.

Of course, the last time that I tried selling chairs, we didn't have outlets such as Craigslist. But I always thought that part of the allure for antique shoppers is the "thrill of the hunt". Do they satisfy that thrill by going online?
I hope several reply to this topic. Not only to see HOW they sell, but how successful they are at it. Maybe it's something that I should re-visit.

[Blue]

I like that idea I also have a few chairs that are just sitting at my shop that can be re-upholstered that i was going to use for samples of my work but their still sitting their.

[kodydog]

Of course, the last time that I tried selling chairs, we didn't have outlets such as Craigslist. But I always thought that part of the allure for antique shoppers is the "thrill of the hunt". Do they satisfy that thrill by going online?

They address this in the book I suggested, Killer Stuff And Tons Of Money. He says he tried selling over the internet for a couple months and immediately gained 20#. He said he got bored real quick and soon had to hit the road again.

When we first opened our business in Charleston we rented a store front in a small shopping center. In the front half of the store we had about 15 pieces for sale. We had good luck selling this way too but the income didn't justify the sq footage cost.

[gene]

Thank you for the reply.

I hadn't thought about getting upholstery business from trying to sell reupholstered items. That would be one benefit that I would want to track from the effort.

I keep thinking that with all the incredible hard wood frames around, for next to nothing...

I now have two pieces of furniture that I am going to reupholster and test the waters in 2012.

gene

[kodydog]

One other thing Gene. When selecting a piece for resale pay close attention to purchase price and the amount of work it will take to restore it. Its real easy to put more money into it than you can get back. I've walked away from many chairs that were priced too high or needed too much work. Like with reupholstery your reputation is on the line. If you get inside and it needs more work, you have to make it right.

I rarely pay more than $50 for a chair. I've reupholstered and sold many I got for free . Of course if a genuine Chippendale wing chair came along for $500 or $600 I would jump on it. The chair in my "chair date" post I paid $15.

[Mike8560]

Kody when you go to theese antique shows what  do you do do you have stuff for sale or just make contacts. 
When I went to boats shows I  spent alot of money for a booth with nothing to sell and just made contacts.
I wished I could sell somthing

[kodydog]

Hi Paul MIKE oops. I have about 10 pcs made up, some are on my web site. Last week I made two more. And before the show starts (3 weeks) I hope to have four more including a chaise lounge. We've been telling customers about the show and one gave us a nice oriental rug on consignment. Another collects antique dolls. Shes 83 years old and wants to unload some stuff. One doll she says is worth $2000. We have an antique dresser with mirror we'll bring. We also have a lot of antique nicknacks we've collected over the years.

I'm also trying to figure out some kind of sign to advertise our upholstery business. Classy but eye catching. This is only our second show so I'm open for suggestions.

When you go to a boat show don't you have some kind of display. I'd make up a bright red bimini and display it.

We visited a home and garden show once and one booth was handing out tote bags. Very handy for all the stuff you pick up. You could make up 50 with some cheep fabric and have your name put on them. And that's not something there just going to throw away when they get home.

How about a drawing for a free center console cover or something?

Could you sell stow away bags?

[ibstitchen]

Kody Thanks for the kind words.  It's been interesting, fun, and educational since I've joined this forum.  I've been really impressed with the knowledge and experience that others continue to share.  That is really a nice chair your working on.  If you haven't tried this and if you have several pieces of vintage and retro furniture you might contact all the local interior designers and decorators in your area. I have several on my email list and when I find something interesting that I think they might be interested in I email photo's to them.  I don't sell a lot of furniture this way but I have sold several chairs this way. Plus....You get to reupholster them with fabric of their choice. I've always incouraged those getting into the upholstery business to get to know their interior designers in their area.

Everything I put up for sale I do list it on Craigs list. I've done this for for awhile now and I do move a few pieces this way.  All the scammers that watch the list have learned who I am so they ignore me so I'm not bothered with them anymore. I reply to no emails without phone numbers and it's always a cash sale.  I went to an antique auction awhile back and picked up a 4 drawer jewlery box. (It was not an antique) Posted it on Craigs list on Friday and all weekend I was getting calls and text messages.  Had it sold on Monday and was wishing I had picked up the other 3 that were auctioned off.  Prior to that I had bought two identical vintage chairs built in 1957 (tags were still on the bottom) put them on Craigs list and sold them the following week. Three weeks ago I put a China Cabinet on Craigs list and it wasn't posted twenty min. and I got a call from a guy that lives about two miles from me. He drove over with his wife cash in hand and bought it. I don't sell every thing I post on Craigs List but I do move a few things that way.

[kodydog]

I tried doing up chairs for sale many years ago. Never had much luck. Always ended up settling for less $ than my asking price. Since I never run out of customer jobs, it's hard for me to get enthused about working on something that I don't have an immediate buyer for.

Sofadoc I would never do one of my pieces on speculation over a paying customer. I used to do my pieces on weekends. Seems like the last six months I've been doing customers jobs 6 or 7 days a week. Then it all came to a screeching halt. Funny thing is the phone is still ringing off the hook. Tons of work after Christmas. ;D

[Mike8560]

most were indoor shows Kody and I'd have a table out front covered in a wife cloth and a navy skirt around the table.  On that I'd have a small. Imininwith enclosure windows. Canvas sample on the table  and vinyls   
Had a company sing having on a drapes wall behind  I would have a jar of pepermints on the table folks would stop for a candy and grab a card.  One year I didntry selling. Window cleaners and unmade some nonslip matt to place a coooler on In a boat and not slip around. Being low cost item they didnsell but nothing to compesate for the booth space or the work inmost doing sitting around for 4 days.  The week following the show unspent running around giving estimate working around others sheduales. 
Ne er been to a antiques show so I was just wondering how it goes

Hi Paul MIKE oops. I have about 10 pcs made up, some are on my web site. Last week I made two more. And before the show starts (3 weeks) I hope to have four more including a chaise lounge. We've been telling customers about the show and one gave us a nice oriental rug on consignment. Another collects antique dolls. Shes 83 years old and wants to unload some stuff. One doll she says is worth $2000. We have an antique dresser with mirror we'll bring. We also have a lot of antique nicknacks we've collected over the years.

I'm also trying to figure out some kind of sign to advertise our upholstery business. Classy but eye catching. This is only our second show so I'm open for suggestions.

When you go to a boat show don't you have some kind of display. I'd make up a bright red bimini and display it.

We visited a home and garden show once and one booth was handing out tote bags. Very handy for all the stuff you pick up. You could make up 50 with some cheep fabric and have your name put on them. And that's not something there just going to throw away when they get home.

How about a drawing for a free center console cover or something?

Could you sell stow away bags?