DOUG’S Q-C COLLECTIBLES: Rock me gently, rock me slowly
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By Doug Smith | Tuesday, September 02, 2008 |
(CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) The rocking chair has gone from a functional front parlor necessity to a maligned curiosity of the spare bedroom.
Mr. Smith: I have this rocking chair, which I believe to be over 100 years old. It is in very good condition, and I would like to know its value. The seat has large coil springs, and it is stuffed with some unknown substance. I’m sure the chair is in its original condition.
Thanks,
Doug
Stockton, Iowa
Dear Doug: What it’s stuffed with is memories, and to know its allure is to know its value.
The rocking chair or “rug cutter” is literally a symbol of a time gone by — the days of an open front porch, waving at neighbors with a smile and “how do?” It represents a part of the past that people no longer understand or relate to.
In a day when man, woman and beast worked sunup to sundown, the rocking chair was a place to spend precious minutes of exhaustion. It was a throne of esteem for the matriarch and a tool to assuage the menial displeasures of mending socks, knitting and rocking the baby to sleep. It also was where the evening’s entertaining took place with family and neighbors.
I’m afraid most young people today do not know this social art of relaxed conversation. They have not the time or patience. I mean, like, they talk, but, like, it’s … it’s quick dribble and elementary repetitive regurgitation often filled with expletives, as well as unchecked emotion and drama just like they see on TV. That’s life — right?
This is why verbal communication can adequately be replaced with text messaging. It’s a sad society we live in without the rocker. My grandma appreciates a rocking chair, but to whom can she wave while perched on the third floor of her high-rise?
Unfortunately, because people do not connect with rockers, or have time to explore their attributes, they value them little. Prices paid for rockers are very weak these days unless it is a truly exceptional piece. Their pecuniary value is based on rarity, quality, condition, finish, color and style. People are often looking for a particular style and color that fit their décor, but in general they most appreciate ornate craftsmanship and fancywork designs found in the chair back, armrests and legs. They are in search of inanimate eye candy to fill a space and be admired, not a useful machine to be put in motion.
Your rocker was actually part of a three- or five-piece Empire Revival-style parlor set circa 1890-1910, and if it hasn’t reached the century mark, it will shortly. The original cushion upholstery and finish add to its value. The chair has mahogany veneer on the splat (backrest), while the rest of the chair is made of birch, but is stained to resemble mahogany. Rockers similar to yours are not uncommon, and the going price is, sadly, $150 at most, and it’s often a strain to reach half that. I trust your rocker has much more sentimental value.
My recommendation is to set the rocking chair in a corner, next to a nice old upright Zenith radio pulling in the tunes of the Ted Lewis Orchestra, and place a ball of yarn and knitting needles at its feet nearby. The imagery will be magnificent. Or, better yet, set the rocker out on the front porch on a quiet summer night when all that can be heard is the buzz of the cicada. Slow down, find a minute, sit and unlock the charm of life’s simple pleasures. Besides, rocking chairs are good for your health. Only now are scientists beginning to understand the link between rocking chair use and carpal tunnel syndrome prevention.
Contact Doug Smith with your collectibles questions by e-mailing him at DougsQCCollecting@hotmail.com or sending a note to the Quad-City Times, Attn.: features editor, P.O. Box 3828, Davenport, IA, 52808. Please send a photograph, if available, either by e-mail or letter.
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