I Went to a Book Fair...and Bought Some Chairs!

Image via Shamrock Furniture

My treat for this week was to take a short trip to a local book fair on Sunday. I do love book fairs, and had that nervous feeling of impending book-joy and bargain hunting. What better way to spend a Sunday morning?

I walked in, and saw hundreds of books for 50 cents each, which would have normally put me into a spiral of glee. So what caused me to leave booktopia, you ask?

In the corner, with a sad '$20 each' sign on them were two chairs. One of the lovely volunteers wandered over as I was inspecting them, and told me how comfortable she thought they were (she had spent all of Saturday sitting in one while at the check-out).

Now, why would chairs put me in such a spin? One look at these told me straightaway that they are Parker chairs - solid wooden frames, with cushions in good condition but with worn upholstery that will need upholstering. My parents had a dining set of Parker furniture years ago that I always hated as a child - they were burnt red leather seats which stuck to you in summertime. But thankfully, I was well-versed in the quality of Parker furniture from my family, so thank you ugly red chairs!

In one fell swoop, I bought them both and had to stop myself from squealing! I have stalked similar chairs on eBay, and always been so disappointed when they invariably sell for upwards of $200 each - and here I was buying two for $40 - it just seemed laughable.

The volunteers were all so lovely - two even helped me carry them to my car - and joked endlessly at how I had come to a book fair, and left with chairs!

Sadly, I don't have any photos of them, as I took them straight to my grandparents' house to store them as there's no room at my place right now. I'll be sure to post pictures when I take my camera round again, but for now, they look quite similar to the picture above, (the frame and angled back piece is identical) but the cushions have more rounded edges and are attached to the seat and backrest. The wood, my grandfather tells me, is blackwood, and has a rich, deep browny colour.

The very best thing about these chairs? When I sit in them, I imagine the Pal and I sitting in our abode one day, talking about future plans in these chairs, while having endless cups of tea and giggles.

By the way, it is worth nothing that for perhaps the first time in my life, I was in close proximity to cheap books, and didn't buy any. Ha!