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Finding the Value of Murphy Chairs

July 27, 2022

Value of Murphy Chair?How much is this Murphy chair, #358 worth and can you tell me any more about it?

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The back of a wooden chair.
 
The carved top of a wooden chair.
 
The underside of a wooden chair
 
The marking on the underside of a wooden chair.
 

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July 28, 20220 found this helpful
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Sometimes it is difficult to sell a single chair in this style, as it was probably part of a dining room set and not particularly popular as a single occasional chair.
You can check prices online but it will be difficult to find a single chair in this style.

This set of 4 chairs is listed for sale on eBay for $145.
The seller has had these listed for sale for over 2 1/2 years and they still have not sold. This is not uncommon.
www.ebay.com/.../324073395578

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Where your chair is located will be the deciding factor in the final value of your chair as shipping would be very expensive, so sellers usually list furniture as 'local pick up only'.
I would say that your chair's value may be approximately $50 but if you list it for sale, you should start with a higher price and accept best offers. Leave it posted at the higher price for several weeks and if you do not receive any offers, then lower the price and wait again.

www.thriftyfun.com/Finding-the-Value-of-Murphy-Chairs...

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22 More Questions

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February 13, 2021

I have an old Murphy chair 4415. Just wanted to know some info and maybe even some pricing, thanks.

A wooden office chair.
 
The Murphy logo on the side of a wooden chair.
 
The bottom of a wooden office chair.
 
The Murphy marking on the underside of a chair.
 
The wheel on a wooden chair.
 

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February 13, 20210 found this helpful
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I do not have any information on age as Murphy Chair made almost the same style chairs from 1930 - 1960's.
As to value; it has been difficult to find very much on sold Murphy chairs like yours and listing for sale prices are just a price the seller would like to receive for their items - only a sold item shows what someone was willing to pay for that item.

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You can always check eBay's sold listings to see what people are paying for similar chairs but it's difficult because it appears that similar chairs in other higher end brands (and even unbranded) chairs are selling for more money than any style Murphy chair.
www.ebay.com/.../bn_73393201?rt=nc&LH_Sold=1

I found a few very similar chairs that have either sold or not sold at auctions. You can look at these to maybe get some idea of value.
instappraisal.com/.../murphy-oak-swivel-rocker-office-chair
Straight back swivel chair: $70 - 2017
www.ebth.com/.../5395861-vintage-oak-murphy-office...
Similar chair: $70 - 2017
www.ebth.com/.../7179577-vintage-desk-chair-by-murphy...
Similar: $100 - 2013
www.liveauctioneers.com/.../15949887_american-oak-swivel-office...

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Furniture values have not changed very much over the past 8-10 years so value is probably going to be about the same as these sold prices.
I would say to list your chair maybe starting at $150-$250 with best offer considered and pick up only and see how it goes. If no offers after several weeks/months then lower the price and wait again.
As a general rule, furniture sales are slow but sales are really unpredictable.

You may find more information these links:
www.thriftyfun.com/Finding-the-Value-of-a-Murphy-Rocking...
www.thriftyfun.com/Finding-the-Value-of-Murphy-Chairs...

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September 24, 2020

What is the value of this chair? It is a Murphy #4412.

Value of a Murphy Chair? - wooden desk style chair
 
Value of a Murphy Chair?
 

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September 24, 20200 found this helpful
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A pair of your chairs just sold (well, 2018--but furniture values remain pretty much the same) for $336.00

picclick.com/Vintage-Murphy-Inc-Owensboro-KY-Pecan...

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It looks like yours may have been stripped and redone--or maybe it is just the photo or the wear that makes it look very grainy.

If it is refinished, that will devalue.

Great piece! Post back how your sale goes!

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June 24, 2020

I recently purchased this chair from Facebook Marketplace for $60. I was wondering if it may be an antique Murphy chair. It has the unique designs that look identical to a Murphy chair. No labels or stamps on it though to tell what company made it.

Sorry about the poor image. It has a beautiful design on the upper back and wicker seat. I am just wondering if I got a treasure and didn't realize it!A wooden rocking chair.
 

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June 24, 20200 found this helpful
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Murphy furniture company marks all their chairs on the bottom of the seat of the chair. Even if it has a wicker seat you should be able to find some sort of marking on the chair around the wicker. If you are not finding any thing at all, more than likely this is a copy of the same style chair that Murphy makes.

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You can try to speak to a furniture resale shop in your area, a person who restores furniture or even a vintage antique shop to see if they can help out a bit more on this piece. I am not sure how much furniture sells for in your area but online that is normally a good price for this chair.

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June 24, 20200 found this helpful
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All Murphy Chair Company chairs had their tag under the seat or under the arm but it is possible it has worn off.

Hopefully, another member, Pghgirl, will check this and give her opinion and information.

It may not be an original Murphy Chair Rocker:
1.) no tag
2.) cane/wicker chair bottom/seat
3.) cannot see the top of the back to compare
4.) cannot tell if it has spindles under the arms

It's possible the tag has worn off but usually not the complete tag wears off so some pieces should remain as no one would deliberately remove this tag.
I have done research on this company and I have never seen or read where they made cane bottom chairs. I could most definitely be wrong on this.
There have been a lot of small companies that made 'copycat' chairs of the most popular brand names chairs. They usually changed some feature on the chairs so they could say it was their own design. That is what I think happened with the cane bottom and maybe other things but I haven't look that closely. As I said, I could be wrong on this.

I believe it was copied after this chair:

idahoauctionbarn.hibid.com/.../

www.pinterest.com/.../

Interesting facts about Murphy Chair Company:
At one point they were considered the largest furniture company in the world.
They had made over 10 million chairs before 1937.

Here is an article that might help you decide if it is a Murphy chair.

www.antique-hq.com/.../

You might want to post your question to one of the forums:

www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g39722-i2971-k3564880-Murphy_sewing_chair_2231...

www.antique-shop.com/.../index.php?topic=2947.0

Some sites offer free appraisals so you might want ot check some of those out.

antiques.lovetoknow.com/Free_Antique_Appraisals_Online

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March 22, 2020

I have two Murphy 206 chairs. I would like to know the value of these chairs.

Value of a Murphy Chair - dark wood chair with slat back and no arms
 
Value of a Murphy Chair
 
Value of a Murphy Chair
 

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
March 22, 20200 found this helpful
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Unfortunately your photo is very dark and the fine details are not visible.

Do you know if the chair is pecan or mahogany?

I an give you some general info. For specifics, I suggest you taking it to a local antique/vintage shop and find out the value for your area as furniture values are one of the most regional in the marketplace.

Generally I have seen Murphy chairs sell if they are in good shape and are in pairs. The ranges for side chairs like these can go from $10 to $200 each.

The two big things that cause such a huge range are below:

1. Furniture sales are supply and demand based and if you are in a high supply, low demand area, the prices are very low. Low supply, high demand, the values are higher.

2. Condition is also critical and since I can't see anything to indicate the condition, just be aware that things that affect values are:

--Smells
--Marks/dings in the wood
--Being reglued or repaired in any way
--Not having original hardware
--Any sign of it being off balance or bouncy

These are things no one can get from a photo so that is why it is best to seek a reputable reseller in your town to help you.

Post back what you learn! Thanks for sharing!!

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April 9, 2021

This chair has been in our local courthouse (built 1916) for years. We are now auctioning it to raise funds for local historical organizations. The seat and back seem to be covered with leather.

I would like any info on its history and its value on today's market.

A wooden office chair with a leather seat.
 
A wooden office chair with a leather seat.
 
The back of a wooden office chair.
 
A Murphy label on a chair.
 
The underside of a chair.
 
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December 10, 2019

I have a straight back Murphy chair, model 306. The back has a harp shape design.

Value of a Murphy Chair - dark wood chair with upholstered seat and lyre back
 

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
December 13, 20190 found this helpful
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If your chair is an original release, I believe it to be from the 1920s, so coming up soon it will be 100 and "an antique". I am not rememmbering if they released this style at later times or not. I will see if I can find my info on that piece of the puzzle

It looks to be in nice shape, most likely recovered as the material does not look old or period for the piece.

Do you just have one?

Selling one is sometimes a challenge as people are looking for a full set, but you could find someone looking for a replacement chair or an extra.

They average around the US $100 in sold prices, but it depends on where you are. Where I am they fetch less because there are a lot of them (high supply, low demand lowers the price). Where you are there could be very few and you could fetch a little more.

If it was mine, I would take it to a good antique dealer so they could sell it for you and value it for your town.

This way people can sit on it and know exactly what they are getting.

Thanks for sharing!!

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Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
December 15, 20191 found this helpful
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If you are trying to sell this at a yard or estate sale then start at $75 and hope someone comes along looking for an odd vintage chair. If you advertise then you might can get more if you list it with pictures. You'll soon know if your area is a hot spot for this type of furniture as people will be asking questions; if someone wonders if its "made of gold" then you may have to reduce the price.

A single chair in this style is more difficult to place a value and more difficult to sell. If you do research you will notice that dining style chairs are usually always in pairs or more.
Office style and rocking chairs can be sold as singles and usually sell for more money.
I would say to place a watch on this chair and see if it sells (usually this sellers marks his items down to 1/2 off after they have been listed for a while and did not sell.

www.ebay.com/.../123543632030

eBay sold listings is a good place to look for like or similar items that have sold over the past several months to see if anyone is buying and see what is selling.
You can check it often and this information may help you decide the value of your chair.

www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=murphy+chair...

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May 26, 2020

I have a Murphy desk chair. It is from Owensboro, Kentucky. What do you think it is worth and the age?

Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair - wooden armless desk chair with casters
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 
Age and Value of a Murphy Desk Chair
 

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Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
May 26, 20200 found this helpful
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This is a very unusual chair. Your pictures are good but you do not show a clear picture of the bottom of the chair and no picture of the brand name/markings.
I only mention this as most likely you will have to ask for an appraisal to find any information about your chair.

You can ask several of these appraisers and hopefully they will provide you some useful information for free. Some will not provide a free appraisal if the item is not valued over $500 but you can still ask.
They will need all the pictures as well as any information you have about its 'before life'. Also - your location.

www.whatsellsbest.com/.../antiques.html

This is an excellent site but they charge $20 - a very small fee for the information they usually supple.

www.valuemystuff.com/.../how-it-works

Information about the Murphy Chair Co.

www.justcollecting.com/.../murphy-chair-company-furniture

ThriftyFun also has other answers:

www.thriftyfun.com/Finding-the-Value-of-Murphy-Chairs...

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December 18, 2017

How much is a Murphy 360 chair worth?


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Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
December 22, 20171 found this helpful
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Murphy chair company has been around since 1872 but is not to be confused with the Murphy Furniture Company that manufactured mostly tables.

  • Murphy Chair Co. manufactured over 100 styles of chairs and each style would have different values in today's market.
  • I assume you may be referring to a swivel chair since you say "360" but that is a guess. This style of chair usually sells for less money than one of their other styles.
  • The "normal" selling prices for an office swivel chair runs between $25 - $75 but they are very slow in selling. Shipping costs with any style chair runs very high so it is generally best to try and sell locally so no shipping cost is involved.
  • Here are some different styles of Murphy chairs currently listed on eBay (with their "asking" prices).
  • www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=murphy+chair...
  • www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=murphy+chair...
  • Several different styles have sold in recent months so you can see what someone might actually pay for a Murphy chair. eBay sold items.
  • www.ebay.com/.../i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=murphy%20chair...
  • You can get a free appraise at this site:
  • www.instappraisal.com/

Here is a current link to Murphy Chair Co. history and links to ask questions.

murphychaircompany.com/

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