I was shopping at a local thrift store and found a vintage waterfall dresser. It was only $19.99 so I snatched it up right away. Whenever I am shopping around and find different styles of furniture from years ago I wonder what they are worth. I jumped on my phone and searched for what waterfall furniture is worth, but I couldn’t really find anything.
I decided to do some research and found that:
On average waterfall tallboy dressers are worth $200, regular waterfall dressers are worth $70, and waterfall vanities are worth $150. Keep in mind that the condition and age will impact the value of what waterfall furniture is worth.
These numbers are pretty general and not 100% accurate for a number of reasons. There are many factors that determine what a piece of furniture is worth. If your location has low supply and high demand it can increase value, but low demand and high supply will lower the value.
How to Calculate Waterfall Furniture Value in Your Area?
If you want to determine the value of waterfall furniture in your local market you can do a few tests. I would test based on the piece of furniture you have. I bought a waterfall dresser and I wanted to see what they were selling like in the area. What did I do?
First, I jumped on Facebook Marketplace and checked my local buy and sell groups. I came across 5 similar waterfall pieces that were in my area. I made an excel sheet and created a chart that would help me determine its value.
Here are the results:
| Type | Condition | Price |
| Waterfall Tallboy Dresser 4 Drawer | Scratched Up | $80 |
| Waterfall Tallboy Dresser 4 drawers | Minor Damages | $120 |
| Waterfall 3 Drawer Dresser | Scratched Up | $125 |
| Waterfall Tallboy Dresser 4 drawers | Scratched Surfaces | $70 |
| Waterfall Tallboy Dresser 4 drawers | Fully Refinished | $265 |
| Average Listing Price | $132.00 |
Now, what does this average listing price mean? It doesn’t mean that your piece is worth this much, it can be more or less. The average provides you a general idea of what amount they are selling for in your location. I only found 5 listed items that were waterfall dressers, that’s not a huge supply but there are options for buyers, it really will come down to how many people want to buy.
Remember that the value of waterfall furniture in one location can be entirely different than another.
Determine and compare your piece of furniture to what’s on the market. It’s kind of like real estate. Compare and contrast the differences, this can help you figure out a good price range. This tip is really good for buying or selling to see what an item is worth.
There Will Be Outliers
In my search, I came across a Gibbard 1940 Rare Vanity set that was listed for $1200. Will someone buy it? That depends on the demand. But the supply is super low, so that helps when selling. Maybe someone is searching for such furniture, but if not it will be difficult to sell those types of pieces. Branded named furniture can be worth a lot to certain collectors and properly searching the name can help you determine its rarity worth.
What Was My Waterfall Dresser Worth?
I had fully refinished my waterfall dresser, I didn’t fix everything though. There were minor veneer chips that I didn’t fill and match up, but they weren’t extremely visible. I also had some issues with the old finish causing some blotchiness. But other than that it was mostly compared to the fully refinished option that was already on the market for $265.
Their finished piece didn’t have chips and looked pretty good. They painted over the old veneer, which is my favorite part about waterfall dressers, I didn’t do so.
I determined a good listing price for me and my waterfall dresser was $250. In less than 1 day I had an offer at $225 dollars. It was 10% less than the listing price, I accepted because I was happy with the offer. It sold for 93 dollars more than the average listing price, but I am sure these listed items did not sell for what they are listed at. In my area, furniture will sell 10-50 percent less than what they listed.
In conclusion on my waterfall dresser, I was well above the average and I am smiling at the end of the day.
Research Conducted for Waterfall Furniture Value
As I said, locations all across the world will hold different values for waterfall dressers. This means it is best to calculate and get an average using the method I used above. Here is an average I gathered in the state of New York. I changed my location and looked up waterfall furniture, I also glazed over many other places in the USA and typically these prices were similar.
You can do this for vanities, dressers, tables, and whatever waterfall furniture you are seeking!
Here is my research-based on New York State Facebook Marketplace good condition and restored/refinished tallboy waterfall dresser:
| Condition | Price |
| Vintage Restored | $325 |
| Good Condition | $150 |
| Fully Painted | $250 |
| Good Condition | $185 |
| Good Condition | $189 |
| Fully Refinished, Paint and Stain | $300 |
| Ok Condition | $90 |
| Good Condition | $175 |
| Average Listing Price | $208 |
If I was selling a tallboy waterfall dresser in New York I would look at these numbers and compare. Follow what steps I mentioned I had gone through and you can find a price that your piece is worth.
Final Thoughts
In reality, your piece of waterfall furniture has value, and it’s all about the proper research that will provide you a good estimate of what it worth. Look through the Facebook marketplace, Craigslist, Kijiji, and Buy/Sell groups. Make a note of the condition, the listing price, and don’t be shy to have a note for each one. For example, a piece is listed at 300 but you know for a fact it isn’t worth that, make a note to the side.
After all the research, whether you are buying or selling this method works great. You can truly determine what a piece of furniture is worth in your area.
