Ercol TV Units Resale Value

Ercol TV units: 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 TV unit, whatever the label

TV units sell steadily but cheaply, so material and cable management are what separate one listing from another.

• Solid wood and quality veneer
• Cable management ports already cut
• Working drawers and doors
• Sizes suited to common television widths

And what pulls one down

• Sagging particleboard shelves
• Chipped edges and lifting veneer
• Damaged glass shelves and doors
• Very large units suiting few rooms

Working out what yours is worth

1. Sight along shelves for sag
2. Measure the width and state the maximum TV size
3. Check every door and drawer

What to state in the listing

• Width, depth and height in centimetres, and the usable top width between any raised edges
• Maximum TV size or weight it is designed for, if the label or manual states it
• Storage layout — open shelves, drawers, cupboards — and whether shelves are adjustable
• Whether the back is open for cables, and whether it is a corner or straight unit

Width first, because that is the search: “150cm TV Unit, Oak Effect, 2 Drawers” or “Corner TV Stand, Glass Shelves, 100cm”. Say whether it is a corner unit, since that is a completely different buyer and putting it in the title saves you a stream of wrong enquiries.

Preparing and photographing it

1. Clear it out and clean the top, then check the cable routing holes at the back are intact.
2. Test drawers and doors, and check any glass shelf for chips at the corners.
3. Tighten legs or castors and check the top for a sag if it has carried a heavy set for years.

1. The whole unit straight on, empty, against a plain wall
2. The top with a tape measure across it showing the usable width
3. The back, showing cable holes and whether the rear is open or panelled
4. Inside any cupboard or drawer, plus every scratch, chip or mark

When it sells best, and handing it over

Steady, with a lift around major sporting events and Christmas when televisions get replaced. Wide units in neutral finishes sell within a couple of weeks.

Collection. Most units fit in an estate car or small van, so give the boxed or assembled dimensions and say whether it dismantles, which decides the vehicle they need to bring.

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 TV unit worth?

Roughly £32 to £182 depending on condition, against £25 to £140 for TV units 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 £107 for an Ercol TV unit, 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 TV unit for the title, handover and timing, or the general TV unit value guide if yours is not an Ercol.

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