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Antiques & Collectibles

Anyone know value of old folding rocking chair?

15 years ago

We came upon an old Victorian-looking folding rocking chair. It is in excellent condition. It appears to be made of some kind of dark wood with engravings on top part and seat and back are cusioned with Victorian design. Chair is in excellent condition.

It is armless and a bit smaller than average rockers and folds and unfolds easily. The only info we can find is on bottom of cusion and it says the following:

Made in Taiwan

Robin Wood Works

Reg No: Ca (number listed here)

From the few bits of info we have found online, it was probably a nursing chair from the late 1800s or early 1900s.

Wondering if any knows the value of this chair?

Featured Answer

cichoski44_msn_com

13 years ago

There may be repo models of these rockers, but in the 17 and 18 hundreds when there were no funeral homes these rockers hung on the sides of horse drawn hearses. The body of the deceased was taken to the home that the lived in and for three days visitation was held the chairs were used and provided by the undertaker.

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Comments (7)

lindac
15 years ago
Sounds like made in Taiwan repro to me.
Some old folding rockers were called alternatly "covered wagon" rockers or "carpet" rockers, because the upholstery fabric was often a piece of carpet.
But none of the antique folding rockers were made in Tiawan.
Linda C
damascusannie
15 years ago
These are common reproductions. You have to remember that Taiwan as a modern nation only came into existence in 1945.

Annie
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marleysmom44
Original Author
15 years ago
I realize the cushion base was possibly replaced (where it states "made in taiwan")...but wondering about the frame itself and this type of chair in general.

Anyone know? I'm asking because we had it for sale online for cheap and someone emailed us and said we should double-check on value because he saw chairs like this go on Ebay for several hundred dollars.
lindac
15 years ago
There were old folding rockers.....and there are new reproductions made in Tiawan.
Search on Google images for covered wagon rockers or carpet rocker or antique folding rocker and see if thats' what you have.
I could do a search for you and post the link, but I suspect you are able to do it yourself.
millwright0069_yahoo_com
12 years ago
I have one of these rockers and my new girlfriend has one. Now we have a pair and plan on putting them on each side of our new arrivals crib. We have turned down offers of over 200 each.. the uniqueness and character of the chairs are worth more than money to us.
Mikk
12 years ago
If it where an antique, and upholstered, then it would almost undoubtedly be a Collignon chair. If it were, then there would be a company mark on the underside of the seat, along the back of the seat frame, or a plate on the back of the seat frame. If there is no mark, it is not a Collignon, and I'm not familiar with any other makers that upholstered their folding chairs (seat and back).

I'm not personally familiar with Robin wood works, but there are a whole slew of, what we like to call, "container companies" with similar names. They are generally cheap imports/repro's etc that only sell an item in increments of containers. :-) Happy Wood Works, Sunshine Wood Works, Smile Wood Works, to name a few.

All told, and without seeing it, I would lay my money down on a repro chair as well. :-)

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