Could your gran's old sideboard, sofa or dining table be worth thousands? Sixties and Seventies furniture is making a comeback - and its value is rocketing

  • The items that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s are now seeing a revival
  • Those made by a Danish or Italian designer can sell for more than £8,000 
  • Designer labels fetch the most but even ordinary pieces may prove valuable

They say that if you wait long enough, your old clothes become fashionable again. And that's exactly what appears to be happening to certain items of furniture, with sideboards, sofas and dining tables that were hugely popular in the 1960s and 1970s staging a revival.

They include original designer sideboards, which would have been bought for hundreds of pounds back in the day and can now fetch thousands of pounds if they come with the right designer names, according to specialists. But even more run-of-the-mill pieces could fetch decent money, due to being on trend.

'If you are looking to sell such a piece, look for labels as anything made by a Danish or Italian designer could go for £8,000 upwards,' advises Stacey Sibley of interior designers Alexander James.

She explained how vintage pieces by Ercol or G-Plan were especially popular in the 1960s and 1970s. 

At the same time, original leather modular sofas that are in good condition can fetch almost £5,000, while original extending dining tables can also set you back thousands.

MailOnline Property reveals here the items that your granny might own, which could be worth a fortune... 

Sideboards 

A cabinet revival! The sleek rectangular shaped pieces with angular legs are back in fashion, with this original 1960s Long Credenza by I.B.Kofod-Larsen version costing £8,800

A cabinet revival! The sleek rectangular shaped pieces with angular legs are back in fashion, with this original 1960s Long Credenza by I.B.Kofod-Larsen version costing £8,800

This original 1970s Bermuda Bird Sideboard by Lucy Turner has been newly laminated with formica and is being sold for £1,295

This original 1970s Bermuda Bird Sideboard by Lucy Turner has been newly laminated with formica and is being sold for £1,295

Original sideboards that are rectangular shape and come with angular legs are back in fashion, with the most sought-after distinguished by a stamp or plaque by the manufacturer somewhere on the furniture - usually on the back, on the inside of the drawer, or underneath the top drawer.

Ms Sibley said: 'We can all think back to seeing the G plan cabinet in our parents' or grandparents' lounge in the 70s, sat on a lovely orange and brown patterned carpet, with a lava lamp on top of it.

'Its sleek rectangle shape with angular legs in a walnut wood that would often be hiding a cocktail bar inside a cupboard door. What we didn't know was that these pieces would be coming back into fashion and worth quite a bit of money.'

Bidding wars can often break out on websites such as ebay for the original pieces of furniture. 

'Everywhere you look there are copies of these Danish designed cabinets but where it's at is owning an original, so be prepared for a bidding war that can set you back thousands,' she said. 

And she went on to advise: 'It might be worth seeing if your granny still wants to hold on to her one.'

Dining tables 

Old fashioned quality! This original Arne Vodder for Sibast Extending Dining Table is for sale for £4,950

Old fashioned quality! This original Arne Vodder for Sibast Extending Dining Table is for sale for £4,950

This extending dining table and six chairs by Uniflex dates back to 1960 and costs £2,850

This extending dining table and six chairs by Uniflex dates back to 1960 and costs £2,850

It's not only about those designer names, even if you own a more basic piece. Ms Sibley suggested that you can still make money in the current climate.

These could include sideboards and cabinets but also that old dining room furniture that might have once looked dated but is now the height of cool.

'Companies like The Old Cinema sell a lot of vintage pieces, even recycled ones, so if you're good at painting you can spruce up an old piece to make a few extra pounds,' she explained.

GUIDE TO G-PLAN AND ERCOL

Labels such as G-Plan and Ercol can be extremely important in establishing the piece of furniture as genuine. 

One of the labels used by G-Plan until the mid 1960s was a gold embossed stamp. 

G-Plan furniture was made by Gomme, with its Danish sideboard range introduced in the 1960s.

Ercol furniture was designed by Lucian Ercolani, who built his first factory in 1920 in High Wycombe.

 

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The popularity of such pieces seems to be due to their retro modern style, with sideboards made of cherry or walnut wood giving 'warmth' to a room and being particularly sought after. 

The cabinets also provide a great storage solution and can be used as TV cabinets with cut outs for the wiring in the back.

More expensive versions currently being sold via The Old Cinema - a converted cinema showroom for antique furniture and homewares - include the Long Credenza by I.B.Kofod-Larsen, Danish c.1960, which costs £8,800. A cheaper version is the Bermuda Bird Sideboard by Lucy Turner costing £1,295. 

Sofas 

This vintage brown leather chesterfield sofa dates back to the 1960s and costs £2,250

This vintage brown leather chesterfield sofa dates back to the 1960s and costs £2,250

Sam Knight, of The Old Cinema, said: 'Items from the 1960s and 1970s can uphold their value if they are in good condition and have a label from a specific designer.

'But they do need to be in tip top condition, and so granny will have needed to taken care of it.'

He explained the revival of furniture from the 1960s and 1970s by saying how people were seeking out 'good old fashioned quality that was built to last'.

This 1960s De Sede Modular Sofa System in soft cream leather costs £4,600

This 1960s De Sede Modular Sofa System in soft cream leather costs £4,600

Other places to pick up vintage 1960s sideboards, cabinets and sofas include auction site eBay, website Etsy and it is also worth hunting out local second-hand furniture specialists. 

If you want to pick up a few pieces at a good price, one tip is to put up notices on local boards in shops, or online, and offer to collect people's old furniture and take it away for free. Some may be glad to get rid of old pieces. 

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