I don't think it would hurt to ask for $500. If it doesn't sale then you can always relist at a lower price. I've sold lots of older stuff for more than 25% of original price (like Les said, that's the rule of thumb).

Last week I sold a 4yo STAINED microsuede sofa and love seat - and a matching recliner that was BROKEN. One back cushion on both the sofa and love seat was also tearing away from the back, right at the top.

We only paid about $1500 for the set - it was certainly nothing special, pretty basic. I asked $500 OBO. I had ONE person interested. She came out, looked at it and offered me $400, which I accepted. I could tell that she thought she was 'stealing' it from me, which was fine as we were both happy -- dh and I had agreed to accept as low as $250 because we needed it out of the house.

It only takes one :)

I think how you word your ad is very important, too. Really, really talk that chair and ottoman up big, no matter how silly it may sound to your ears. Also, if you have something you can offer free, like a pillow or throw, then do that - people love free. I gave the broken recliner free with the sofa & love seat, lol.

I *hated* that set but I wrote about how it was "a modern LR set with a traditional twist." And how "It's beautiful flared arms and solid wood legs make a bold, yet tasteful decorating statement." And... "The fabulous neutral color is well suited for all the best decors and styles." I about died laughing when I wrote all that bs, but hey, whatever works :) And we did steam clean them (still stained though) and I made sure to mention the stains and tears in the ad.

People also like good pics, a full description including any flaws, a price in the listing and OBO (so they can feel good about talking you down - so list higher than you want to get).

Here's the sofa - if I can sell this piece of junk then you should have no problem with that beautiful chair and ottoman .
{{!gwi}}

I have the Identical chair I bought from Boyles last year and paid $3,000. I will take a picture in better light tomarrow.

I really think selling prices vary from area to area. Like ladynimue said, it just takes one buyer. List it at $500 and see how it goes.

I've observed that most sellers on our CraigsList re-list their items every day or two, slightly changing the ad. They probably do that because, if you post an ad Friday afternoon or evening, it'll be buried by Saturday afternoon. I see the same items over and over again. Don't be discouraged, and do take the good advice about describing your piece. If you live near a very large city, you might also consider listing your chair under that CL location.

I've been trying to sell a Marge Carson sofa that we paid nearly $6000 some years back. It's in pristine condition because it was always in the living room where it was seldom used. I've had it listed at $495 and have had a couple of nibbles via email, and that's it. After we completed our renovation this fall, we no longer have a formal living room (About as much action as that room ever saw was dusting! Everyone always congregates in the great room/kitchen.). Right now I've got it tucked along the side in our dining room, where it'll stay until I get close to my asking price.

It's just too good a piece of furniture to give away. Don't you agree?

I have the Identical chair I bought from Boyles last year and paid $3,000.

Truly, $1K is a steal, but it probably would be hard to find people around who would think of it that way! I wonder if you'd do better at consignment? But they'd have to sell it for more, as they take 30%-50%. They often have a 30-d period before markdown too.

I'd hang onto it until someone comes around who can recognize its good value.

Too funny! I spent hours yesterday evening and tonight surfing craiglist, both in DC and Maryland and parts thereof(laptop with new wireless in the house is sooo much fun- DH and I surf on our laptops while we watch tv like now watching the playoffs)
Anyhoo, I think Les may be closer to the price it may bring. And it does depend on the area. I also notice that Clist is really more active than usual in my area with tons of good furniture. You might do better if you can wait a month or two if you can. Also Thurs- thru Sunday are mad busy and I would try posting first on another day so it would stand out.
Oofoasis did I see that on the DC area craigslist?? If not there was a sofa very similar!
Among other things, I am looking for a chair, hint hint if you are in the MD area!! Anyway good luck, Sue

Well, $1,000 does sound intimidating, so maybe say $900 :) Very reasonable, imo.

I think you should start with $750 because after all it is the chair & ottoman.

Oofasis - I don't know anything about your sofa but with so few people wanting formal LR furniture these days I think you either need to sell it for whatever you can get or find a place to store it until the time you can give it away to someone you know who WILL appreciate it and/or sell it at a lower price. Just calculate the # of days you had it and what it cost you to enjoy it each day (a dime?) and then sell it and move on. That is, if you really want to sell it.

That's a gorgeous chair and ottoman. Certainly worth $500 to the right person. The problem is that people who use Craig's List to find this type of furniture are usually looking for real bargains (I know because I'm one of them). And bargain hunters know that despite how well made and beautiful a piece of furniture is, there is a minority of people willing to buy used upholstered furniture. Although the chair looks really clean, it is still about 10 years old, so there's an excellent chance whoever purchases it would want it reupholstered, at least eventually. There's another $1,000 or so.

I recently purchased a french country, 2 year old down cushioned settee on Craig's List. The owners had all the original paperwork, so I know they paid close to $2,500 for it. It was in perfect condition, in a very neutral yet stylish fabric (off white chenille medallion/damask pattern). They started out asking $475. After a couple weeks they dropped the price to $450. I was surprised to see it listed a couple weeks later, asked to see it, and purchased it for $400. I was the first person to look at it. I think I might have been able to get it for even less, but I don't really like to haggle and it was well worth it to me.

I read Craig's List all the time. I seldom see any upholstered chairs listed for even $500 (this is the Boston area where there is a lot of activity). Those that are at the higher end get relisted again and again. Don't know what they eventually sell for.

I think Les's suggestion to list it for $425 is a good one. But people will want to offer you less. Personally, I'd pay $375 for it and be thrilled with getting a great piece of furniture. I'm sure that's not what you want to hear, and I do agree that you couldn't touch a chair like that new for for less than a couple thousand. But I don't know your market (if it's metropolitan and you can offer delivery you'd probably get the $500), or how badly you need to sell it. Have you considered having it recovered and keeping it? It's such a beautiful chair!!

The beauty of CL is that it's free to advertise. If you're in a hurry to move something out, price it low. If you're insistent on a certain price, then pirce at what you want and take your chances. You can always ad it again and it won't cost you a dime to ad it. You can drop the price if you get tired of it. You can also try your local newspaper (not at the same time, of course), or even eBay on "pickup only." You have nothing to lose by trying.

HERE IS MY CHAIR

Terri, your chair is certainly similar, tho not identical. Your fabric looks like it has silk in it because of the soft sheen - does it?

Oofasis, your piece is no doubt of good quality. Probably what is keeping it from being sold is the style of the arms and cushions. Right now that look is not what is being shown, and people tend to be looking for either what is 'in' or something very specific. Since the frame is of such great quality, perhaps you should consider having it recovered and updated and keep it! Maybe as a part of a bedroom sitting area, or in a den?

Its a great-looking set with nice neutral fabric - with the neutral fabric you might be able to get a higher price out of it - even at $500 itÂs a good buy. But like others have said, there are very few people who are willing to buy used upholstered furniture, and that can be a big factor in how much you can charge. I bought this older Ethan Allen set from CL  its rock solid and heavy, for $250. They were asking $300, but I asked them if theyÂd be willing to take $250 for it as IÂd need to get it recovered eventually as the fabric (navy blue with gold dots) wasnÂt really what I wanted. I did the dickering first via email, and not when I got out there to view the piece  I donÂt really like to do that, I think its sort of unfair to the seller, unless what IÂm seeing in person has damage not shown in photos.

IÂd say start out at $500, its free and you just never know. BTW, I just love CL Â I just sold a rug on CL this weekend in less than a weekÂs time.

$350 OBO

That's an amazing beauty, too, Jenny!

FlyingPower -- is that velvet or chenille?

I would have replied sooner except I've been working on my ad, my that took a long time! I just posted it and now we wait and see. Wish me luck!

Thanks to all your nice compliments I feel hopeful that someone out there will see the photos and appreciate this chair & ottoman.

The fabric is chenile, which I liked because it gave the chair a softer feel against the skin. I added a couple more pictures to the ad, close-ups of the wood to show the detail of the carving. I took your advice and talked up how clean it is and how fastidious I am about protecting my furniture ....I even pad my vacuum cleaner so it can't ding the legs! (Well it's true!)

I live in the bay area (CA) where lots of people have money but that also means they can afford to buy new.

Several years ago I put an ad on CL for some accessory thing I wanted to sell. I thought it would get more exposure if I posted it on Friday, hoping people have time to browse CL on the weekend. You aren't kiddinig when you say an ad can quickly disappear, it only took a couple HOURS before my ad fell to page 3! By the time Saturday morning came even I couldn't find it anymore! Yeah, it's a nuisance having to keep reposting it but at least it's free.

I don't know how to sell items on eBay. I'm reluctant to leave it at a consignment shop because of the cream fabric, I don't want shoppers soiling the upholstery and then not buying it so that I have to take it back in worse condition than I brought it. I know better than to try and sell this at a garage sale. That's never worked for me, people want to buy things for $3. So it's either CL or donating to charity and writing it off. I just don't have the space to keep this chair any longer so I hope it will sell..but I won't give it away. I'll donate it to a worthy charity to sell at their thrift store before I let some cheapskate get it for next to nothing.

FP - did you get my email?

I say try $550. I sold a recliner that we paid $450 for $150 to the first person who came out. I never really thought we would get that. Good luck!!

Flyingflower, hope the chair sells quickly and for a price you are comfortable with. It is a beautiful chair and you do live in an area that should command a higher price.

I like your idea of donating it to charity if it doesn't sell for the price you want, but I will give you a little warning--if you're worried about cheapskates getting your chair for next to nothing, be careful which charity thrift shop you donate it to. Many of these thrift shops have employees who are either dealers themselves or are working with a dealer (in other words getting a fee from a dealer for alerting them to the good stuff.) These practices are rampant at the Goodwill and Salvation Army. It was even going on at little St. Vincent dePaul thrift shop in my area. When the Salvation Army thrift shop in my area first opened, there was a great selection of new and old quality merchandise. Within a couple of years a new manager was hired. Now there's nothing in the place but junk you could barely give away at a tag sale. I noticed one day that a local antiques dealer was now "working" at the store, pricing the items in the backroom. I've driven by and seen her loading boxes of stuff into her van. And rumor has it that the manager cherry picks all the good furniture for dealers he has arrangements with. The merchandise never makes it to the floor. I've read many similar stories on-line about this kind of activity going on at the Goodwill also.

I guess I'd rather sell my used furniture to someone trying to stretch a decorating dollar and would love and care for the item, than to put it in the hands of unscrupulous dealers who are scamming the charity system for their own gain. I recently sold a bedroom set (very cheaply) to a really nice young couple who was buying their first house. They were so excited and I know the furniture will be loved and used rather than passed along from dealer to dealer.

I was thinking the same thing -- but even with CL. Businesses are probably scouring these places so they can sell them for a small fortune. I wonder if one of the charitable auctions is better, and having it start at a decent price. Or maybe just to someone who has hit hard times and has to start over?

Gorgeous chair! I think someone who will be looking for quality furniture will be willing to pay a price for it. You don't want it going to someone who will treat it like crap because they got it so cheaply!

I'd start at 750 and say obo.

It didn't take long to receive several emails about the chair. One guy who's email address is "Humpy Joe" sent what seems to be a serious inguiry, he was to see the chair ASAP. But I can't bring myself to reply to someone who uses the name HUMPY JOE! Does he want to buy the chair or just come over and hump it in my bedrooom? LOL

There is a charity store in Los Altos that benefits the Cancer society that takes your furniture directly into the shop, they have accepted other (less nice) furniture that I didn't want to bother to sell on my own. The women who work there called me back when they sold the set to tell me how much my old dining room table and chairs went for so I could write that amount off on my taxes. I can even go into the store to verify the item is still there and hasn't gone home with one of the staff. Not like Goodwill where it can end up in any one of their many stores, you don't know what happens to the item once it goes on that truck. So this particualr thrift store I do trust more than Goodwill or Salvation Army. I doubt a chair as nice as mine would ever make it into the Goodwill store. I have read those posts on this forum so I am aware how staff help themselves to donated goods. Wouldn't that just make me sick to see my chair show up on Craigslist after I thought I had donated it to Goodwill!

One guy who's email address is "Humpy Joe" sent what seems to be a serious inguiry, he was to see the chair ASAP. But I can't bring myself to reply to someone who uses the name HUMPY JOE! Does he want to buy the chair or just come over and hump it in my bedrooom? LOL

Hahahahahaha!!! Oh goodness!

pleeeeease tell me what happened with humpy joe. i need to know.

I've also had good luck selling things thru friends. I took pictures and did a little write up on a word document and sent out to my friends to see if they knew anyone that might be interested and I was able to sell a dining set, dishes set, and a washer/dryer. All for the prices I asked!

Good luck and please keep us posted!

Beautiful chair and ottoman. You can always reduce the price so don't start to low.

I love craigs list. This weekend I sold my kitchen on craiglist. After 6 hours it was sold and I removed the ad since I was getting so many inquires. Who knew so many people were looking on CL for kitchens.

*sigh* I love love love that chair. Oh, to be in San Francisco right now.

I think I'd, uh, skip HJ, myself.

You're HJ comment just made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the chuckle. Hope you are having good luck with the chair.

flyingflower: I saw your ad and think you've priced it right for starters--though I would be surprised to see it go right away and tend to agree with Les' more realistic figure. Not because it is not an amazing piece of furniture, I'm just not sure the Bay Area CL has that type of buyers (but I may be wrong). As far as pricing items for sale, I always try to search CL first for similar items to see the going rate--sometimes I even use their wording! If there is nothing on the local CL, you could do a Google search and it will pull up listings for other area CLs/ads. Another thing you can do is to put some search keywords at the bottom of your ad as many people are looking for very particular items and instead of scrolling through pages of ads, do keyword searchs. Things you might consider: vintage, shabby chic, etc.

I've had experience both buying and selling through CL (Bay Area) and have much better experiences than through eBay. If an item is priced right it will sell, while others just stay; though I agree there is no harm starting out closer to what you feel an item is worth. I just listed a set of 3 new, in box Levolor wood blinds for $100/ea or $250 for all three. No nibbles yet so will probably come down in price and am in no hurry to sell.

I've actually not run up against any creeps through CL, but I did get scammed once where a lady wrote me a bad check. Since you mention this was in your bedroom, I'd recommend moving the chair to a more public place. Items I want to sell that are large, I place in my living room which is right by the door--so anyone coming to view I can leave door open. Right now, I'm also listing some old electronics items and I asked my DH to set up on table in garage and I will just open the garage door and let people see there.

UPDATE! The chair and ottoman have SOLD!
The response was amazing, 5 in particular sounded very excited to buy it and not one of them haggled on the price ($500).

Squirrelheaven, I should have listened to you. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten more for the chair, you were right.

I ended up selling it to a woman in southern CA who paid for it via Paypal. She was so desperate to be the first to get to it she trusted me by sending the money via Paypal without ever seeing the chair. Paypal is now in the process of transferring the amount to my checking account, and I don't forsee a problem. Her friend in San Jose is going to pick up the chair and hold it for her until she can drive up on a weekend with her van to take it back home. She said she's been hunting for months and when she saw my chair she knew it was the perfect one for her.

I've removed the ad and sent email to 6 people who contacted me, notifying them that it has sold. This is what one person replied back: "...that was very nice chair and a great price. You have been so nice and I wish you all the best."
:D

As for HUMPY JOE...I never replied to his email and thankfully haven't heard back from him. I didn't even include his name in my email to the others. He's probably moved on to someone's loveseat by now, or still waiting for the right upholstery to come along so he can hump it.

Yay! I just love craigslist and am so glad you got your price for your beautiful chair. Congratulations!

Congrats on selling your chair :-) I'm sure the new owner is thrilled! Don't be bummed, $500 is still good money.

Darn. But sold. Is Paypal going to take 3%?

I do hope the new owner really needs it. A total steal.

flyingflower,

Just a word of caution. PLEASE do not give this chair to this woman's friend until her payment has CLEARED Paypal. With Paypal, it's possible to do an electronic transfer, etc, however, it takes approx 3-4 days for the payment to presented to her bank. Meanwhile, the chair is gone and your payment is reversed by Paypal because her account was closed, she had insufficient funds, etc. I'm an eBayer and I've seen this happen.

Not saying this is the case now. But it pays to be cautious. I just don't know if I like the idea of this woman paying $500 for a chair, sight unseen. What if the friend picks it up and the lady doesn't like it. Will she dispute with Paypal and you're out of a chair?

Again, please contact Paypal to know when the payment will clear the BUYER'S bank...not yours. When it does that successfully, then you'll know you'll get your money.

Congrats on the sale and I hope everything goes smoothly!

Yes, that's true about Paypal paying forward on someone's behalf. I was just told this when trying to close my account -- they pay first on goodwill so to speak and clear later. Even though my transactions were 'completed,' Paypal hadn't completed the transaction with my bank yet.

oooh, well in that case I won't let them pick up the chair for 3-4 days until Paypal tells has me it has cleared. I have already put in a request to transfer the funds to my checking account. That must be why they said it would take 3-4 days. It shouldn't be a problem asking her friend to wait until the weekend to pick up the chair, they probably would prefer that anyway. And if they squawk I'll explain why I need that grace period. Paypal hasn't said anything about 3%, no fee like that has appeared to my knowledge. I think we'll all be nervous until this transaction is completed, imagine how she must be feeling letting go of $500 on good faith. If something should go wrong you'll all be hearing about it! *gulp* Let's hope not.

flying flower, that chair and ottoman are beautiful! I love both and if I lived near you and had another bedroom to decorate that was big enough for it, I would buy it. I am so glad you found a seller that is in love with it and I will look for updates on this post. The price was very reasonable and a good buy for her and a fair offer from you.

Paypal usually doesn't notify you prior to the sale about the 3%, but you will see it deducted from what you received from the buyer. Most sellers on Craig's List cite in their ad that they accept Paypal only if the buyer covers the fees.

BTW, if they're sincere and honest about the purchase, they certainly shouldn't squawk about the wait time. Otherwise, they were trying to pull a fast one.

Of course, I tend to be paranoid....don't mind me. (OK, do mind me...I'd hate to see you get scammed out of this beauty of a chair).

Since she had to use PayPal and you asked for cash, I'd have her pay the fee should there be one. I was reading about receiving money over there a few weeks ago and seem to recall it doesn't matter if you're selling something or not, there's a fee to receive cash but not to send.

I re-purchased something from an ebay winner right after the auction and she came back to me for $1.48 more (than the $35 she already made on the item) to cover the PayPal fee. (Rolling eyes.) Looked like an md, too. (Hard to grasp.)

Congrats on selling the chair, and at a little more than my suggested $425! LOL

Don't start feeling like you could have gotten more, just because someone paid the $500 without balking. Others may not have originally said anything about the price, but might have started the haggle once they came in person.

You sold it quickly because you priced it right. Great job!

Hope the whole paypal thing works out for you.

It sounds like you have a delighted buyer and a good transaction. I'm glad this worked out so well for you. I agree with every word Les just said. Don't even start to second guess your price or the speed with which you sold. I would have suggested a lower price just because I know how cheap people can be with used upholstered furniture, and was surprised that you were able to sell at your asking price. It just goes to show that when you have a wonderful item priced attractively, it can all happen really fast. And selling used is not about what an item is worth. Your chair is probably worth nearly as much as you paid for it, since it appears to be in beautiful condition. But it is about what people will agree to pay.

I had some heavy red and gold chenille drapes Craigslisted a few weeks ago, just before Christmas. I made them and the fabric cost me about $100, even at a super super discount. I priced them at $40 for the drapes including the heavy metal rod. (A Hancock's steal for $16 for a $89.00 rod 5 years ago.) Well, I couldn't beat off the potential buyers with a stick. I was flooded with emails and phone calls. I could have sold those drapes several times over and I am still getting the occasional email asking if they are available. But what's funny is this: I had listed the same drapes at the same price a month earlier/same day of the week. Got a couple of inquiries but no real interest. I was already giving them away at that price, but wondered if I was asking too much. So, obviously, the timing of my later ad was the trigger for the sale. Do not underestimate the value of good timing. People are thinking about Spring redos right now, and that chair set is perfect. And once your PayPal money hits your bank, you should be good. The lady who bought my drapes wanted to make me a PayPal payment immediately, since she live in the mountains and couldn't get down that day. I didn't take it, but not because I didn't trust her to pay. It had more to do with wanting her to see them and make sure she was happy. I like PayPal.

Red

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's a photo of my drapes as they appeared in my ad...Scroll on left all the way to the bottom

flyingflower: Congrats on your quick sale. I agree there is a fine line between pricing right and getting multiple offers and pricing too high and getting none. As Red said, it's all about what the market will bear and catching the right buyer's attention. As for PayPal, I am just winding down my dispute with them and will say the buyer cannot dispute successfully without proving item was Significantly Not As Described AND shipping item back at buyer's expense (but you do not want to even go there). If you are concerned, you may request buyer to grant her friend permission to approve that item is as described and have her sign something to that affect. This is usually true with new furniture as well, the person who accepts delivery need to check it over and note down any issues with the item. I will say you were very nice to agree to sell it via PayPal and these potential headaches as people usuaally use Craigslist (and often get less $$) just to avoid these headaches of long distance and credit transactions. It's a lot easier to sell locally to someone who can view it, pick up and pay cash.

I just talked to a customer service agent at PayPal to see if any fees would be added (since none had shown up so far) and she said No. Yeah! Turns out there is a $500 limit (how's that for coincidence) on how much money can be transferred into an account per month without being charged a fee AND the person sending you the money cannot have used a credit card or debit card to make the payment. The lady who bought my chair paid directly out of her checking account, so she didn't use a credit card.
I'm in the clear, no fees from Paypal. :D
What a learning experience this has been.

You know what might also have worked in my favor...I placed my ad on Sunday night, completely unaware that the next day was a holiday! More people than usual must have been home on Monday goofing around reading Craigslist. I was still getting email on Tuesday but the bulk of it came in on Monday. Who knows if the response would have been as good if Monday had been a regular work day.

I'd'a paid $800, long distance :)

And felt like I got a great deal!

But you offered $300, lol
:D

Hey Red - you wouldn't still have that bird print with the extra frame for sale, would you? If so, would you consider a long distance sale? Email me through my gardenweb page or follow the link to my webpage and email me through there if you're interested. Thanks!

That was a joke, with the loowwww pricing you were considering and my telling you to ask much more -- I actually offered $500! (and would have sent more) ... and paid more :)

Maybe you didn't receive my first GW email before your ad hit -- where I said I thought I could come up with the $500 you wanted.

So, was I the first responder to your ad??? lol. I hit that thing like a bat outta fire.

When I calc'd UPS's rates it came up at only $65 for 100 lbs (if they actually ship this stuff). What did valinsv pay? Wasn't it like $300 or something?

That's right, you were the first...the next one was Humpy Joe at 5 am. I wondered why he was reading CL at 5 am. lol. Oh my. Well, I'll never forget his name.

I wish I could have sold it to you, if you lived within driving distance I'd have given you preference over anyone else. Sorry, forgive me, sniff sniff. :-(