One tiktoker bought a leather armchair high-back, pre-owned, for $50 on the Facebook Marketplace. Recently, it was sold for more than US$ 100,000 (about R$ 500 thousand) in a auction from Sotheby's, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit for the manufacturer.
Justin Miller, a 33-year-old videographer from Los Angeles, reported that he found the armchair on Facebook Marketplace while performing one of his daily searches for vintage items.
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a rare specimen
Justin decided to buy the armchair, but he wasn't sure if it was a genuine piece. He sent a message to Sotheby's, which identified the chair as a coveted piece of furniture made by Danish furniture designer Frits Henningsen.
Photo: Insider / Playback
A armchair, dating from 1935 and made of leather and oak, was described by Sotheby’s in its catalog as “probably one of fifty known”. Miller spent $3,000 (approximately R$15,000) to carry out the necessary repairs on the chair and more than $1,000 (approximately R$5,000) to send it to Sotheby's.
Despite the cost of repairs, Justin felt it was worth it. When the auction started, the chair quickly surpassed the initial estimate, which was between US$30,000 (around R$150,000) and US$50,000 (about R$250,000).
Justin shared a video on TikTok showing his reaction to the various offers received. In the video, he covers his mouth with his hands as the value rises and exclaims, "Because of a stupid chair!"
After fees, the chair sold for around $108,000. Justin estimates this discovery will net him more than $70,000 he intends to quit his job and that, after taxes are paid, the money will not affect his lifestyle life.
He plans to save most of the amount as a down payment on a house in the future. And he also stated that he will continue to produce videos for TikTok where he shares home item design content.
