Antique Ski Lift Chairs from Butternut Basin

Antique chairlift chairs now available for collectors from Ski Butternut

Retired 48 to 50+ year old chairlift’s double chairs now available to

skiing enthusiasts and collectors alike.

For those interested in having a unique piece of skiing nostalgia to adorn their

home or garden, Ski Butternut is offering three different styles of antique chairlift

chairs for sale. Price is $200 per chair. Guests can pickup their chairs at Ski

Butternut - 380State Road, Great Barrington, Massachusetts 01230.

There are three chairlift style chairs to choose from (use link to view picture).

Borvig or Carlavaro or maybe a Mueller.

There are a total of 85 chairs; 2 Mueller, 23 Borvig and 60 Carlavaro. These

chairs vary in design and construction. Some used wooden slats for seats and

backs, while others used metal or a more durable composite. These old double

chairlift chairs are all truly remarkable pieces of skiing history. Antique chairlift

chairs are quickly disappearing. Each lift chair is being sold as is. Chairs must be

picked up at Ski Butternut. To secure a chair one must first call the Ski Butternut

main office 413.528.2000 x111. Please have your credit card ready. Full

payment will reserve a chair for pickup. Pickup can be accommodated from 10

a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the same times over the weekend

of August 1st and 2nd. Cash sales will also be accepted, but we are unable to

hold a chair in your name until payment has been secured. Personal checks will

not be accepted. All chairs are sold on a first-come first-served basis.

All Lift chairs can fit in a standard truck bed. Customers have also strapped

chairs down onto the top of their vehicles for transport. Please bring

appropriate tie down cords, or other means so you can firmly attach the chair

to your vehicle. Chairs measure approximately 42” wide by 98” tall by 28” deep

and weigh 35 to 45 pounds. The Carlavaro chairs have been disassembled into

three pieces (a hanger, hoop and basket) making them easier to transport for

those without access to a truck. These chairs can be reassembled using a

screwdriver and wrench.

There are only 2 Mueller center pole style chairlift double chairs remaining. This

lift was manufactured in 1961 by Mueller (a Swiss company that still

manufactures chairlifts today). The lift was powered by a 65 HP motor and was

originally installed at Mount Cathalia in Ellenville, NY, before being purchased

and relocated to Ski Butternut (known then as Butternut Basin). Channing

Murdock and the Butternut Basin Lift Maintenance crew sweated through all

aspects of the installation of the foreign made lift components to get it ready for

the coming winters’ guests. This Mueller lift carried many an aspiring novice to

the top of the Cruiser ski slope at Ski Butternut until it was decommissioned in

2004. Ski Butternut replaced this aging lift with a quad chairlift prior to the winter

of 2005.

There are 60 Carlavaro chairlift chairs available which were originally installed on

the ski slopes at the Dartmouth Ski Way in NH. Channing purchased these chairs

from them in 1992. These Italian made chairs served as backup chairs for the

original summit double chair and for our beloved Paddy’s beginner chairlift, also

a Carlavaro, which through great care is still in operation at the resort today.

Channing Murdock also purchased 23 Borvig chairs along with the other lift

components and a 15 horsepower drive unit from another mountain. These

components were installed at the mountain as the Scooter lift in 1969. The

Scooter lift, in tandem with the Paddy’s chairlift, serviced the areas numerous

beginner clients. Today a series of four Sun Kid carpet lifts in conjunction with the

Paddy’s chairlift better serve the continual mix of beginners, of which a high

percentage of these are children through young teens. Guests, just learning to

ski today, desire a less intimidating, confidence building, yet fun transportation

link to the various starting points for lessons on the Scooter learning slope. This

series of new carpets deliver the right mix for our guests today.

Keen interest has been expressed in acquiring a chair by many Ski Butternut

loyal guests, instructors, patrollers as well as a number of the local ski shops.

Purchasers have told me they desire to incorporate these unique and limited

pieces of skiing history into their backyard, garden, game room or storefront.

Many want to restore these historical treasures so as to preserve the memories

they have had on the slopes of our beloved mountain. 

Have some fun, be creative and once you are done please send me pictures of your new special treasure. Email your pictures to: Marketing@SkiButternut.com along with a description telling us what

makes it special for you.