Man buys old leather chair for $50, ends up selling for over $100,000

Justin Miller, a content creator based in Los Angeles, stumbled upon an intriguing high-backed chair while browsing Facebook Marketplace for vintage items.

The worn high-backed chair that a TikTok user bought on Facebook Marketplace for $50 just sold at a Sotheby’s auction for over $100,000, netting the creator tens of thousands of dollars in profit.

According to Miller, he spotted the chair on Facebook Marketplace during one of his daily searches for vintage finds.

“I’ve watched probably every single episode of Antiques Roadshow,” Miller said. “I live, breathe antiques. I’m not an expert, but like I have a good eye so I saw it and I was like ‘That looks like a really interesting chair.’ ”

Eager to authenticate his find, Miller contacted Sotheby’s, a renowned auction house. Their experts identified the chair as a rare, high-back wing chair designed by Frits Henningsen, a Danish furniture designer. Dating back to 1935, the chair, crafted from leather and oak, was estimated to be one of only a few dozen known examples in existence.

Miller said he spent over $1,000 to ship the chair to Sotheby’s and paid $3,000 to make the extensive repairs.

Anticipation mounted as the chair was put up for auction at Sotheby’s, with initial estimates ranging from $30,000 to $50,000. However, the bids quickly skyrocketed, surpassing all expectations.

In a TikTok video documenting the auction, Miller’s astonished reaction captures the chair’s remarkable ascent in value.

The chair ultimately sold for nearly $108,000 after fees. Miller expects to make more than $70,000 off the find but says he’s not quitting his day job and that, after taxes, the money won’t change his lifestyle.

He plans to continue sharing his budget-friendly design tips on TikTok, while still scouring Facebook Marketplace for future hidden gems.