He paid $50 for a chair on Facebook Marketplace. He sold it three months later for $85,000

A rare high-back chair by Danish designer Frits Henningsen.Justin Miller

When I contacted the seller to set up a pick-up date, she told me the chair was worth a lot if I repaired it, Justin Miller says. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he adds in an email. "It all started when I was on Facebook Marketplace, which I usually spend about 30 minutes on a daily basis for my home design content."

In February, Miller saw a listing of a leather chair that was for sale at a family's yard sale near Beverly Hills. "I liked the color of the leather and the shape was interesting," he says. Indeed, it was worth a significant amount, as confirmed by the seller when I inquired about the possibility of picking it up.

When Miller started looking into the chair, he discovered it was made by a Danish designer named Frits Heningsen and was one of only 50 ever made. There were other similar chairs on the market that had sold for more than $100K, so Miller knew he had to make money and document his journey on TikTok. His TikTok of the day he bought the $50 chair, detailing what he found, has more than 2.4 million views.

@miztermiller

The day we’ve been waiting for is almost here! My chair goes to auction with @Sotheby’s Wednesday morning, June 7th. This has been such a fun journey! #homedecor #interiordesign #diy #thriftfinds #thrifted #facebookmarketplace #sothebys #auction #antique #rarefind

♬ Hip Hop Background(958742) - Pavel

People commented on his original TikTok that Miller should contact an auction house. In a day, Miller was in contact with Sotheby’s to handle the restoration and sell the chair. Sotheby's told TODAY.com the tears had been repaired, the leather had been conditioned, and the fabric under the seat had been tightened.

On June 7th, Miller’s $50 chair sold in a live auction that lasted less than 3 minutes, fetching $85,000 (after buyer’s fees of $107,950).

“I don’t think the owners knew how much it was going to be,” Miller said Thursday afternoon.

"We are thrilled that Justin's chair was able to achieve such a great outcome," Carina Villering, head of 20th century design, says in a statement to TODAY.

"We have been following Justin's story since he first contacted us about restoring and selling his chair, and we have enjoyed learning more about his discovery. We are thrilled that he was able to get such a great price for his chair."

According to Miller, he plans to spend some of the proceeds on "a little something for myself to commemorate this whole experience." The rest of the money will be put into savings to help pay for a home.

He's not done with thrifting yet. "People tell me they can't find good stuff on Facebook Marketplace, but they're not looking hard enough," Miller says.