Original Barwa chairs are getting more difficult to come by. They’re also challenging to disassemble and awkward to ship, making what little supply there is more difficult to move between buyers and sellers. We get asked fairly frequently how or where to buy & sell them and thought it might be useful to write up what’s worked for us. Since starting this site we’ve been able to buy six more Barwas. Not only do we use these daily, but we also use them for testing cover fit and stretching our canvas covers. They really are amazing chairs!
Where to look
We live in Frisco, TX but chairs are rarely available here. If you’re looking to buy a Barwa, don’t be afraid to broaden your search. Our frames came from Chicago, Washington DC, Denver, and Phoenix. What’s worked well for us is to scour the usual reseller websites including Ebay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc. Our favorite site to use is called SearchTempest which can search all of these sites across North America.
If your goal is to sell your Barwa, you’ll definitely want to get it in front of as many eyes as possible. We recommend listing on each or the sites above, and if you have the patience for more sites, consider adding Nextdoor or Chairish.com as well. If you are willing to disassemble and ship the chair, you’ll be able to reach far more buyers – see below for details.
Thoughts on Pricing
Pricing can be tricky with vintage items like this, but the usual rules for pricing still apply. 1) If the cover, springs, and frame are in good condition, the chair is worth more. 2) If no one’s buying it, you’re probably either asking too much or not getting it in front of the right people.
We’ve seen chairs range from $20 – $2000, and have heard a couple stories of people rescuing them from the dump! We paid between $75 -$350 for the frames we’ve purchased in 2021-2023. At the time of writing this there are a number of frames available between $250-900. While most of these feel a little high to me, it’s not at all unreasonable, especially considering a number of these are willing to ship the chair. We have driven from TX to Phoenix and Denver to pickup chairs. Gas and hotels likely made these chairs cost as much or more as the higher priced ones on Ebay (of course we had our reasons for buying the specific ones we bought and we don’t regret it for a second).
What to look for when Buying
It’s really about the frame. Covers and springs wear out and can be replaced, the frame on the other hand, is really what we believe you should focus on. There were a number of changes to the design over the years. We’ve documented what we could on this post. It’s probably worth familiarizing yourself with the options and form an opinion about what you want or what you own and are looking to sell.
Frames tend to wear on the bottom of the legs. It’s normal for the aluminum to flatten some with use, but it’s good to make sure they’re structurally sound. Don’t overthink it, but it’s worth checking if you’re able to!
How to Ship
Take a look at these instructions to learn how to disassemble the frame.
Also note that rusty bolts can be very difficult to remove and may require sawing off in some cases. You will need a box that’s a minimum of 45x8x24. We use this box from Uline, but unfortunately they don’t sell them individually and the delivery charge is expensive. You may have better luck getting a box from a UPS or Fedex store for a single chair. Also, be prepared to not like the shipping price. Our discounted UPS rate to ship from our home to California was over $85. It’s expensive and completely reasonable for the buyer to cover the cost as there can be quite a bit of labor involved in packing these properly. To protect a frame we recommend using some strategically placed bubble wrap to ensure the frame pieces or springs don’t cause damage while in route.
Buy new or used?
At the time of writing this, we’re working on a small run of new Barwa chairs. At some point in the future when they become available, buyers will need to consider which path makes more sense. It’s my perspective that you can’t go wrong with either path. I believe if you’re the type of person who 1) enjoys the hunt for a deal 2) the sense of pride that comes from restoring something 3) has time & labor to spare, you should probably try to find an original Barwa. The original frames are amazing and we can always help w/ covers, springs, tutorials, or whatever supplies you may need. On the other hand, if you want a new Barwa, that can be shipped anywhere (at your expense!), your choice of cover, no bartering or risk of Craigslist scammers, then please consider buying one from us. Either path will lead you to a beautiful Barwa that will last for many, many years.
If you have any other tips, please leave a comment with what worked for you! Thanks!