Justin Miller bought a chair for $50 from Facebook Marketplace.
It could be worth up to $50,000, according to art auction house Sotheby’s.
It appears to be one of only 50 chairs made by a famous Danish designer.
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Justin Miller bought a chair from Facebook Marketplace for $50. But it could be worth up to $50,000, according to art auction house Sotheby’s.
Miller, who is a full-time content creator, told Business Insider that he spends hours a day browsing Facebook Marketplace while helping a friend renovate his home.
When he spotted the gorgeous wingback chair sitting in the driveway of a Beverly Hills home, he thought its unique shape was something very special and could be worth a lot of money. A quick Google search turned up “insane prices” for similar furniture, Miller said.
The clerk — a woman who Miller said was set to sell a family friend’s unwanted belongings for a percentage of the profits — had hauled everything into the yard before a bystander pointed out that garage sales in the Beverly Hills front yard weren’t allowed.
For convenience the seller took photos and offered everything for same day pickup. Before Miller could worry about how much he should reveal about the chair’s putative value – a common complaint— voiced by commenters on Miller’s accompanying Tiktok video — Miller told Business Insider that the seller actually forewarned him, “This chair is worth a lot — just so you know.”
With silent prayers that she wouldn’t sell the item to someone else while it was stuck in traffic, Miller drove from Los Angeles to the multi-million dollar home and exited with a rare Frits Henningson chair in the back seat of his truck .
in one Tiktok video from February 13th Miller described the experience to his followers. The video went viral and has been viewed more than two million times.
Miller debated what to do with the potential nest egg that now sits in his storage room. Should he refurbish the chair, which could affect the value, or try to sell it as is?
Google searches revealed a wide range of retail prices ($9,600 for an armchair and up to $223,000 for a pair). But Miller credits the Tiktok comments for pointing out how rare — and valuable — his purchase was.
For example, Tiktoker Minya commented in mid-February that actress Kirsten Dunst owns the same chair and has it in hers House tour featured in Architectural Digest 2021.
She was right. In it, Dunst described her Henningsen chair as one of her most extravagant purchases. Dunst explained that she was never interested in clothes or cars — but she did invest in art and furniture.
Her interior designer, Jane Hallworth, told the outlet that the Danish designer only made 50 chairs like this and she’s “been looking for one for years.”
At the urging of viewers, Miller contacted art auction houses. A short time later he received an enthusiastic response from Sotheby’s.
On June 7th, the auction house will be offering Miller’s $50 purchase in the Major Design auction. The chair is currently valued at between $30,000 and $50,000, Louis Soulard, Sotheby’s head of sale for 20th Century Design, told Business Insider.
After deducting the seller fee and taxes, Miller believes he can take home about 50 percent — or up to $25,000 — in net profits.
Viewers expressed confusion over Miller’s calm demeanor in his Tiktok storytimes. “How can you be so calm? Imagine finding out that your chair is worth 30,000 to 50,000 euros.” commented a viewer.
For Miller, who grew up in Boise, Idaho, that’s part of the privilege and absurdity of living in Los Angeles and working in the entertainment industry.
“Something crazy happens every day of your life,” he told Business Insider. “It feels different to me than if I had stayed in Boise.”
Still, he said he’s excited about a possible $25,000 windfall. Although Miller’s motto is “finding cool things for cheap,” he plans to spend some money on a decorative item to commemorate the experience.
Otherwise, Miller will use the Henningsen chair money for a down payment on a house. “I’ve made some good finds on Facebook Marketplace,” Miller told viewers. “But this is my best yet.”
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