Kroehler Furniture

Q: This dresser belonged to my mother. She gave it to me many years ago. One drawer is marked "Kroehler, World's Largest Furniture Manufacturer, Permanized Furniture." I would like to sell it, but I don't know how to go about it and how much to ask for it.

A: Peter E. Kroehler started out as a clerk at the Naperville Lounge Co. in 1893 and bought the company in 1903. Then he founded another company, P.E. Kroehler Manufacturing Co., in Kankakee, Ill., in 1911. He merged the two companies with two other furniture manufacturers in 1915 to form Kroehler Manufacturing Co. The "Permanized" finish was advertised as moisture-proof. The company was sold in 1981. A new Kroehler double dresser and mirror sold for about $175 in 1957. If your dresser is in excellent and usable condition, it would sell for about $200. It is easier to sell a piece of furniture locally so that shipping costs are avoided. You can advertise in a local newspaper or online.