I bought a grotty old chair on Facebook Marketplace for next to nothing – when I found out its true worth I was stunned | The Sun

A man has revealed his unexpected fortune after purchasing a second-hand chair online – with experts estimating it could be worth tens of thousands.

When Justin Miller spotted a worn and used chair on Facebook Marketplace, he didn’t expect for the “cheap” item to earn him a fortune only a few weeks later.



The home design content creator, focuses on upcycling pre-loved items, he often researches his finds in a bid to learn more about the material and its history.

After uploading a photo of the $50 (£39.96) chair into Google Lens, the 33-year-old found articles and auction listings suggesting the chair was worth up to $50,000 (£39,964.50).

Now, Justin is planning on auctioning the rare find, which he claims is one out of 50 in the world, at Sotheby’s Important Design sale on 7 June 2023.

In a clip uploaded on TikTok, which has racked up 2.3 million views and 192,000 likes, he shared the story behind the item and other listings with hefty price tags.

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“The owners knew it was worth a lot of money, but I doubt they realised just how much,” Justin, from Los Angeles, US,
told NeedToKnow.co.uk.

“As I was messaging [them] to arrange a time to pick up the chair, I remember her telling me that if I do repair it, it will be worth a lot.

“[Online], it showed the chair was selling for a lot of money, but there was also a big range, so I wasn’t positive it was a lot.”

Justin emailed Sotheby’s, Phillips and Christie’s about his find, before receiving an email the next day from the first auction house, who expressed their interest.

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After an in-person meeting, they confirmed the high value of the chair, which was created by Frits Henningsen, a Danish furniture designer, in 1935.

In the clip, he begins with sharing a picture of the original listing, before telling viewers that while he’s not a furniture expert, he has a “good eye” and can tell when something’s unique.

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After researching the item, he reveals the name and year of design, along with a screenshot of another refinished listing, selling the item for over $9,000 (£7,192).

Other refinished listings were selling the chair for upwards of $60,000 (£47,946), with a listing of his exact chair sold at $223,000 (£178,199) for two.

While his chair is scuffed and has tears, Justin tells viewers he knows a place who can repair the item and make it look as good as new.

He ends the clip with saying: “I’ve made some good marketplace finds, but this is my best to date.”

Users flocked to the comments to share their reactions, with some adding that they’ve seen the chair in a celebrity’s home before.

“Kirsten Dunst has one! She talks about it in her AD home tour,” said Minya.

James Charles added: “Omg slay.”

“Do not touch or repair anything until you talk to an expert on this item,” someone else commented.

Lane said: “I would cry if I found that.”

“You should give the people you bought it from some money. No way they knew what they had,” another person added.

Justin added: “Sharing it on social media seemed like a no-brainer, especially as it was such a fun and exciting story.

“So many people were genuinely happy for me and of course, there were people saying that I was dishonest or sneaky because I knew the chair was worth a lot of money – but they didn’t know the whole story.

“I spend a lot of time on Facebook Marketplace finding items for projects and when I first saw the chair, I loved the leather colour and its interesting shape.

“People always tell me they don’t find anything good [on there], but they aren’t just looking hard enough.

“I hope to get the higher end of the estimate, but I would love a bidding war.

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“I think I’m just going to save [the money] for a down payment on a house.

“I grew up watching Antiques Roadshow and I always wanted to be one of the people who finds something amazing – and now I have.”

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