My friend, Robyn, has outdone herself (again) with the perfect baby shower gift. Her little sister is expecting her first child, and Robyn and her hubby, Steve, found a beat-up old English pram on Craigslist. Steve is a pretty handy guy, so he took a look at it and knew they’d be able to fix it up with a little TLC and A LOT of elbow grease!
They scored a major deal because they managed to get it for under $100. Granted, that was because it needed to be cleaned up, but these things go for a FORTUNE online. I’m talking thousands of dollars! Here’s a new one that will set you back just under $3000:
If that seems a little rich for your blood, then why not try the Craigslist (or Ebay) route? You’ll have to take some time to clean it up, but look at how much money you can save. Here are a few pictures of the pram when Robyn and Steve first bought it (sorry about the photo quality, but you still get the idea):
Check out the rust on those wheels (and the wheels are supposed to be white walls)!
Here’s the during (hi, Steve!)…
And a few shots of the gorgeous “after”:
Robyn’s mother made the new cushion cover for the inside. At the baby shower, they stacked presents and stuffed animals in the pram. And after baby is too old to go for a stroll in the pram, it can be used to hold toys, books, or stuffed animals in the nursery. How fun!
My English Pram looks like the $3000 one only it’s about fifty years old. Would love to know how what Steve used to clean it up,especially the wheels. My children took their last ride in the pram when they were seven and nine. Sally in ME
Hi Sally,
Steve and I used a combination of products that I’m surprised we still have skin left of your fingers!! We used a rust and lime remover (name is escaping me, but we purchased it from Home Depot) along with good ole bleach and warm water. That combined with a good scouring pad, tooth brush for the little areas and patience, we got the frame and the wheels cleaned up nicely. The leather outside I used a leather upholstery shine product for my sofa. Worked like a champ!! The wheels specifically I cleaned, I made a paste with comet scouring powder and warm water. Scrubbed them pretty good, rinsed them with warm water and soap and they were like new! This was a fun project and loved the turn out. My sister especially loved it and the memories of our childhood that it brought back. However, the next time it needs to be cleaned…. she is on her own! 😉 Good luck!!
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Hi Amy & Christy,
I tried to find an email link for you guys with no luck. We are a The Paterson Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Wayne NJ. We just received a donation of a blue Atlas Carriage in beautiful condition! We have never seen one before and my Google process for trying to find a value lead me to this page. Could you possibly email me and let me know where I might find a buyer for this? I can send you pictures.
Thanks for any help you can lend!
Walt FirzPatrick
director@patersonrestore.org
Hey, Walt—
I would put that carriage on Ebay; you’ll have the widest audience that way and the buyer will pay shipping costs. That would be my first step towards establishing a fair price, too. You can search completed auctions and see what similar items have gone for.
Good luck to you–what a lovely donation!
Christy
I have a high English pram I would like to sell in the Denver metro area. Navey blue perfect condition. Any recommendations this is a Wilson but the Silver cross Prams go for $3,000.
I’m sorry, I’m afraid this was just a project that a friend did for her sister when she was pregnant. She didn’t try to sell it. I’m sure if you check EBay or Craigslist you can find some prices.
Good luck!