Q: We have two antique or at least vintage convertible highchair-strollers. They are both made of wood and have steel wheels. One is faux bamboo. When it’s converted to a highchair, the stroller wheels rise up and the stroller handle converts to solid chair legs. The other chair is plain wood with a cane seat. The wheels on this chair stay on the ground when the seat is raised to make a highchair. Do you know which chair is older? And what are the chairs worth?
A: A patent for a highchair similar to your chair with a cane seat was granted in the 1940s, while a patent for a highchair matching your faux bamboo chair was granted in the 1950s. So both of your highchairs are probably at least 50 years old. But a child should not be seated in one of them today. Neither is safe nor reliable. Still, a collector might pay $150 to $175 for each chair.