Tuesday, February 23, 2016

5059 The Great Chair Search

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

You can't convince a believer of anything, for their belief is not based on evidence;
it's based on a deep-seated need to believe. 
-- Carl Sagan --

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The folks across the street and up one have put out two metal chairs for garbage pickup, the kind of chairs you'd use with a patio set.  They didn't get picked up yesterday.  I think they might have to make a special call to have them picked up.  In the meantime, I'm surprised they're still there.  I've been looking at them (not close up), and mildly tempted.

That got me thinking about the marble and metal table in my breakfast area.  I want chairs to use with that, but they must meet certain requirements.  They should be visually small, and physically small; there's not a lot of room there.  I'd like black, I'd much prefer metal, to match the table base.  The base is curvy and swirly, so I don't want seats with straight, stout legs.  I don't want the chairs to overpower the table.

I started out actually looking for stools, as being the least intrusive, but couldn't find anything right at a decent price.  I considered going an entirely different direction - using African and mid-eastern drums.  Turn them upside down, the heads on the floor (that wouldn't hurt them at all), and putting cushioned wooden  seats on the "bottoms" - but none of them are exactly the right height for seats.  I spent hours searching for something a long time ago, and finally gave up.

Now, the Nugget is outgrowing the kiddy table in the kitchen, and I'd really like to start using the marble table.  I need to find something, now.

Today I realized what would be perfect!  The old iron wire ice cream parlor chairs!  Small, visually and physically light, curvy, perfect!

I spent hours today searching online.  Apparently they are no longer being made.  Any out there are from the '50s, considered antique or at least vintage, and at least $100 each.  (They're all over Etsy and eBay, for example, but no one will ship them, even if they were affordable.)  Plus, I wanted three or four.  I don't much care about the appearance, since they can be sanded and painted and re-seated.  I finally found a few on Craigslist (my last choice of sources).  There were only a few, mostly in New York and Pennsylvania.  Nothing much in NJ, except for four (two pairs of different styles, but that's ok) only about a half hour away, for $119. 

I sent a note to those folks asking if they were still available.   ---And then I expanded the search area, and found five matching!  For $100!  Near the country house!  Where I intended to go this weekend anyway!  So I sent them a note, too.  These five are in much worse condition, but they can still be painted. 

Flash!  While I was typing the above, I got a response concerning the first set of four.  They are still available, and I'll be picking them up tomorrow at noon.

Whoop!
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