Everyone NEEDS a Tea Cart

A tea cart or drinks trolley must be one of the most versatile pieces of furniture. It's your drinks cart for serving wonderful cocktails, it's a TV table that can move around the room (with enough cable!), it's a small book shelf, it's holds all manor of things in the bathroom (towels, extra TP, perfumes....), and it can be a decorative way to store your printer and paper in your office. It's best feature is that it has wheels and can easily move around the room.

Let's see what we can find at auction that has interest as well as being utilitarian.

Clarke Auction - August 23rd

The next estate sale at Clarke Auction, Larchmont, NY has this smart tea cart made of brass, wood and glass. It has an estimate of $100 - $150. I like the extra shelf on the side.

Doyle New York

This drinks trolley sold at the last Doyle@Home auction in July for $688 (estimate had been $300 - $500). It has clean lines and classic glass and metal materials.

New Orleans Auction 

I showed this drinks trolley in a previous blog, but have to show it again. It's so cool. It sold at the July New Orleans Auction for $688 (estimate was $500 - $800). It's mid-century and brushed steel.  Can't you just see some martini glasses on top and a couple of different vodkas for your guests to choose from?

Wright 21, Chicago, IL

For the true collector among us this Edward Wormely 'party server bar, model 5433 (1954)' might be just the investment piece. It sold at a Wright auction earlier in the year for $5,000 (estimate range was $3,000 - $5,000). It ticks all the mid-century boxes and is useful as well!

Keep your eye out for your tea cart and make sure it's decorative and not just utilitarian. You can have both!