It’s quite a renovation project, but by being flexible and willng to drive around a lot I’ve sourced enough units for abot three kitchens from eBay and SalvoWEB. They are in various states of disrepair and all need stripping so I’ll be the first to admit that it’s a huge renovation job and part of the reason for my blog is to solicit comments as to where I’m about to go wrong!

For reference, I’ve found the following rough pricing information so far:

Creme de la Creme reproduction at John Lewis of Hungerford approx £1,200 per unit (but they do give excellent service and are charming to boot).

Beautifully reconditioned units at Source Antiques, approx £400+VAT per unit. They have 100s of the things including the hostess trolley and, until a couple of weeks ago, an original boiler, which they understandable dumped!

eBay/Salvo – typically £20-£50 per unit, but be prepared to put in the elbow grease.

My local car mechanic has a body shop and can do the powder coating. He’s usually very reasonable, so if it works out I can pass on his information, which will be useful to anyone who happens to live in West London.

Finally, thanks for this blog, especially the painting methods.

André

60 different brands identified. The top brands Youngstown, Geneva, St. Charles have their own categories. All others going into a “Misc.” bucket. Most recent listings are at the top. From what I can tell, there’s a lot of action there from people looking for cabinets and I know of several happy “marriages” to date.

Thinking about vintage steel cabinets, etc., and since I own FUTURES Antiques, which handles vintage and antique household furnishings and more, I thought I’d make a suggestion:

I am contacted by people who have such things, but want to eliminate them – sometimes by selling, sometimes by giving them away – IF I’ll remove them. Problems: 1) most of us don’t have huge trucks and warehouses/storage spaces to move and keep monumental amounts of material, 2) idle storage is expensive, 3) idle storage is VERY unhealthy for steel, fabric, wood veneer, etc., and 4) cabinets are perhaps more difficult to match to a room than clothing to a body. For these reasons (and more), I usually decline any such offer. (The only angle I accept is photo consignment, but this doesn’t often work because people want to eliminate the cabinets, etc. IMMEDIATELY, not store them for months/years while I try to find the right home owner.)

My suggestion to you is this: supply a section on your site that lists newest to oldest offerings from individuals and dealers. I know this could be a slippery slope, but you might design perimeters that meet your vision for R.R.

For example, this week I was offered – and I declined, for all the reasons already mentioned – a full kitchen of Youngstown steel cabinets. Because of this, they are now destroyed. It seems a shame, but I have to be practical to keep my business afloat and interesting. (I generally only handle perfect things, ready to go, that can be seen in my showroom.)

Just a suggestion.

Ronn Ives
FUTURES