walkin, I aaachooo, think you should be fine, aaachooo! LOL, just kidding! Those look pretty nice.

With case goods, as opposed to upholstered pieces, you should be able to clean them just fine. Looks like walnut to me - do you know?

I agree you should be fine. I love cats also but am terribly allergic to the dander, it gives me asthma. If it was upholstered furniture there's no way I would consider it. But you should be fine with the wooden pieces after you've wiped them down.

I don't see why there should be a problem, either. Maybe you could even ask the seller to take a quick *damp cloth to the surface beforehand. I bet there's a solution to de-allergen any dander, too. It's actually believed to be something in their saliva rather than the dander itself.

I'm very allergic to cat also, and I've bought dozens of pieces used, from the classifieds to Ebay to Craigslist.
Have I had any problems?
Yes, particularly with a couple of different upholstered pieces. For those, I had to sit them in the garage for a day or two, vacuuming and then re-vacuuming. I even used a very diluted wash on them and scrubbed them good after doing the vacuuming. For case pieces, I've only ever had one real problem. It was a dresser. I had to vacuum out the drawers and then I washed down the insides with some cleaner, either a very diluted Simple Green wash or a diluted pine cleaner wash, I don't remember. But never had anything that could'nt be cleaned up. Of course, the once or twice that I was out of my mind sneezing, wheezing, coughing and sputtering when I first walked in to the person's home, I gave those things up. Too much trouble.

Red

(not a cat person)

I love cat's, have three but also have allergies. One of my cat's bother's me more than the other two. However those pieces at that price are so worth the try. I'm with Deb. I bet they are Walnut. Lane used a lot of Walnut back in the sixties. My folks had some beautiful pieces by them in walnut. Good Luck!

I don't think you'll have a lingering issue with non-upholstered pieces.

Have you considered allergy meds? I am allergic to all fur. I take Allegra (fexofenadine) and Singulair everyday. I actually have a cat now, and he often sleeps right near my head. No issues if I take my meds. It has also helped my dog allergy enough that I can visit people with a dog without a trip to the emergency room after (it doesn't work well enough for me to have a dog). The allergist told me cat allergies are more treatable than dog allergies.

Even if I didn't have a pet I would take the medication (in fact, I took it when we were between pets). I makes life so much easier. No more worrying about dander on people's clothing, asking everyone if they had pets before we visited their house, etc. I used to feel very isolated. Almost everyone we know has a dog, I couldn't go anywhere.

Yes, walkin, I do fear you're missing something dangerous and dreadful. Nothing for it but to buy them (for $150 :)), and ship them to me immediately. I have cats and will take the burden on myself.

;)

They're beautiful! sounds like everyone thinks you will have no problem getting them clean enough- I hope you post pics after you arrange them in your home. Great lines.

Since they state that there is damage to the veneer on the bottom of both pieces, and the back of the nightstand appears to be pressed wood of some kind, I am guessing they are veneer everywhere. Nothing wrong with veneer, but I probably would not pay $170 for the pieces.

Lines are nice, and I could see them looking great in a bedroom.

Good insights here: thanks, everyone. In fact, DH has nixed these already, so the point is unfortunately moot. I think they're pretty, but they were to be for him, as his prefab Target mission-style dresser is kaput. Friends don't let friends buy Target casegoods, is all I have to say, and it was a $225 lesson, grrr... But I will keep in mind for the future that I don't need to fear cat dander w/regard to Craigslist: Red, that was really informative.

So, Fly, go nuts, they're yours! (: And Les, thank you for that observation: veneer isn't always problematic, of course, but we have two rough-and-tumble boys (three, if you count DH, and I often do).

Allergies: I am slightly-but-manageably allergic to dogs, which is what we'll eventually get, and otherwise I only have allergy trouble for about a month each, in spring and fall. I have actually had great success recently with a nasal spray called Nasalcrom, available OTC at drugstores. No side effects like the ones I used to get with Zyrtec, and its effect is localized, so I prefer it... I'm glad you're having good results with Singulair, sue36; a friend of mine was on it and had horrific side effects, which still linger a year after she stopped taking it. Bodies are funny and unpredictable things.