Ercol Bedside Tables Resale Value

Ercol bedside tables: price by condition

Seller-declared grades, sterling with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). What each grade means.

What holds its value across Ercol

• The Windsor range in elm and beech, particularly the stacking chairs and the Studio Couch, which are the pieces collectors specifically want
• Original untouched finishes, including the honey-coloured lacquer, which is what buyers of mid-century furniture are looking for
• Pieces still carrying the blue paper label or the stamped model number, which date them and confirm what they are
• Solid elm tops with figured grain, since elm was phased out after Dutch elm disease and cannot be replaced

What pulls Ercol resale value down

• Painted and chalk-painted pieces, which were extremely fashionable for a decade and which collectors discount heavily — stripping rarely returns the original colour
• Loose joints on the stick-back chairs, where the spindles have worked free of the seat and the chair racks under load
• Woodworm in elm, which is common in stored pieces and needs treating and declaring rather than hiding
• Sun-bleached tops where one half has faded against the other, which cannot be evened out without refinishing the whole piece

Identifying and dating yours

1. The model number is stamped into the underside of a seat or the back of a frame, and it identifies the design precisely — photograph it
2. Older pieces carry a blue paper label underneath; a surviving label is worth showing because it confirms both the maker and the period
3. Elm and beech look different: elm shows a strong wandering grain on the seat while beech is finer and straighter, and elm is worth more

What lifts any bedside table, whatever the label

Bedside tables sell in pairs, and drawer runners are the thing buyers test before anything else.

• Matching pairs sold together
• Solid wood with dovetailed drawers
• Drawers that run smoothly
• Recognised design and mid-century pieces

And what pulls one down

• Sticking or dropping drawers
• Water rings on the top
• Odd single tables
• Particleboard with sagging drawer bases

Working out what yours is worth

1. Open and close every drawer fully
2. Check the pair match exactly
3. Measure height, width and depth

What to state in the listing

• Height, width and depth
• Number of drawers or shelves
• Material and finish
• Whether sold as a pair or single, and the top and drawer condition

Style, drawers and quantity: “Pair of Oak Bedside Tables, 2 Drawer, 55cm High”. Pairs sell for considerably more than singles, so lead with the quantity. Height is the second search because it needs to match the bed.

Preparing and photographing it

1. Measure the height, and note that it wants to sit near mattress height to be useful.
2. Check drawer runners and any cable hole, and test for wobble.
3. Clean the top and check for ring marks and water damage, which is common on bedside surfaces.

1. The table from a standing angle, whole
2. The top surface across the light
3. The drawer open, showing the runner and interior
4. The back and legs, plus any chip, mark or missing handle

When it sells best, and handing it over

Steady year round with a January and late-summer lift. Matching pairs in neutral finishes sell within days.

Small and easy to collect, and a pair fits in most car boots. Give the dimensions so the buyer knows before setting off.

What buyers ask

Is it worth stripping a painted Ercol chair before selling?

Rarely. Stripping is laborious and the original lacquer colour does not come back, so most sellers do better describing it honestly as painted and pricing it as such.

How do I tell genuine Ercol from a similar chair?

Look underneath. Genuine pieces carry a stamped model number and often a blue label, and the Windsor seats are shaped from a single solid piece rather than glued boards.

How much is an Ercol bedside table worth?

Roughly £16 to £91 depending on condition, against £12 to £70 for bedside tables generally. The identification points above are what move a listing to the top of that range.

What the fees would take elsewhere

At the mid-range £53 for an Ercol bedside table, against what the commission marketplaces would deduct:

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026, percentages only — the per-order and processing charges those platforms add are excluded, so the real gap is wider.

Listing is free and there is no commission — read how to sell a bedside table for the title, handover and timing, or the general bedside table value guide if yours is not an Ercol.

See also: all Ercol value guides · value guides by brand · buying a bedside table · Furniture · condition grades.