Maybe refinishing a desk, and pricing it either way

July 17, 2023 4:01 AM

I’m going to sell a used Pottery Barn Rockridge desk. It’s well-made and has great style, but the top surface needs some refinishing. I goofed and listed it too cheaply, got a lot of interest right away, and took the listing down (with apologies). Should I refinish it, and if so, how? If I do and if I don’t, how much should I ask?

The desk is solid wood and antiqued metal, and we bought it around 2001. It’s large (56”w x 28”d), and it’s got computer-desk features: a drawer that can flip down as a keyboard tray and a lower shelf that’s good for a printer and other stuff.

It originally came with a distressed-style finish in “honey.” Now, some of the finish is also actually worn off (see photos 2 and 3). I figured no one pays much for old furniture and it wasn’t worth my effort, so I listed it for pretty cheap, as-is on Facebook Marketplace (local pickup only, near Amherst, MA). I got several legit-looking messages almost right away and realized I’d probably lowballed myself, so I apologized and pulled the listing down.

So now, I can either re-post it as-is, but with a nicer first photo and at a higher price, or I could do some minor refinishing first and then post it at an even higher price. These are my questions…

- What price do you think I should ask if I list it as-is? (I’m trying for Wisdom of the Crowd pricing, so it’d be great if you could post the answer you think of before you look at anyone else’s answer – and that’s why I’m not mentioning the price I already tried -- I'll come back and add it after I've gotten a day's responses.)
- Should I do any refinishing? I have a palm sander and would be up for lightly sanding the top and brushing on a new coat of [varnish? shellac? something else?] to spiff it up a bit. If it needs a more involved, full-scale approach, I’m not up for that and I’ll just sell as-is.
- If I do minor refinishing, how much more do you think I should ask?

posted by daisyace to Grab Bag (19 answers total)

In my experience, refinishing (even simple refinishing) is always way harder than it seems like it should be. Also think about how much you could possibly increase the price and how much you'll spend on materials - you're probably going to have to spend at least $10-20 on products (unless you have the right stuff already, but I feel like you wouldn't be asking this question if you did). So if you think you're going to be taking this from a $300 desk to a $500 desk, that might be worth it, but if you think you're taking it from a $75 desk to a $125 desk, maybe not (and I feel like that's more like the range you're looking at).

Also don't assume that just because people wanted it for cheap, there will still be people who want it for a higher price. Sometimes the appeal is just, like, "I need a functional desk and I only have $15."

So I say, list it as-is. Don't minimize the damage in the photos because that's how you get people who show up and are disappointed by the damage and then they leave without buying it.
posted by mskyle at 5:07 AM on July 17, 2023

Not to say the inquiries you got weren’t legit. but the “almost right away” part is a bit suspicious—there are definitely scammers running bots that will detect and respond immediately to new listings.

Unless you need to get rid of it quickly I would try to sell it as-is (being up-front about its condition, as mskyle suggests) with a “highball” approach—list it for more than what you think you could get, wait a couple of days, if no (confirmed non-scam) buyer wants it, lower it $25, repeat.

Here’s what I would start at

$150

posted by staggernation at 5:13 AM on July 17, 2023

Refinishing is hard. It’s unlikely you’ll get a good result without putting in quite a lot of effort and time — my vote is also to list it as-is.
posted by mekily at 5:21 AM on July 17, 2023

I had a really nice table and chair set that needed the same kind of refinishing. It took me like six months to sell them and I got 150 for them eventually. I would price this at $150 and probably take 100 if you have to.
posted by Slinga at 5:32 AM on July 17, 2023

I would say 50-75 depending on how fast you want it to move. Something to consider is how the desk needs to get to someone's home. E.g. is this a you can only fit it on a truck sized desk vs. you can disassemble it and stuff it into a Prius sized desk. Depending on it's ease to lift and move will limit who can literally buy to your desk.

In the event you would be willing to deliver, feel free to slap on 10-20 depending on distance etc.
posted by ellerhodes at 6:10 AM on July 17, 2023

The number of overpriced pieces of used furniture I see on CL and elsewhere is crazy. Sell it as is and get it out of your house. Fast replies are not an automatic sign of scammers. If I see a desirable piece and it’s priced great, I want to jump in it before others do. (I’m also looking for a desk and wish you were closer!)
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 6:12 AM on July 17, 2023

Yeah, I guess it depends what we mean by “fast.” Two replies by EOD if you post it in the morning? Sure! Four replies within 15 minutes? Maybe not. (I wish I’d saved some of the ones I’ve gotten but I don’t think FB lets you access old chats after blocking someone...)
posted by staggernation at 6:30 AM on July 17, 2023

oof clearly I have no taste because I was thinking about $20, if I really needed a desk.

I think the lighting, the background, and the floor are not ideal for showing this desk to its best advantage. If you can put a rug under it, remove the mirror, and diffuse the lighting more, people like me might see the value better. And then... $80. That's without fixing the damage.
posted by Baethan at 6:43 AM on July 17, 2023

List for $100, sell it to the first person who shows up with cash in hand and take whatever they offer.

Refinishing it isn't going to change the value. Anyone wanting it will want to "upcycle" it according to their own to their own taste, anyone else will put it in a secondary area (basement, garage), or is just looking for a deal.

If you bought in 2001, then you can be satisfied that, amortized over 20 years, you've already extracted a lot of value from the piece. Any resale that keeps it out of the landfill is environmental bonus.
posted by everythings_interrelated at 6:54 AM on July 17, 2023

Someone is trying to sell this desk on eBay for $300 (in better condition), but when I checked, I couldn't find any Pottery Barn desks there that actually sold.

I've been downsizing for over a year and haven't been able to get a dime for any furniture. Also, even if not scammers, people are super flakey, so I'm not sure any of the interest you got would have resulted in sales. I ended up paying someone to haul a perfectly fine antique dresser because I was so tired of dealing with no shows.

I wouldn't even try to sell it in my area, but if I were you, I'd list it for $100 and be prepared to lower the price. I wouldn't put time or money into refinishing it. However, I've had an awful time trying to get rid of furniture, so I'm sure that colors my view.
posted by FencingGal at 7:07 AM on July 17, 2023

That's not a hard refinishing job. You could do it in a couple of hours.

The real question is, would anyone care? I'm not so sure. Think about it like this: Calculate the cost of the material (stripper, sandpaper, stain, shellac, etc.) and labor (including the time it takes you to shop for the materials). Even at minimum wage, that's still going to be at least a $50 difference. If you calculate your hourly wage at, say, $20/hour, it could be more like $80 or $90. Other people have suggested $150 as-is, which means you'd have to ask over $200 refinished. Do you see any used desks going for $200+? I don't know your local market, but to me, I'd expect a $200 desk to either be basically new (I could buy something similar new for not much more) or antique. You're probably better off selling as-is.
posted by kevinbelt at 7:12 AM on July 17, 2023

(One more thought, based on your location you may have better luck in 6 weeks when college students are moving in...)
posted by staggernation at 7:16 AM on July 17, 2023

I followed your instructions and am posting before reading the others: I would expect this to sell for $60 at the very top. I wouldn't bother with any refinishing. It's not beautiful furniture, it's just something that will hold a monitor up while you smash your knees and toes into the angry metal bits. I think the worn finish actually goes well with the "distressed" edges it came with. It looks used now, instead of new-but-fake-worn.

It's quite possible that whoever buys it will want to paint it (white), so any effort you put into the finish will be wasted anyway.
posted by fritley at 7:57 AM on July 17, 2023

You say you under priced it. Not sure what that means. Sounds to me like you priced it exactly right. You got interest. I thought it should be priced so that a potential buyer would be interested. Are you worried about extracting the last $20-30? I would price it at $50 (as is) and gladly take a cash offer above $35.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:13 AM on July 17, 2023

I wouldn't try to refinish it for real, because refinishing involves a really substantial amount of work and care, and it's likely that if you try to do it yourself as an inexperienced person whose goal is to sell the desk, the effort to reward ratio is not going to be there.

What I would do is get a can of Restor-A-Finish from the hardware store, which will camouflage scratches without changing the patina of use much, and use it. Then I would take some good pictures, list it a bit higher, and move on. It sounds like the goal is to get it out of the house rather than extracting the last $50 possible.
posted by The Elusive Architeuthis at 10:39 AM on July 17, 2023

I don't think that refinishing is going to be worth anything other than some experience refinishing furniture, which, if that's what you want, this is probably a perfect piece to start with. But this area (I am also in the Pioneer Valley) has a toooon of used furniture around, I've furnished most of my house in it, and most of it we've gotten for free or under $50, including some really nice pieces. If I were in the market for a desk (which I am not, we have at least two more than we're using at the moment) I'd pay maybe $30 for that one and refinish it myself, because I do have all the necessary tools to do so and I'd want it refinished to my own aesthetic.

Sorry if that's a bummer, furniture just doesn't hold value all that well unless it's really high-end to start with, or particular kinds of antique.
posted by restless_nomad at 12:58 PM on July 17, 2023

Just for perspective, you can get a new, perfectly nice computer desk for $150, and an adequate one for $100. (Probably just veneer, but also with more shelves or drawers.)
posted by zompist at 3:10 PM on July 17, 2023

Thanks, all! I’m just going to take better photos and re-list in the medium-highish midst of your replies, and then reduce if needed. The price I’d listed at before was $40, and with one exception, I think the messages I got were real. I’ll update for the curious!

Ellerhodes, good thought about transport — this does disassemble, which I’ll say in the listing. Staggernation, especially if it ends up back in typical-student-price range, I think you’re right about the timing of my best chance to sell it around here. The Elusive Architeuthis, thanks for the tip about Restor-a-Finish. I don’t want to do anything that could make better refinishing harder for someone else down the line, and I read that soaks into the wood — but I might use it on other stuff I’m keeping!
posted by daisyace at 6:43 AM on July 18, 2023

For anyone who might want to know, this ended up selling for $70. I'd relisted it with better photos at $90, then reduced to $75 after a week. I think if I'd held out longer, I'd eventually have found my buyer at a higher price, but I'm content. The extra time and effort was justified somewhat by the additional $30 over my original listing price, but even more so by the peace of mind from knowing I didn't short myself much more. Thanks again for the help!
posted by daisyace at 9:33 AM on August 5, 2023