Hi everyone,I'm looking to make some extra money as my current job doesn't pay enough and I'm unable to leave currently. I recently found an old antique sofa on eBay which I am thinking of bidding on and hopefully win. It's a large Victorian Three-Seater Chesterfield Settee with good frame, mahogany legs and original horse hair.
Expensive! I don't think there's a good chance of making much with the work it needs. If no one is bidding on it now there may be no real interest in it when it's refurbished. Why leather? That's the single most expensive thing you can cover it in and not what people would expect (or want?) on an old piece of furniture. You'd have to re-sell it direct to make anything at all. In a shop they'll want their cut and more profits go out the window. If you can't do the work yourself you're looking at an expensive proposition. Here in the states it would likely cost several hundred dollars to have the work done and that's not including the cost of the leather/fabric which would also cost several hundred.
If you use leather, you will spending hundreds of dollars to reupholster that sofa, and it's unlikely you'll ever get your money out of it. That's only the leather cost too--you'll need strapping, padding and tools to do it yourself, or the cost of the extras for the pro. You can figure at least $500-1000 to have it reupholstered--and you probably won't be able to sell it for anywhere near that. Also, reupholstered antiques don't have a big market--you won't be able to sell it to a shop, and if you try to sell it again on OKorder, or some other site like that, you run the risk of not getting anywhere near the money you would need to recover your costs of re-doing it. It would make a very nice piece for your home if you did it yourself--but not in leather. Finding leather that big, sewing it together in small pieces to cover large areas--that's a job for a professional, not an amateur. You need a special sewing apparatus to successfully sew leather into large pieces. However, there are very inexpensive ways to recover sofas and chairs with FABRIC. At your hardware store, you can find large, one-piece canvas DROP CLOTHS--these are clean, usually a neutral color, and come in huge pieces--often one or two large ones is all you need even for a big sofa. They cost less than $20 each. Padding can be found at any fabric store--as well as new foam for the seats and back. It's fun to reupholster furniture with materials you don't spend a lot of money on--because if you mess up, you're not out a huge amount of cash. You can also use fabric tablecloths, shower curtains or sheets, blankets or bedspreads--all for a lot less money than leather.
I think legally they are within their rights to do this. Surely you or another relative could have helped her measure up to see if the sofa she was thinking of buying would fit? It's a bit late to complain that the sofa doesn't fit, if you didn't measure up! It's not the shop's fault. They are now having to take a sofa back just because the customer didn't measure up properly. Sounds as if the shop is actually being quite accommodating. She should accept the credit note and buy a replacement smaller sofa with it ASAP. You could also ask the shop if they could lend her an armchair in the meantime so at least she has something to sit on. Hopefully this is a lesson learnt. A quick measure up would have prevented all this hassle!
He comprado muchas cosas en los sitios web y en busca de otra cosa he encontrado un sillón que me ha encantada y le he comprado enseguida, el sillón estaba exactamente como en las fotos y encaja perfectamente en mi salón, es confortable y un precio sin igual, seguramente voy a comprar otro.
ive done what you're doing...i found the cost of materials and labor prohibited outsourcing the upholstery work.. best advice i can give is from personal experience....expect to get your fingers stuck and stapled..and to have sore hands...otherwise...unless you are one who can find TRUE diaonds in the rough...i doubt you;ll make much (if any) money. even when times were great....and i have a good sense of well made furniture...i seldom made more than $100 on and piece i finished...alone.... hit the resale shops after youve finished it....its too hard to be both reupholterer AND salesperson....they both take time.... choose and do one well....GL...
