We have a garage that families from blocks around covet. It is a oversized two-car with stairs in the back that lead to an attic/studio room. The room has subfloor, drywall, ceiling fans and lights. I have had dreams of it becoming my photography studio since I laid my eyes on it, but alas it has become a storage unit. As we finish the unfinished parts of our basement, we are slowly squeezing out all the inside storage space that we have. Of course the attic isn't large enough to store everything, so we put the rest in the large two-car bay area.
Now it's full, and we park our cars in the driveway. All year round. In an effort to get at least one car in the garage, and to get rid of stuff in the name of cleansing, I found this steamer trunk. I picked it up from a neighbor's garage sale back in Green Bay before we moved. I probably paid $10 for it and was sure it was going to be a beautiful addition to our 1895 Victorian. I couldn't really find a great place for it in that house, so I dragged it across the country to this house. Half the size and not Victorian. Not sure what I was thinking.
So here I am. Ready to sell it on Craigslist. Prices on ebay go anywhere from $100 to $850 (when they are restored). What do you think I could get for it?
5 comments:
Wow, that trunk is absolutely beautiful! I wish I was in the US, I'd totally buy it (although like you I don't have space for it...) Alice x
I'd take it!
An antique person told me once that you can tell the wealth of a person by the style of the trunk. Rich people preferred curved tops, it gave them a wee bit more room but better yet-insured that their luggage was on the top of the pile.
Of course, my ancestors arrived with flat-topped trunks that stacked nicely and were at the bottom of the heap, but that's okay. It built CHARACTER!
I'm guessing a heck of a lot more than $10. Both of our garage bays are filled too. My husband swears they are too small for the cars anyway. HA!!
It's a beauty. Very elaborate and seems to have all the original innards. Since you have a photo of it, why don't you take it to an antique dealer to see what they offer. If it seems similar to the $800 on eBay, then ask $400 on Craig's List. My reasoning is this: you're going to be selling it for the "wholesale" price, which is about half of the "retail". I'm assuming the eBay listing is retail...but if it's not, then--that's why I suggest you show it to a couple of experts. You don't want to take just one opinion; you need to have a couple to ensure that you're not getting "done". I used to be in the business, so I have some idea of what's what.
This trunk is making me comment for the first time - gorgeous! I agree with alicestronaut, if I were in the US I would for sure buy it from you. I love trunks, I have two from family members, and they're just waiting for me to come home and have a house where they will be featured decorative items.
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