The Real 'Cut' On Antique Barber Chairs
Who would have thought that barber chairs would be prized items for antique collections? An antique barber chair is indeed precious to have – collectors claim that they have a certain magical feel, especially if one tries sitting on it. Aside from that, antique barber chairs add an instant oomph to any room with the vintage style that they exude. Now, since these items are really hard to come by, pay close attention to this article if you are interested in buying one.
The first ever antique barber chair was created by Ernest Koken back in 1906 – a wondrous hydraulic invention during his time as it had an adjustable seat, a footrest and a recliner. Needless to say, Koken continued developing similar chairs, and those pieces are considered the most valuable nowadays. There are various designs for Koken barber chairs – upholsteries are usually made of leather or cattle hide, and finishes include porcelain, chrome, Italian metal, walnut and combinations of these. Common colors include white, black, brown and red. One can scout in eBay or GoAntiques for deals on these antique chairs. Parts to damaged chairs are also sold in eBay. Generally, it would cost $2500 at minimum, and up to $7500 maximum (for one of the first ever porcelain chairs offered by Koken).
Another famous maker of antique barber chairs is Emil Paidar – most of his manufactured chairs can be reclined, and have padded headrests and footstools, too. On the current marketplace in eBay, these have considerably lower prices than Koken ones, since most of the ones being sold still need replating/refurbishing. This is another factor which you might want to consider – balancing the purchasing costs with the repair/restoring costs. Most models have ceramic arms and bases, are chrome plated and leather upholstered. Most expensive offers cost $5000 in JLAForums, while average prices in eBay are at $1500, with the cheapest offer at $575. These chairs are also very heavy (150 pounds on the average), and thus most offers are for pick-up only.
Louis Hanson antique barber chairs are quite interesting - some models are with ornate wood (oak and walnut) designs and vinyl seats following old Victorian types, combined with contemporary-looking cast iron. These types, however, are not currently that popular – it is quite rare to find such pieces online, except for a few eBay and Craigslist advertisements. The pieces featured on these ads, although featuring good structure and design, are often damaged and in need of extensive repair. This leads to the upside that even though such pieces are rare, they are still sold cheaply, averaging $1000 - $1500 each. More modern looking antique Hanson barber chairs (made of metal already) are sold at even lower prices of below $1000.
Aside from the names mentioned in this article, there are still other barber chair makers during the 1880 to 1950. Before buying, one has to know what he/she is looking for. For starting collectors of antique barber chairs, Koken ones are really worth the investment – with restored ones being the better buy in their case. More mature collectors can try out other names, and also take part in the restoring/repairing of bought damaged items at lower costs, as they have more knowledge on the chair parts already.
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