In Lust With This Chair... But Not For $220

I want this chair. I've driven or walked by the Melrose Avenue junk antique shop it's sitting in almost every day for the past few weeks.

It's lovely. It's the kind of chair I wish I could find at a modern, reasonably priced furniture store. (If you know of a store like this, hit a sista up because I'm still trying to determine what the name of that modern store would be.)

I've dreamed of this chair taking up a permanent residence in my living room. I've heard myself banning every other member of my household from sitting in it or breathing on it... and on Saturday afternoon I finally stopped in the shop to check it out.

As I looked it over, I noticed that the front of the seat cushion has some small tears in it. I figured, $100 would be a generous offer. $75 would be better.

I asked the shop owner how much he wanted for it and this clown says, "$220. Final offer."

I must've given him my Are You Hittin' The Pipe In The Backroom? look because he immediately added, "It's vintage. From the 1940's."

People in Los Angeles like to throw around the word "vintage" a whole lot. The more "vintage" they can stuff into a description, the more ridiculously high the price becomes.

In my world, vintage is before 1900. My parents were born in the 1940's and they certainly aren't "vintage".

Sadly, the shop owner refused to bargain with me, so I left. Without the chair.

My kids were shocked. "But you REALLY want that chair," my nine year-old son said.

Yes, I do. But I don't want it for $220.

Maybe I'll go back in another two weeks and offer the shop owner $100 for his chair. Then again, maybe not. The shop owner was kinda jerk-y and where I spend my money is like voting.

Of course, someone else might buy the chair. I wish I could say I'm pretty confident it'll still be there, but there are a lot of fools in Hollywood who'll fall for that vintage crap and pay the money. And if they do, I guess this chair isn't meant for me after all.

Comments

Jameil said…
Girl please. I have seen 'vintage' etsy pieces I felt the same way about. I love it. LOVE IT!! But at that price? It must not be for me. That chair cost $30 or something insane like that at the time. Final offer my face.
Tafari said…
Fuck that Liz, go back & get that chair!

Remember that turquoise chair that I saw & had to have? Guess what? it's now available for sale via auction & starting bid is 200. (http://www.dumouchelle.com/#view=8;lotId=6795)

Im so geeked & about to go for it!
mosaicmama said…
i would say that you definitely deserve a chair that you seem so enamored with but i feel you on the principle of not dishing out for it when the guy was a prick about it. i wanted this piece of furniture i saw on craigslist so i wrote with a low ball offer thinking they would counter but they were pissed! so then i had my friend write to see what price she might get so i could still get it. they never responded to her but maybe you could have a friend go in and offer 125 and see what he says. maybe he'll counter with a price you can live with..which you can pre-determine and send in your surrogate shopper with that amount :) let us know what happens!
Lola Gets said…
Girl, anything 100+ years old is defined as antique, lol.

L
Unknown said…
Liz you deserve the chair so oo get it!! iiiiit looks like one my aunt had wish I had kept it!!love iris
Liz Dwyer said…
Jameil,
Yeah, he came out the gate with that final offer mess. I was like, um, you don't have price tags on anything and you don't even want to bargain? Bargaining should be expected!

Tafari,
But see, at least your chair doesn't have a tear in the cushion like mine! Sigh. Maybe I'll give it a couple weeks.

Mosaicmama,
Now THAT is a good idea. I totally need a surrogate shopper. A big burly 6'5" one with tattoos that can roll up and say, "$100. Final offer," and have the shop owner cowering in terror. Yeah, I like that idea. ;)

Lola,
Yep, over 100 years old, but this chair is like 60 at the most. Plus, folks here try to say "Vintage 1980's". I've even seen vintage 1990's! Folks are trippin'!

Iris,
I have to figure out how much it costs to get the cushion fixed/re-upholster the whole thing. We'll see. But it is lovely.
Marlo said…
Did you ever go back, or send someone else back, for this chair? It's so pretty and I hope you found a way to make it yours.

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