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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Seeking insight on this Imperial End table

« on: April 09, 2014, 12:33:53 pm »

Thanks for your advice....however what (in your opinion) would be a fair asking price for it? Like I said, I have not found any information on its value? I feel stuck..

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Antique Questions Forum / Seeking insight on this Imperial End table

« on: April 08, 2014, 11:16:02 pm »

Hey everyone. I haven't been active on here for a while due to having to take on a second job. Now that I am laid off from both jobs, I have been focusing full time on refinishing furniture.
You all have been so generous with giving insight in the past and I am in desperate need of some, once again, being as how appraisals are not my forte. So here's the deal:

I found this end table last fall, and did some searching for answers. The piece was manufactured by Imperial, based out of Grand Rapids, as you can see in the photos. Based on the version of the branding, it seems to have been produced sometime between 1954-1956. I don't know if that alone gives this piece value... I also read online that the top of these pieces are actually made of leather. I can tell that there is definitely hand painted detail, however, since I bought this guy, I have seen numerous other similar items, most in terrible shape and very "wobbly" with the "leather" peeling off. I would say out of all that I have seen, this table seems to be in the upper 80% as far as wear and tear. The other thing I find interesting are the wheels on the legs. I think they are pretty cool but does that add or take away from it if i were to refinish it?

All in all... here are my questions:

Is this something that has any value as is?

Should I remove the wheels and re-paint it/sell it (the paint I use is a thick eco-friendly chalk paint that Is manufactured in St. Paul, and it covers, binds, and sands amazingly)?

Basically what should I do? haha. See Below...










   

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 23, 2014, 01:24:02 am »

Just quickly like to say... i don't know if the pictures make it look less so, but the base and top seem very proportionate, especially the width of the wood and finishing style, the top is as intricately crafted as the bottom. why marry these two components, it doesn't make sense... it all looks cohesive as a whole, yet unique. Ughhh.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 10:56:04 pm »

Wow, Rauville. What an awesome resource. Thank you so much! I cannot believe how helpful and courteous you all are on this forum. I feel bad receiving all of this information and not being able to give anything back. I will post my findings and hopefully everyone will gain something (knowledge) from this quest.  In the meantime, any other thoughts on value or origin are welcome!!!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 09:18:35 pm »

Thanks Mart... sorry, one last question.. where would one even begin to price it? Would it be worth getting an appraisal or doing further research first to gauge a starting price? I sell most of my items locally through Craigslist for now, until I can get a storefront...

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 08:52:10 pm »

Thanks for all the feedback you guys. I so appreciate it! I believe I was looking at asking prices on ebay... I know prob. not the best way to gauge its value. The only thing I'm curious about is that neither the top or base seem to match anything of the Conant Ball line, yet it bears the mark. Maybe you're right Mart... Limited  production. I am a total amateur when it comes to antiques. I buy, refinish and resell furniture, lately having success doing pieces in a painted/distressed fashion for a "Shabby Chic" look, which is a popular style up here in the Midwest. This table, however, seems so strange. I am just lost as to weather this piece has any value "as is" or should I refinish it somehow? I would like to sell it regardless... my house is full of too much furniture lol.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 06:56:12 pm »

I didn't do anything to it, other than pull off the top to tighten the loose base, and put it back together. I have to say though, it doesn't seem like anyone has messed with it since it was first manufactured. If they did, they did it well because there isn't much evidence that it has been tampered with (other than someone sloppily squirting clue around the joint). Not to mention.. it seems to have only been stained once. I mean when I took it apart, you could see the outline of its first finish. It is very confusing..

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 06:20:44 pm »

Thanks. Yeah its a very unique design. I have a hard time finding anything remotely similar online anywhere. Why would that be? It seems almost like it was one designers "experiment" or something..interest ing...

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Antique Questions Forum / Conant Ball Table... Any Thoughts??

« on: January 22, 2014, 06:00:10 pm »

Hey everyone. I am trying to find the value of this small table that I recently acquired. Here is what I have discovered so far:

Conant Ball Furniture Company was founded in the late 1800's and closed in 1980. Although Russell Wright designed furniture for the company from 1935-1939, his furniture bore a different brand or emblem on the underside than the Standard Conant Ball Branding. For whatever, Ive read that though his pieces are very rare, they are not as valuable as those branded Conant Ball Furniture Co.

It seems like any furniture by this company sells for a great deal of money on ebay, yet I have been unable to find any piece that looks similar to this one at all. It is in excellent condition... it only needs to be cleaned up. It was very wobbly (as you can tell the past owner got messy with wood glue underneath) however I took it apart and reassembled it, only by tightening the screws, and its now solid as ever. Still, if I cleaned it up and removed that old messy glue, would anyone have an Idea of the value? Or at least the period it could be from? I am lost..

Anyone?