CHARITY ROW:
This old mahogany game table is in good shape. The only notable flaw is that one of the feet has been broken off, but it was re-glued and appears to be firmly attached (see pictures below).
When fully opened this table is about 30 inches square and 28 1/ inches tall. When folded in half for storage (or for a game of cards for two) it is about 15 inches by 30 inches and 29 1/2 inches tall.
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Berkey & Gay was one of the leading late 19th century furniture makers and this continued into the early 20th century. They were noted for producing quality pieces at decent prices. I always like to get items made by them since I know that the piece will be well made and if not mistreated, it will have withstood the years well.
These three pieces are good examples and since they were quality pieces to begin with they are in good condition now*.
The tall chest of drawers is in excellent condition, it is about 46 inches tall, 20 inches deep and 26 inches wide. SOLD!
The dressing table is 46 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 30 inches tall. It’s probably seen the most use out of all the pieces, but it’s still in good shape. SOLD
The mirror is not marked as Berkey & Gay however I’m pretty sure it is another of their products. It is in excellent condition and stands about 46 inches tall and 24 1/2 inches wide.
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*It may help that they might have been in a beach house for a while and not in daily use. When we got them in the drawers had a lot of sand in them, not enough to provide traction on a mountain road, but definitely more than you’d want in the waistband of your swimsuit. We gave them a good vacuuming (in the process netting two pennies for the cash register).
I dig that 1930′s Art Deco inspired styling! Note the diagonal bands of different colored woods, the cool little plastic handles and the overall ‘streamline’ shape.
Inside there is a clothes hanging area on the left with hook permanently attached to the bar. On the right are conveniently labeled compartments for shirts, underwear and pyjamas (not pajamas). On the door is a mirror a towel bar and a wee-little metal tray/box/shelf for your collar studs.
The wardrobe is in very good condition and it is 37 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 66 inches tall.
Inside the door is a label noting, “This Is Ronson Craftsman Built Furniture.” Given the overall look of the piece I presume this is an English company, but I’ve found out very little about it (even a tour of the British Library turned up empty).
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One of our volunteers saw this and said, “F-bomb! If I put this in my living room I’d have to sit in the dining room to watch it!”
It’s that big.
This LG 50PX4DR Plasma Television was made in 2005. It is rated for 60,000 viewing hours or roughly 6 years 10 months 4 days 3 hours 29 minute and 18 seconds of use.
Roughly.
Of course this is an average so some will last significantly less time and others much longer.
In any case this particular TV still works properly to the best of our testing ability. The original specs are in the long list below, hopefully it will answer any questions you might have.
Oh yes, we have the remote control for the TV too.
General
Video
TV Tuner
Audio
Convenience Features
Connectivity
Power
Do you ever have a moment when you realize you’re not going insane? That you’re not having flashback from the LSD you took years ago? When your (tenuous) hold on reality is not actually slipping through your fingers? That is not deja vu but reality?
I did when I remembered that we have had this before. What a relief.
It wasn’t this this exact piece, or one colored the same way, rather we had an artist’s proof for it. As I recall Janet bought the last one, though I could be wrong since that was way back in January. If so, Janet, would you like to start a collection?
I’m not sure what more to say.
Dimensions might be nice to know though. . . In frame this piece is approximately 22 inches wide by 32 inches tall. It is in great shape!
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This one of a kind stool was made by Travis Pond of Steel Pond Studios. Travis is a local Portland sculptor who makes a variety of things our of recycled and salvaged metals. I suspect he works somewhere in the North Greeley area as I’ve seen his large sculptural pieces on a trailer there.
This stool is about 31 1/2 inches tall with a seat made of three pieces of hardwood (and it spins). Given that it is made of recycled iron and steel this is a heavy item. It’d be good if you have a place where you always need a stool (or a tall table?) but probably not a good fit if you’re going to carry it on the bus to your weekly singing lessons.
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We have two of these very comfortable custom upholstered love seats. They feature a red fabric with woven in floral motifs and prominent leopards. They might be a bit taste-specific for some folks, but the set does declare itself if you’re looking to make a statement with your sitting room.
Each love seat is about five feet long. As much as I’d like to sell them as a pair I’m not sure it is possible so they are available individually.
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Both are in good to very good condition. They’re upholstered in a reddish-brown leather and are quite comfortable.
If they’re still here tomorrow night they’d be good to rest in after perusing the collection of stuff that we’ll have at our Art & Artifacts sale (beginning at 5 pm).
The love seat is about 5 feet wide and has seen more use than the sofa. There are a few faint small claw marks from some sort of mammal jumping onto the seat and some slight pen marks. Otherwise it in good shape, there are no rips, tears or weird stains in the leather. SOLD
The sofa is in very good condition. It seems the pen wielding canine preferred the love seat as the sofa is pretty much unmarked. SOLD
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Ohhh, now this is a comfortable lounge chair. I was worried I’d end accidentally up spending the night here, but this chair is proportioned for taller folks than I.
The top of the back is about 38 inches high, and it is about 34 inches wide.
The leather is in great shape except for a little wear on the seat, which make sense as that is the most load bearing part.
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This once grand old piece is a little down at the heels, but not yet out at the elbows. With a bit of care and a good home it could outlast all of us.
It features three upper drawers, two large side cabinets with shelves, and small central cabinet and a lower open central cabinet.
Now about the hard times. . . First off there is a trim piece that has broken off under the far left cabinet. We have the piece so it just needs to be reattached.
More significantly the top has a large drying crack at the right end (about 29 inches long) and a slight warp over a drying crack at the left end. My guess is that this piece was placed somewhere the sun could beat on it for extended periods, or was made somewhere relatively humid and then taken to the desert (or something like that). The surface crack could be filled or this might be a good piece for commercial use in a restaurant since daily wear in the service industry tends to be rough on the furniture.
Alternatively these flaws make it a great candidate for conversion into an architectural pieces, like a bathroom vanity.
While there are these flaws the item does have some cool stuff going on. Take for example the carved door panels. They’re pretty neat. I like the little cabinet too. It’s a spot where you could hide electronic equipment, or your stash of bottles that don’t yet have ships in them when the grand kids come over.
This sideboard is 60 inches wide, 20 1/4 inches deep and 38 inches tall. $225 considering the condition issues.
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This table is ‘near’ new. It is in fact the next door neighbor of new and they would have moved in together but for a small flaw: near new has a 6 inch scratch on the top. New couldn’t handle it and so the relationship was off. It’s too bad since preexisting minor damage saves all the angst of possibly being the cause of the first unintentional injury.
And besides, we all have little flaws and if you can accept them at the outset you’re much less likely to one day be looking across a no longer near new table and thinking to yourself “I even hate the way he holds his fork.”
This table is 40 inches square and stands 30 inches tall. It was made in Indonesia of solid hardwood. Although this was rejected by one of our generous retail donors due to a scratch it looks better than Billy Crystal in 1985 (um, yeah, that’s a pretty low bar isn’t it?).
Basically it’s just a very nice, useful and good looking piece.
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Except in Scotland where it’s called a kilt.
Fresh off the boat from inner northeast Portland we’re happy to offer three fine vintage (mid-1950′s) rock maple dresser/chests of drawers. they all match, but we’re willing to break up the group to in recognition of the real world chances of selling them. They were all made by T.F.I which stands for Thomasville Furniture Industries.
My favorite in the group is this side by side chest of drawers. It’s a bit of an unusual piece and it is in quite good shape. It is hugely functional too as it allows two folk to share a dresser without sacrificing a football field size bit of floor space. It is 42 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 45 1/2 inches tall. SOLD!
In case you’re a loner or just not that into sharing we also have a single dresser. It’s in good condition and is a slightly smaller 32 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 45 1/2 inches tall. Update: We never sold this piece so we gave it to one of our client families.
Perhaps conventional shared storage is OK, or maybe you live in place where anything tall will block the cell window. If so the third piece might do the trick. It is a nice, normal double dresser with eight drawers. It is in good condition too and is 50 inches wide, 19 inches deep and 35 inches high. SOLD!
Special Bonus!
We have the mirror for the set too. It hangs from the wall and it is 35 inches wide by 34 inches tall.
Smashing as in very nice rather than in the usual sense of “I wonder how far one could toss this piano with a trebuchet.”
These are part of a solid mahogany bedroom set purchased in the early 1950′s and they were made by Link-Taylor ( a subsidiary of Dixie furniture).
This is the tall chest of drawers. It is about 38 inches wide, 19 1/2 inches deep and 49 inches tall. There are eight drawers (four large and four small). All the drawers work well, but if you take them out you’ll need to out them back in the correct spots. Luckily it comes already marked so the job is pretty easy. There is also a sheet of glass included that protects the top surface from casual accidents. Overall the piece is in quite good condition. SOLD!
We also have the companion low and wide dresser. It too comes with a glass plate to protect the top and is in very good condition. This also has eight drawers but they’re all the same size. Like in the other dresser they too should go into the spots they work best in. This piece is about 58 inches wide, 19 1/2 inches deep and 33 1/2 inches tall. SOLD!
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This cute little Eastlake style settee would make a fine winter project for someone who is moderately handy, or interested in learning upholstery.
It’s not that bad a project, really. The frame is some sort of clear grained hardwood (Mahogany?) and it’s solid and in fairly good condition. There are some minor surface blemishes that are repairable and a couple of spots that show old repairs on the back of the piece (putty filled holes).
The upholstery is a pale blue velvet-like fabric. There are no rips or tears, however the settee was owned by a smoker. As such the cloth has a tinge of brownish-yellow and the faint smell of old smoke. I suppose it could be cleaned, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. A decent reupholstery job is probably the wise way to go.
I suppose if you smoke inside your house, or have lost your sense of smell it’d be just fine the way it is.
Although the blue fabric is not original, it is fairly old. Maybe redoing this would be your chance for a passing bit of fame when you discover a really old cheese sandwich buried in the back cushion.
It is 55 inches wide, 24 inches deep and 37 1/2 inches tall to the top of the back.
From the way the legs are turned I’d guess this is a 1920′s vintage piece. It’s in pretty good shape considering the time that has passed and the it’s probably on it’s third, if not fourth generation of owners (not including it’s brief stop with us).
As you can see in the picture there is some variation in the color of the top. Notably, there is a dark strip running down the center. This indicates that there was a runner placed here that protected that part from the sun, which faded the rest of the top. This is the only significant flaw I can find in the piece and suggests that the ‘When in Rome‘ solution would be to get a runner and put it in the same place.
The rest of it is in very good condition. There are two spacious storage drawers and two cabinets on the side. This sideboard is 60 inches wide, 201/2 inches deep and 38 1/2 inches high.
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Perhaps I was wrong, but I always thought that the design precept that came after “don’t mix horizontal and vertical stripes” was “don’t mix floral and plaid.”
That’s but a minor criticism for an otherwise fine piece. This wicker sofa is well made and in excellent condition. It has a contemporary styled asymmetrical back, and nicely arched arms. The cool thing about this style is that one knows immediately that this isn’t some stodgy antique piece that your grandmother bought at a second-hand sale from the Roosevelt compound on Campobello Island which, for generations, you’ve been too cheap to replace with something useable.
It is about 86 inches wide, 36 inches deep and 34 inches to the tallest part of the back.
Widdicome, Gutterman, Applewhite, Bibberman and Black. You want to talk to Mr. Gutterman? One moment, sir. I’ll connect you. Widdicome, Gutterman, Applewhite, Bibberman and Black. Oh, yes Mr. Bibberman. You’d like to talk with Mr. Applewhite? Oh, yes, sir, he’s in. I’ll connect you. Widdicome, Gutterman, Applewhite, Bib-bib-bib-blib-bibman and Black? Oh yes, long distance, how are you? Oh. Mr Widdecome? I have your San Francisco call for you. Yes, Mr. Bibberman? Oh. Did I connect you to Mr. Gutterman instead of Mr. Applewhite? I’m sorry Mr. Bibbicome, Bibbibibbib.
Oh Mr. Applewhite, what are you doing in that hole with Mr. Gutterman? Yes Mr. Widdicome? Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I’ll try to reconnect you again with San Francisco. Let me see, Mr. Bibibib is in there talking to Mr. Bubbawhite. Where on earth is Mr. Applewhite? Oh, there you are Mr. Applewhite!
Mr. Widdicome, there’s no such place as San Francisco.
The perils of switchboard operation were probably best realized by Rosalind Russell in the 1958 film Auntie Mame (quoted above). Check out this video clip, the scene starts at about eight minutes in.
As shown in the film, this vintage switchboard was likely once the center of the information technology department at a moderate sized firm.
It was made by Federal Telephone and Telegraph Company at their Buffalo, New York facility. Given the name plate we can tell this was made after 1909 (before 1909 they were just the Federal Telegraph Company).
Other than the metal tag, most of the pieces aren’t marked, the few that are include several condensers by the Federal Telephone and Telegraph Company and the ear-piece by Stromberg-Carlson. Otherwise the only markings are a partial paper label on one of the weights that reads Tel. Co. Property (but not which one) and an 1892 patent date on the mouth piece.
It is 24 inches wide 25 1/4 inches deep and 48 1/4 inches tall.
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Interesting antique hall tree. The lower part is a bench, with storage room under the seat. Above is a beveled edge mirror surrounded by a series of hat and coat hooks.
All the hooks are there and in good condition. Given the Art Nouveau naturalistic elements I’d guess that this is from the first decade of the 20th Century or the last one of the 19th Century. This was around the time that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was compelled, by public pressure and economic necessity, to bring Sherlock Holmes returned back from the dead.
I’m sure Mrs. Hudson would have appreciated having something like this for all Holmes and Watson’s visitors on cold rainy nights. It’s bad enough cleaning up after all the bullet holes in the walls, but the continual mopping of the floors must have worn thin too.
This piece is 36 inches wide, 75 inches tall and 18 inches deep. It is in very good condition.
This is a decent old Oak library table. It’s in good shape except someone’s cut out the stretcher/shelf that used to connect the two legs. As a result, although it’s fairly solid, I wouldn’t recommend dancing on it at the annual Librarian’s Holiday Punch Party. Presumable someone with the right skills and materials (i.e., not moi) could make a replacement piece.
The top is in quite good condition with only a couple little ink spots and one small veneer patch in on a corner. The desk is 46 inches wide, 29 deep and the top is about 30 inches tall. The drawer is solid and works fine too.
Just over 69 inches tall, 22 deep and 36 wide. In fair condition due to some slight veneer peeling at the lower edges of the sides.
This is a great piece for an older house where closet space is at a premium. It could also be used as an impromptu watercraft or hiding spot in an emergency*.
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*It’s rumored in some circles that Magda Lupescu regularly hid in a wardrobe not too dissimilar to this. Mostly this was during that pesky three-year period when her lover, King Carol of Romania was still married to his second wife.
King Carol brought the art of blue-blooded shenaniganry to a level since paralleled only by the summer Prince Charles spent as part of a circus clowns in little cars act (also know as Clown Prince & Can Ya’ Park A Rolls ). More on that subject another time.
As near as I can tell, the tally sheet at the end of King Carol’s life was a rather complicated little document.
He had three wives with one marriage ending in annulment and the other in divorce. The divorce was kind of fun, in that most of the royal families of Europe were related and got to throw in as interested in-law parties in the divorce dispute.
There were also two abdications, one coup (canceling the first abdication and overthrowing the regency of his heir, the second of two surviving sons), one failed dictatorship, two exiles (one voluntary), assassination attempts, plots, death and burial in exile, disinterment, and final “reburial” in the Royal Chapel at the Curtea de Arges Cathedral.
Since Magda Lupescu was both a commoner and a home wrecker, she was buried separately, in the regular cemetery. The fate of their wardrobe is unknown.
More ‘wine’ colored leather seating. We called our last piece ‘Burgundy’ (with an allusion to Claret). This piece is a bit darker so we’re left searching for other varietals to name the color after.
I was initially tempted to call it Madeira, but that makes me think of the Limeliters song. In consideration of the good weather we’ve had lately I’m opting to call it Sangria instead.
In any case the love seat is upholstered in leather and is in good condition. It is 68 inches long, 35 inches deep and 33 inches tall.
The bicycle might be the greatest technological innovation of human kind. It is undoubtedly one of the most efficient forms of transportation, but it’s rather awkward to use when you need to also use another form of transport to get where you’re going. It’s tough to fit a regular bike into a car. They are impossible to take on the bus when the racks are full. It’s really difficult to stuff one into the overhead bin on an airplane.
Being the clever monkeys we are, humans have developed the folding bicycle. The first popular use of the folding bike was to meet the perceived needs of military personnel, who were transported by train or horse-drawn conveyance in the pre-automobile era.
With the rise of internal combustion powered transportation (i.e., the car and the motorcycle) folding bikes fell out of popularity for general use (although military planners still liked them). This trend continued well into the late 20th century, although several manufacturers recognized the utility of this variant and made substantive innovations.
By the 1990′s the modern folding bike had been more-or-less perfected and there are over 100 manufacturers worldwide. One of these manufacturer is the American company, Citizen Bike. We’ve been fortunate enough to get two of their fine bicycles.
One of them is their top end production bike the Barcelona. It features a lightweight step through alloy frame, 20 inch wheels, integrated rear rack, internally geared three speed hub and weighs only 30 pounds. We have the optional front woven basket, front and rear fenders, a warning bell and a storage/carry bag too.
They currently retail for $399. The bike is in near new condition. Our test cruise around the warehouse may have been the first time it was ridden. SOLD!
In two of the fastest sales we’ve had in a long time BOTH of these bikes sold in less than two hours after opening. It says something about the strength of the Portland used bike market!
We also have a non-standard model by Citizen Bike. This is the Searcher model and is offered by the manufacturer as an exclusive product to employees of Google. It has been ridden, but given the limited wear and cleanliness of the components it was probably only taken around the block.
Of course we’ve taken it for a test cruise around the warehouse too. Like the Barcelona it has an alloy frame, is super lightweight (also around 30 pounds), has 20 inch wheels and a rear rack. It features six speeds based on a standard rear derailleur. In addition to a warning bell and front and rear fenders we have the storage /carry bag for this one as well.
SOLD!
They’re super easy to use, as this one minute video shows.
As a quality pre-owned furniture merchant who works for a non-profit that solicits donations from the community, entertainment centers drive me crazy.
They tend to be big, awkward and are mostly obsolete. Thank goodness only mostly, and not entirely, obsolete. Many entertainment centers are actually decent looking pieces so it’d be a shame if all they were fit for was firewood.
Like this grand oak piece. It’s well made and has a round beveled edge mirror and Art Nouveau scroll-work and a very large drawer that can be accessed from the outside.
It was originally outfitted as a TV storage cabinet so it has interior storage drawers, adjustable shelf and a power point for accessories. With a little work it would make a nice storage piece for non-televised uses too. Maybe move the adjustable shelf down a bit, or install a clothes hanging bar and you could have a period looking closet for your old Portland home?
Approximately 42 inches wide 23 inches deep and 79 inches tall.
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Grand old three-piece wardrobe that looks like it could have come out of an early EuroAmerican home on the eastern seaboard. It’s probably a bit younger than that, somewhere in the range of a hundred years old or so.
This spacious piece has a drawer below, a large closet with both a bar and fixed hooks above and a separate cornice piece at the top.
It is in good, but used condition with a couple pieces of damaged or missing trim molding, but no major structural flaws.
The greatest dimensions are 52 inches wide, 20 inches deep and 78 inches tall.
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This massive queen sized bed frame has iron fancy-work panels in the ends, rather like an ornate fence in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
I imagine Lestat reclining in this as he ponders the philosophical nature of vampires and his next meal, which might not be the most comforting image to fall asleep to. Instead perhaps one could use it as a framework for flowering vines and fall asleep drenched in the scent of Jasmine or Passion Flower.
It is 67 inches wide and the top of the headboard ironwork is 75 inches tall.
