I'm pretty certain she would have to pay more than that from a dealer, but if I were you I'd post on the Antiques & Collectibles forum. They have eagle eyes over there, and they know the right questions to ask about your piece.

I think $300 is to cheap myself. BUT I am not a professional. I know for a antique table with glass ball feet DH paid $500. It has a lot less wood! LOL
I know prices around the US varies, but $300 is still not enough for me to sell it if I owned it. Are there any antique shops in your area that could give you a guesstimate?

We have 3 of those downstairs...oak isn't selling well these days.
A big question re: value....are the sides smooth? Or are there slats that look almost like a ladder going up the sides?

Ours are ladder-sided, and worth more than the smooth ones - if you can find a buyer, that is.

I'd only sell that for $300. if she is going to keep it and use it. That's pretty cheap, but you know her and if it will mean something to her, I'd probably let it go.

I would say it is worth more than $300, it is also quarter sawn oak.

Sue

I'd say it is worth more.

Don't refinish! That will decrease the value a lot.

If you lived closer, I'd give you $400--maybe $500 if you balked. The dresser is just beautiful.

Does she want it for her own use? to re-sell without telling you ? sometimes our friends have a tendency to use people--it happened to us. I would not sell it as several of the posters seem to have valid comments. If you watch Antique Road show, they always have furniture shown. If you do not have a authorized dealer in your area, maybe you could either contact one of the dealers listed on the program for a recommendation to a dealer in your area or ask if you could send pictures. Whatever decison you make, do not refinish it without talking to someone with more professional knowledge. Drawers can be fixed by a good cabinet maker or a good wood working person. Just be careful.

I found this..seems smaller than yours, and definately not as appealing on the mirror as yours. And a bit less refined in the overall look. IMHO

And it looks like it's from 2003 the price $125-250. I'm inclined to say that if it means nothing much to you, and you could use the money and the space..$300 seems reasonable. But I don't like, not have any experience with antique furniture. LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: Compare scroll down to #103

and the sticky drawer is probably an easy fix...

I wouldn't part with it for less than a thousand.
The dresser is easily 100 years old and has the orginal finish/hardward. This makes far more valuable than three hundred dollars.

Lori

Stuck drawers can be fixed and if it is worth $1,200. in pristine condition, I think it would be worth more than $300. from a buyer. Call some dealers around town and get appraisals. Never sell to the one who appraises it unless it is the highest out of three or four appraisals. Check out antique furniture books in book stores.

We bought a dresser similar to that, but not as nice, for 700 at an antique store about 10 years ago, and thought we got a good deal. The dresser is beautiful and 300 would be a steal.

I don't see that it needs to be refinished. A real genuine antique can be completely ruined by being "refinished."

Check out Kovels

Here is a link that might be useful: Furniture

I"m with the majority here. Your friend is no friend if she's offering only $300 for something that beautiful.

You couldn't buy a plain, new dresser for that these days. To expect to steal a beautiful, classic, beautifully made one for that is ridiculous.

Sorry, but I think your friend is trying to use you.

But, the price of antiques does vary from place to place. Here's what I'd suggest you do. Take pictures of it from every angle, and go to a decent antique shop in your area that sells furniture. Tell them you're thinking of selling it, but you're not sure (which is true) and ask what they might give you for it. That way, you can get a rough idea of the wholesale value IN YOUR AREA, without commiting to selling to them. They'll probably give you a rough range--it might be worth from $500-700 depending upon the condition when we see it in person, for example. Just tell them you need to think it over. Might be that they'll offer you much more than your friend and you may decide to sell to them.

As to the $300 friend? If she truly wanted it for her use, and hadn't insulted me with that low-ball offer, I'd probably have given it to her for free. But unless we're all wrong about the worth of that piece, she's really insulted you. Even if she knows it's worth $1200 on the retail market, she should have offered $600.

It's a beautiful dresser. I'd love to own one like it. I wouldn't give $300 myself, but that's because we can only afford to buy cheap antiques, and they are out there. On the other hand, if I owned it, I don't think I'd part with it for $1000. I guess it just depends on whether you really want to get rid of it, how badly you need cash (in which case I'd try to find out what it's value is on the market before selling it, just like you are), and what your friend wants to do with it. It's one thing is she wants it for herself and will love it and keep it, or whether she wants to do a little work on the sticky drawers (etc) and sell it to make money on it. Also. like several others, I'd not even think about refinishing it. It is in beautiful condition as is.

It is a Serpentine dresser. Take a look at completed listings in the antique section at eBay.. most did not sell and a similar one to yours minus the mirror sold for under $300.

I'd sell to your friend if you really don't want to keep the dresser.

No way would I sell that for a mere $300. The sticking drawers are an easy fix, the finish looks great as is and dressers or chests are such wonderful storage and so hard to find, I wouldn't sell it, period.

The carvings on it are icing on the cake for me. Even plain it would be a great piece. I think it's a treasure.

Wow - I'm glad I asked here first. If I keep it, how do I the drawers to not stick without damaging the piece?

To make the drawers open and close smoothly you can try rubbing a bar of soap or an old candle along the runners.
HTH!

I too think $300 is a very low ball offer. That might be all right if it weren't for the lovely mirror and carving on it as well and the pieces that are holding the mirror.

I'd be interested in knowing what the folks at the Antique Forum have to say about it. If you ask, you might want to tell them what part of the country you are in as things run differently in different parts of the country.

btw...'oak' will always be 'in' with me.

Sue

The drawers that don't fully close may need to be planed down a bit- a good handyman, one who can be trusted to not take too much off or be too aggressive, could do this with a hand-plane or even a sander. It would be on the parts that you don't see, like the bottom edges of the drawers.

Make sure that the problem isn't a temporary one due to high humidity, though, because once it's planed off, you can't get it back!

I notice that the bottom drawer is somewhat smaller than the opening for it. Could it be possible that the drawers are not exactly interchangeable? You might try swapping the two larger drawers and see if they don't fit better in the opposite positions. I have a couple of older dressers purchased at a local antique shop that are that way. Drawers almost but not quite the same size. The upper drawers might have the same problem but I can't see them as clearly in the photo.

Could be from when they moved it in, pris. I'll try that first.

You can't judge from ebay what antiques are worth. I would not buy an antique from ebay unless it was close enough for me to inspect and most of all transport without shipping costs. Shipping would equal the cost of the dresser, depending on where it was being shipped to. Not worth it to me.

Most people that sell furniture on eBay don't ship or will let you pick up for free even if they are willing to ship. When I look on eBay for large items, I always just do a search within a reasonable driving distance.

I personally think eBay is a good judge of the worth of antiques - the interested audience is huge. The similar dresser that I looked at there had over 500 hits and 15 bids. IF it were worth a lot more, someone would have bid the price up higher.

I love Angela's dresser and if it were mine I'd most likely keep it - I love dressers for storage. I just don't think she'll ever get $1000. for it as some of you are suggesting.

The two bottom drawers may have been interchanged which may cause the 2nd from bottom drawer to bind.

Pull the sticking drawer out and see if you can determine the cause of binding.

The primary wood seems to be oak. What is the secondary wood? Secondary woods are used for the drawer sides, back, and bottom. The higher the quality of this wood, the higher the quality of the piece.

Pull out the top drawers and look for a maker's mark or label. This mark may be on the drawer or on the cabinetry. Also, look on the bottom of the drawers. Sometimes, the maker's logo is on the back of the cabinet. Identifying the maker (and date) is a big step in identifying the piece and appraising it.

Were dovetails used to construct the drawers? Good dovetails is a mark of quality and a higher price when new. Dovetails require more work and expertise than ordinary joints.

What are the drawer bottoms made of? Several small thin boards may mark it as an older piece. A piece of 'masonite' is a tip off that it is not as old at it seems. However, the carving around the mirror sets this piece apart from the ordinary.

Pull a drawer part way out and examine the edge of the drawer front. Is it solid wood, or does it have a veener covering? Solid wood is a plus.

That looks like old growth wood on that dresser. One of the things an appraiser will look at is the mirror. The one on your dresser is beveled which adds value and it does not appear to have any flaking on the back finish. The pelican art worked into the piece make is rather rare and sets it apart from other serpantine highboys. Do you have the keys for the locks on the drawers and do the locks work? Were there wheels on the feet at one time?

Unlike many other older pieces, there does not appear to be any mold or darkening from dampness on the legs due to long term storage in a basement or garage. That is a plus. Are the drawers odor free? A musty smell is hard to get rid of and decreases the value. You can't detect an odor with a photo and a bad smell to a piece can be a deal breaker when a buyer shows up.

As others have said, right now there is not a great demand for pieces of this style. If you like the piece and are using it, you could hang onto it and the value may go up in a few decades, but there is no guarantee.

And to reiterate - Do not refinish the piece as it will decrease the beauty and the value.