LA man paid $50 for old chair; rare 1930s design later sold for $107,950
A Los Angeles man purchased a rare 1930s leather armchair for $50 at a yard sale and later sold it at a Sotheby's auction for over $107,000. The chair was identified as a design by Frits Henningsen, a rare piece that gained significant value after professional restoration.
Why it matters
This story illustrates the intersection of design history, market valuation, and the potential for high-value discoveries in the secondary goods market.
Justin Miller, a home design content creator from Los Angeles, spent half an hour scrolling through Facebook Marketplace. Most days, the search turned up nothing worth a second look. But in February 2023, he stumbled upon something unique: a chair. And that chair changed his year. He bought it for $50 and ended up selling it at a Sotheby’s auction on June 7 for $107,950 (including premiums).An unassuming chairThe listing was part of a yard sale at a home in Beverly Hills. The seller wanted $50 for a leather armchair. Miller, who was only 33 at the time, thought the colour of the leather was striking. He also liked the shape, which looked unusual to him. Although he knew little about furniture, he thought the chair was a bargain. “I’m not a furniture expert by any means.
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