Deal Or No Deal: Here’s How To Know Whether Your Vintage Mid-Century Modern Find Is A Good/Fair Price

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In the (cleaned up and little mean) words of Regina George from the movie Mean Girls, “Get successful [friend], we’re going shopping!” The existent punctuation swaps the connection person for “loser” and well, nary 1 present is simply a loser, ESPECIALLY due to the fact that we’re talking astir however to WIN astatine vintage shopping. Today, I’m introducing a caller bid we’re calling Deal oregon No Deal, wherever I link with an adept connected a fixed location merchandise oregon service, and assistance america each larn what’s a just terms for it. First up: Mid-century modern furniture, mostly due to the fact that it’s a wildly fashionable class of second-hand and vintage designs that isn’t going anyplace anytime soon—or ever—in our surviving spaces, but besides due to the fact that it’s an EHD favorite.

Vintage mid-century modern furnishings (or MCM for short) runs the gamut of pricing, arsenic frankly, truthful galore different vintage and antique pieces do, arsenic well. So portion determination isn’t an nonstop science, hopefully, you’ll locomotion distant from contiguous amended equipped to consciousness bully astir what you paid for your scores, alternatively than having that icky feeling successful the pit of your tummy that possibly you were bamboozled. Our adept contiguous is Ellen LeComte, proprietor of mid-century modern vintage trader Amsterdam Modern successful Los Angeles. I emailed with Ellen to prime her encephalon arsenic idiosyncratic whose occupation it is to bargain and past price/resell mid-century modern furniture. She imparted a batch of wisdom, but earlier we dive into that, on with our pricing cheat expanse I enactment unneurotic with her help, I privation to speech a small spot astir what precisely makes thing mid-century modern, and what you request to cognize astir it to amended recognize thing you’re purchasing.

While you whitethorn work “mid-century” and deliberation “Ah okay, 1950s,” mid-century modern plan is really classified by furnishings and architecture that came astir aft the Modernist question (1900-1930s, roughly) but earlier Post-Modernism (1970-1990, again, roughly). Meaning, MCM spans from the ’40s—sometimes adjacent the precocious ’30s—all the mode to the aboriginal ’70s.

And successful fact, did you cognize that the word “mid-century modern” didn’t adjacent travel to beryllium until writer Cara Greenberg (who I worked with connected a freelance capableness for a spot portion I was an exertion astatine Luxe Interiors + Design) released her acclaimed publication “Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s” successful 1984. Anyhow, determination are truthful galore opinions online astir what MCM really is. Is it an aesthetic? Is it a clip period? My personal, humble, mildly-expert sentiment is that it is both.

After WWII, determination was a question toward wide accumulation owed to caller technologies and entree to caller materials similar plywood, plastic, fiberglass, glass, and metal. What we cognize contiguous arsenic mid-century modern furnishings came astir from a request and tendency for functional, affordable, and easy disposable furnishings and decor, a nonstop other of the ornate and traditionally hand-crafted (read: costly and not speedy to produce) furnishings of decades and centuries before. Families were looking to clasp a modern and integrated lifestyle, and MCM answered that. And the reasons the benignant was truthful fashionable erstwhile it archetypal came connected the country is wherefore it inactive persists today.

“It’s timeless design, with clean, elemental lines,” says LeComte. It’s practical, stripped down but besides innovative. You’ll find, dissimilar pieces from periods prior, a premix of materials. Metal (mostly chrome) with leather, vinyl, oregon wood. Glass with chrome oregon wood. Silhouettes are either streamline oregon present soft, integrated curves, which weren’t seen that often earlier the ’30s oregon ’40s.

Mid-century modern is really an American plan question that was highly influenced by Danish Modernism (what LeComte’s institution specializes in, much connected that successful a bit), arsenic good arsenic the German Bauhaus, which was some a benignant and schoolhouse of design. There is of people Italian mid-century modern (it’s SO good), and all-in-all, overmuch of these designs tin beryllium grouped unneurotic nether the MCM umbrella for the involvement of this article. You’ll besides find that postulation of eras, regions and designers crossed dealers, unless they specialize successful 1 circumstantial niche.

Here are a fewer names you whitethorn cognize (or not), each pivotal minds, makers and designers during the mid-century plan movement:

Charles and Ray Eames
George Nelson
Herman Miller
Arne Jacobsen
Eero Saarinen
Gio Ponti
Hans Wegner
Florence Knoll
Charlotte Perriand
Finn Juhl
Marcel Breuer
Alvar Aalto
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
Paul McCobb
Le Corbusier

The database feels endless, truthful I promote anyone who wants to dive adjacent deeper into the MCM beingness and each the ingenious enactment that came retired of the epoch (truly groundbreaking stuff, astir of which inactive feels wildly caller and innovative today, astir 100 years later) to research each these names and more. It’s bully stuff.

ANYWAY! Back to however to bargain it. Let’s fto LeComte bash immoderate of the talking here:

Arlyn Hernandez/ EHD: What does Amsterdam Modern specialize in?

Ellen LeComte/Amsterdam Modern: Mid-century modern furniture, specifically Dutch design. We find pieces with much of an accent connected wood and metal; determination was a batch of innovative metallic plan aft the warfare arsenic wood was scarce and metallic was an abundant wartime material. For example, this Coen de Vries overgarment rack and these Friso Kramer chairs. Although I acquisition and vessel from Holland, galore of the pieces are from each implicit Europe.

EHD: What questions should idiosyncratic inquire a vintage trader of MCM pieces earlier buying?

AM: Some examples of things to inquire are wherever did you get it, what institution made this/what decorator designed this, bash you person the past (mostly due to the fact that radical similar a backmost story), is it archetypal oregon a reproduction, and however uncommon is it—I ever similar to cognize if it was hugely fashionable backmost successful the time oregon seldom seen arsenic that volition drastically impact pricing. You’ll besides privation to cognize if it’s been restored, refinished, oregon reupholstered.

EHD: There seems to beryllium a immense terms saltation successful mid-century modern furnishings (like thing else). Do you person immoderate tips for buyers erstwhile purchasing to marque definite they are paying a just price?

AM: Google! Do your probe earlier buying. Find retired arsenic overmuch astir the portion oregon decorator oregon shaper earlier buying, past Google, Google, Google! See what different places are selling it for and successful what information to get a consciousness of the scope that’s fair. Keep successful mind, though, that sometimes, it is simply a perceived worth you are paying for, meaning, you’re paying for curation and the quality and privilege of a trader to bring inventory to you. There are ever akin designs to the costly (uber-trendy) pieces, truthful question those retired for amended pricing. If you similar a circumstantial portion but it’s supra your budget, hunt astir for different designs by the aforesaid decorator that mightiness beryllium much readily available, hence little successful price. The look and consciousness successful your location volition beryllium the same, conscionable much affordable.

EHD: What MCM designers oregon circumstantial pieces are you seeing a precocious request for? What’s “on trend”?

AM: On inclination means there’s a higher demand, which means there’s a higher perceived worth (and existent terms tag). Some things that are fashionable close present are pieces by Ligne Roset (like the Togo and Marsala collections), Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini, and de Sede seating from the ’70s.

I’m trying to enactment distant from buying items that are present re-issued designs, unless it’s excessively bully to crook down. And designs that person been connected inclination and volition ever beryllium connected trend: Eames anything, Børge Mogensen (and benignant of), Charlotte Perriand, astir MCM furnishings made of oak, and conifer is making the limelight, too.

EHD: In presumption of wood species, what are communal materials recovered successful mid-century modern furniture?

AM: Teak, teak, and much teak, particularly for astir Scandinavian MCM pieces. There were immoderate large Danish pieces done successful oak, arsenic well. Other fashionable woods were rosewood (now endangered and not capable to beryllium imported into the US anymore) and walnut. You could find pine, arsenic well, which is very trendy close now, on with oak.

EHD: If I find a MCM portion and I announcement it has a veneer, is that bad? Should idiosyncratic look for coagulated wood?

AM: Veneer is the norm for mid-century modern, coagulated is rare. MCM pieces usually person coagulated edging and legs, but array tops and drawer facing were typically veneer due to the fact that it was easier to take continuous grains successful ample sheets that could beryllium utilized connected drawer fronts, oregon book-matched doors.

EHD: What’s the quality betwixt mid-century modern and Danish/Scandinavian modern?

AM: MCM is much streamline with hard edges, and tin see color. Danish modern is much organic, traditionally craft-based. You’ll find much teak, oak, curves oregon earthy edges, and furnishings made chiefly of wood.

Thank you Ellen! Now, for pricing. Again, however a vintage portion is priced is babelike connected truthful galore things. Condition—for example, if it’s already been restored oregon reupholstered vs. successful its archetypal state—availability oregon perceived rareness, demand, and adjacent the cognition of the seller. You could person a regular proprietor conscionable trying to offload immoderate furnishings from their postulation oregon successful say, an property sale, who doesn’t cognize what they person and you’ll get a bargain of a deal.

The graphic beneath summarizes the scope of prices Ellen enactment together. You’ll find each kinds of pieces that autumn extracurricular of these ranges, surely, but this should beryllium a bully guide. A instrumentality I similar to usage is going to 1stDibs, uncovering either the nonstop portion oregon thing akin by the aforesaid designer, and looking astatine their pricing guidance chart.

To fulfill the Google Gods, I’m besides sharing this accusation successful a slug database below, arsenic good arsenic a nexus to the existent point representation if it’s of involvement to you):

Highboy Dresser: $950-$1,550
- Item picture: Teak Mid-Century Modern Highboy Dresser, $1,495 astatine 1stdibs
6-Drawer Dresser: $1,000-$3,850
- Item picture: Broyhill Brasilia Midcentury Walnut and Brass 6 Drawer Dresser, $3,895 astatine 1stdibs
Credenza oregon Sideboard: $2,450-$3,250
- Item picture: Mid-Century Italian Teak Sideboard, $2,950 astatine Amsterdam Modern
Media Console oregon Cabinet (though this is often conscionable credenza due to the fact that media needs were precise antithetic successful the ’50s and ’60s): $795-$2,550
- Item picture: Franz Ehrlich benignant Mid-Century Sideboard with Metal Handles, $2,250 astatine Amsterdam Modern
Dining Chair Set: $1,450-$3,250 (depending connected however galore chairs)
- Item picture: Kai Kristiansen “Compass” Chair, 1958, $625 astatine Amsterdam Modern
Dining Table: $950-$3,250
- Item picture: Classic Mid-Century Eero Saarinen Style Tulip Dining Table by Cees Braakman, $2,450 astatine Amsterdam Modern
3-Seater Sofa: $795-$3,250
- Item picture: Robert Parry 3 Seater Gray Velvet Sofa, $3,250 astatine Amsterdam Modern
Accent Chair: $1,150-$3,250
- Item picture: Bauhaus Leather and Chrome Armchair, $1,150 astatine Amsterdam Modern
Accent Tables: $950-$3,250
- Item picture: Claus Straub Oak and Slate Coffee Table – 1960, $1,450 astatine Amsterdam Modern

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And determination you person it! I’d emotion to bash much heavy dives similar this into an epoch of furnishings oregon adjacent a location plan service, truthful delight chime successful in the comments with immoderate ideas oregon requests. Also, a amusive small crippled is adding photos of immoderate of your ain idiosyncratic “gets” successful the class with the corresponding backmost story.

Until adjacent time, beloved reader…

Opening Image Credits: Design By Arlyn Hernandez | Styling By Emily Bowser | Photo By Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Arlyn’s Bedroom Reveal Is A Lesson In The Beauty Of “Unfinished” Design

The station Deal Or No Deal: Here’s How To Know Whether Your Vintage Mid-Century Modern Find Is A Good/Fair Price appeared archetypal connected Emily Henderson.

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