This weekend we picked up a pair of vintage children’s chairs at a local yard sale for $7.50 each. They were listed at $10 apiece, but we bargained with the classic two-for-$15 tactic and walked away happy. The chairs stand about two feet tall and immediately appealed to us because of their solid construction, clean lines, and sturdy steel legs.
When we turned them over, we discovered the word “Brunswick” stamped on the bottom. We didn’t know the full story behind that name at first, but a bit of searching revealed that these are original mid-century children’s chairs made by Brunswick, the same company known for bowling equipment. The design reads like a 1950s Danish-modern piece—simple, durable, and built to last.
Finding that maker’s mark made the whole purchase even more exciting. Online listings for similar Brunswick kids’ chairs showed prices around $125 each, which meant our two chairs could be worth roughly $250 total. For us, the thrill wasn’t just about potential resale value; it was the idea of rescuing well-made furniture with character and history. There’s something charming about imagining people who are now in their mid-60s using these as children, and then passing them along decades later through a yard sale.
We bought the chairs to use—not to keep them in mint, collectible condition—so the fact that they show signs of wear actually works in their favor. We’re drawn to the aesthetic and the durability, and we plan to make them a long-term part of our home, hopefully seeing them through many years and maybe even multiple kids. Our gut says they’ll be perfect additions to the playroom, once the space stops doubling as our overflow storage area.
As for what we’ll do with the chairs cosmetically, we’re debating a few options. One chair already appears to have been painted in a murky forest green that looks teal on some monitors. The other retains its original blonde finish, although it’s scratched and shows its age. After a closer look we realized the green chair had indeed been repainted at some point; it was originally blonde like the other one. So half of the pair has already been altered, which makes the decision about refinishing easier in a way: at least one of them is no longer in its original finish.
We prefer darker, less-yellow wood tones, so we’re leaning toward either staining both chairs to match a richer hue or painting them to coordinate with the rest of our furniture. We enjoy refinishing projects and have tackled similar transformations before, and this feels like another fun, practical update that will help the chairs blend into our home instead of looking mismatched. That said, we completely respect people who would preserve the chairs as found; everyone has a different approach when it comes to vintage pieces.
For now, the chairs are patiently waiting in the playroom/storage area until we carve out the time to refinish them properly. We might also pair them with a small table we already have in mind. Planning is half the fun, and even though it may take a while before we actually make any permanent changes, it’s never too early to imagine the possibilities. The purchase has left us optimistic: a small yard sale find, a piece of mid-century design, a bit of history, and the promise of a useful, beautiful addition to our home.
Update: After taking a closer look, we confirmed that the forest green chair was painted some time ago and originally matched the blonde finish of the other chair. So the pair arrives half original and half painted. We’re still leaning toward refinishing both to achieve a consistent look, but we understand why someone might choose to preserve the paint as part of the piece’s history. Either way, these chairs were an excellent yard sale score and a great little project to look forward to.