“It’s a man’s couch, I think,” Hannon says.
Hannon and his wife, Allie, found the couch at an auction at Alexander’s in July 2001. When Hannon sat on it, someone asked if he was interested in buying. He declined. But later he called in a $100 maximum bid. “I was just doing it as a joke,” he says. He found out the next day that he had bought the couch for $90.
“When I first saw it, I was like, ‘What was I thinking? Why did I just spend $90 on such a stupid idea?’ ” he recalls. But he brought the thing home and christened it Lucy. Now she “gets a lot of attention,” he says. “People do say it’s ugly.” Or hideous, according to his wife.
“That’s why it’s out here,” he says.
When his sister recently told him about the contest, he entered. A week later, he was informed that Lucy had made the top 10. After voting is completed (scheduled after press time, Aug. 25), the top three couches and their owners will be flown to New York City in September to appear on “Live With Regis and Kelly.” The audience picks the winner.
First place wins $5,000. Hannon says he’d use the prize money on some new furniture for the living room — and repairs for Lucy.
He says he’d like to fix the tear on the seat cushion, replace a few buttons and repair the round red velvet pillow that has its back duct-taped. Hannon is considering adding some pillows as well. “Maybe something purple,” he says. “I think purple would look good on it.” He looks at Lucy, then reassures himself: “It was $90 well spent.” — Katie Zedler
