Art Deco Parlor Furniture Suite, ca. 1940
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APPRAISER:
You got a whole suite of furniture here. Tell us about it.
GUEST:
Well, back in the 1990s, early '90s, I was in Dallas going through antique shops and looking for whatever I could find, went in one of the shops-- it was so loaded and crowded. It was half junk and half things that I was not interested in. But I happened to notice the arm of one of the chairs, and I thought, "Oh, that looks like Art Deco," which is my collectible.
APPRAISER:
So, what did you pay for it?
GUEST:
Well, best I can remember, it was right around $900 and something with tax.
APPRAISER:
This is a classic design. If you like Art Deco, I can certainly understand why you'd be attracted to this. This shape, this style, is something that was very popular in the '20s and '30s. And the way these club chairs are done, the way the arms are done, it's almost like the front of a locomotive. It says that "I'm in motion."
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
This is a very forward-thinking thing, and the other thing that's forward-thinking about this is that some of the material they used is vinyl.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And this is even more unusual, because it's a combination of green vinyl and white leather. I've seen this on lots of old white porches and sunrooms and resorts all throughout the South. The way they're constructed, we think they're probably circa 1940 and maybe a little bit later.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
The one's from the '30s and the '20s were a lot heavier underneath. You do have this set of three pieces that match, and in a really good retail setting, you would probably see this whole suite priced at $3,000 to $5,000.
GUEST:
Really?
APPRAISER:
Yeah!
GUEST:
Oh! What a deal!
APPRAISER:
Yeah.
GUEST:
And we dug it out of that little junk shop. (both laughing)
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