News

Dec 22, 2023

I bought a $50 leather chair — and resold it for a whopping $100K

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission. He’s sitting pretty

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

He's sitting pretty with his latest find.

A TikToker bought a worn and torn leather chair for $50 from Facebook Marketplace, only to sell it at auction Wednesday for more than $100,000.

Justin Miller purchased the Frits Henningsen chair in February and detailed his lucrative restoration adventure on TikTok.

The LA-based home design content creator peruses Facebook Marketplace for cheap finds, researching the unique pieces he stumbles across.

"When I first saw the chair, I loved the color of leather, and I thought it had a really interesting shape, so I wanted to learn more about it," Miller, 33, told The Post on Thursday.

He suspected the high-back wing chair would only be worth "a couple thousand" due to its "rough" condition — there were holes in the leather upholstery and discoloration.

"Since it was so rare and the leather was original, the condition didn't seem to matter too much," he reasoned.

The furniture fanatic forked over a meager $50 not knowing if it was a dupe.

Resellers often flock to thrift stores and consignment shops to snag deals before profiting off the valuables — but Miller had no clue he struck gold.

"This is truly just a once in a lifetime fluke, the stars definitely had to align a bit for this one, but I am so grateful that I was able to be a part of it," Miller, who grew up watching "Antiques Roadshow," told The Post.

He added: "I’d also like to think that I have a good eye for special items, too. But it was such a seamless process with Sotheby's, they were such a pleasure to work with, and I can't wait to do it again."

He explained that the previous owners wanted to declutter and didn't want to pursue the potential riches of the antique Danish chair, which is said to date back to around 1935.

Miller, on the other hand, did.

He contacted Sotheby's, which estimated the chair would fetch $30,000 to $50,000 in the Important Design Auction this month.

But Miller got more than he bargained for: The lucky bidder coughed up a hammer price of $85,000 and an additional $22,000 later. In total, the chair sold for $107,950.

"We are absolutely delighted that Justin's chair achieved this outstanding result," Carina Villinger, Sotheby's head of 20th Century Design, Americas, told The Post in a statement.

"From the moment he contacted Sotheby's to restore and sell his armchair, we’ve enjoyed learning about his discovery, which achieved a record price for this model by Frits Henningsen," Villinger continued. "Justin's story speaks to the power of Sotheby's, reaching an international audience of dedicated Design collectors."

After purchasing "something small" for himself, Miller told The Post he's saving up for a down payment for a house.

"I can't think of anything too exciting I want right now, so I will just put it in the bank," he said.

Viewers were divided over his achievement.

Given his prior knowledge and later success at auction, some argued he "took advantage" of the couple who sold him the chair. Others, however, championed his gains, which Miller described as "crazy."

"They posted it, you bought it. End of story! So happy for you!!!" one user wrote.

"I love the idea of a Beverly Hills garage sale. THAT is the definition of ‘one person's trash is another person's treasure.’ My trash is trash," quipped another.

"Imagine being able to pay that for a CHAIR! i have coldsweat [sic] every time i have to pay for my discount groceries," someone else revealed.