Edinburgh charity shop receives astonishing donation of £4000 Ralph Lauren chairs

A set of bespoke chairs, modelled after Louis XVI, are on sale for £2500 each, or £4000 for the pair, at the Bethany Christian Trust’s Morningside shop.

Valued at £8000 when brand new, the ornate furniture has attracted dozens of shoppers.

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Valued at £8000 when brand new, the ornate furniture has attracted curious shoppers who formed a queue outside the Edinburgh store this morning.

Bethany Christian Trust employees were ‘delighted’ to receive the remarkable donation and said it will help their team raise the funds needed to meet the increased demand for services since the pandemic hit.

A set of luxury chairs are on sale for £2500 each at the Bethany Christian Trust’s Morningside shop.

Andrew Bell 40, from Marchmont snapped a picture of the rare chairs on his way to Waitrose with his son.

The father-of-one said he has noticed prices in the shop rising for a while but was left surprised by the expensive price tag.

Twitter users were left amused and bemused by the extravagant charity shop find after Mr Bell tweeted a picture of the chairs this morning.

Discussing the social media response Mr Bell said: “I have had quite a few negative tweets.

“I think for many it reaffirms the wealth in Morningside, some see it as bizarre a charity shop would sell at that price let alone someone donating something that valuable.”

But he added that as all the proceeds go to charity he doesn’t see anything wrong with the designer price tag.

He said: “It is a good thing for the charity.”

The top of the line matte black chairs are finished in a bespoke ebonised walnut and feature an ornate frame with silver beading around the cushion.

But Mr Bell has decided not to purchase the fashionable chairs saying they are “not his style”.

Added: “And I've got a new baby so I'll put some money away for him or, at that price, buy a new car.”

Director of income generation at Bethany Christian Trust John Rogers said: “We are very grateful for all donations we receive from our community of supporters.

"After being closed for most of 2020, our Morningside shop team were delighted to receive these rare armchairs which after researching they discovered were of significant value. We hope that they will find a happy home with a customer, and help us raise funds to meet the increased need for support we have been seeing throughout the pandemic.”

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