A new synthetic route to linear poly(furylene vinylene) is proposed which involves the polycondensation of 5-methylfurfural in a basic medium. This simple one-pot preparation gives low-molecular-weight materials, but with regular linear polymeric structures possessing a high degree of conjugation. The doping of these polymers with iodine gives rise to conductivities of similar to 1 S cm(-1). The replacement of the furan ring by the thiophene heterocycle results in a similar behaviour, but with lower reactivity.