Dear Fellow Design Lovers!
I am from the Netherlands, and I think I did an amazing find, namely, an old Eames LKR with cat's cradle base.
The thing is that it has a square base connection, which I believe makes the chair part of the very first production series. I was wondering, since there are a lot Eames minds' out here with more knowledge than I, if you could tell me if I'm right or not.
I've never ever seen this chair anywhere, so I don't have any references.
I'm curious in your opinions 🙂
P.S. I bought it at the dutch craigslist, from a woman who already had it for 20 years she said. Her husband received it at the birth of his child, and she didn't know if it was new back then. To my believe it couldn't have been new, cause it's from the early 50s.
P.P.S. I am trying to resell this chair, it is on ... right now for the staggering low (hahahaha :D) price of 3k, based on totally nothing I guess, cause I don't have any references on the square base. What do you think about that crazy high price? (edited by DA - no advertising for items for sale please)
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Great find. You are correct about the early issue.
(But you seem to be blatantly advertising your chair here. That is not allowed. Valuations are also not allowed on the forum. This may get your post deleted shortly, so don't be surprised. Or maybe not. Who knows…)
Reconfirming the early date on this chair are the four mounting tabs on the cat's cradle base. It looks like they have the early connecting mounts with double rounded ends on the tabs.
The chair does appear to have been REPAINTED with some kind of grey paint, as it does not seem to show the qualities consistent with a typical original zinc finish. I am aware of no early version of this chair with original grey paint. For ethical reasons, you should also note this in your ... listing. (edited by DA)
@objectworship
Ahhh. Maybe you have a fair point about the hate towards money worshipping. But am I worshpping money by giving it a high price tag?
Maybe your right, but because there are not a lotta people who can actually afford it now, with this crazy high price, so with what I am doing I keep this Eames out of their potential possession. People like me are people that are only after one thing; money. Money this, money that 😉 , hahaha 😀 Bla bla bla
Maybe the world shouldn't be a fair place after all, and maybe everything shouldn't be based on prices. Everything is too expensive and too much based on making profit. Ideally.....bla bla bla.
Lovely discussion, but a whole different topic.
I know that eventually my price on ... will drop in the upcoming months to maybe a 1000 before somebody buys it, I don't mind.
I just had no idea whatthis chair is worth. My house is already full of Eames finds, and I'd like to sell some. I know it is old, but I didn't exactly knew / got it confirmed by somebody that it is a 50s production.
@Eameshead
Thanks Enmeshed! I know now a little more sure that it is an older chair. Thanks dude. Thats all I wanted to know.
You are probably right about the fact that it's been repainted. I did absolutely not knew that, since it's done really nice, but I can image it is done. I will add it to the ... ad.
Thanks guys.
(edited by DA - no advertising for items for sale please)
I think I know who you mean, I've just read the topic 10 mins ago. The guy who bought the chairs at Chen/ Wright to resell them for three times the the price he bought them for? I am sure he will find his way to ... and pay me 3k ;-). He has the right entrepreneurship!
(edited by DA - no advertising for items for sale please)
Why are some of you guys so much against making a little profit from time to time on stuff you've bought?
Is the world supposed to be more idealistic or so?
A lotta people make their living, and create livings for others, by earning profit on things....
I know this chair is scarce, and since I daily pay high prices for things that are scarce, from special food and wines to furniture, why can't I do the same thing?
Well, to be fair, the other guy actually bought four chairs, and after auction commission and tax, is only trying to double his money, not triple. There is nothing wrong with trying to double or triple up (or more) on a flip. It was his approach of how to achieve that which was more of the topic of that thread.
And to clarify, many people on here buy/sell stuff with the intent of making money, or at least offsetting the cost of other stuff they have bought and kept (guilty as charged here). Asking for valuations and advertising your wares in the forum is what is against the rules.
If you can get 3K (Euros?) on ... without any false advertising or shady sales tactics, then good for you. I say keep the thread; nothing wrong with learning the rules of a new forum.
(edited by DA)
@cdsilvia
(....)"Asking for valuations and advertising your wares in the forum is what is against the rules."
I did not know that. I was supposed to know, I know that, cause when joining a forum you accept the 'terms & conditions' that you're supposed to read, but I didn't read them.
Then again, it also wasn't my intention to advertise my chair.
I purely only wanted to know if I am/was right in thinking it was a very early (first) 50's production.
I also wanted to know, as my first post says, what you guys think of chairs that have crazy high prices. I mean, I wouldn't have bought for the price that I am asking for it. But if some others try to sell theirs in for crazy high prices, and maybe the even sell them for it (I don't watch these 'special' chairs being sold for sky high prices) am I then not a thief of my own pocket if I sold it for 200 euro?
I don't do any false advertisement, well, not that I am aware of, and especially not intentionally. I haven't sold a lotta stuff in my life either.
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In the end I am just glad that I've learned today that my LKR might have been repainted. Interesting point. Anybody else here thinks that too?
I really can't find a lotta information on these early wire Eameses.
I know enough about Eames chairs to know that I don't know that much. Age, color, original parts, fabricator, and condition play such a significant role in value, that I never attempted to learn all of the subtle details. It is much easier to determine Danish Modern wood for me, and that is where my interests mostly lie. And since there are certain early Eames pieces that currently command high prices, there are a few unscrupulous (and some clueless) people out there that look to mix newer components with older components, then pass it off as all old original.
I think the inquiry portion of your post is perfectly fine, and a good thread to keep in the DA archives. I personally don't care about valuation requests or sales pitches one way or the other, but since those are against forum rules, then I'll happily abide by them.
Once again, I know little about Eames chairs, but I do know a little more about tank-dipped galvanized steel vs painted steel, If you have a DIY paint job on the wire frame, it will read much differently than a 50-60 yr old galvanized coating. Close ups would be needed for anyone to be able to provide a more definitive answer, although the last photo does appear to have worn paint on certain bearing areas on the underside of the base.
@cdsilva
Thanks for the comment and keeping the thread alive.
The chair looks like it's been painted in some sort of way, but if it is, it's done with such precision and consistency that when in it crossed my mind earlier, when I had it outside for a coffee, I just couldn't believe that somebody at home could have done it himself in the garage or garden. But, than again, I also didn't paint a lot in my life, and maybe it is possible to achieve this level of precision without professional equipment or so, just by having experience and a steady hand.
Enough words, I made some pics.
The screws appear not to be original, and if that is so, the fact that they have the same color and finish as the rest of the chair means that it has all probably been repainted at some point.
Still a great find.
Painted yes, but a rare and early seat on it's original "as found" first issue cats cradle base. Only the bolts appear to have been replaced.
In spite of all the ethical issues discussed, it is hard not to enjoy this chair, and be glad that I had a chance to see it.
Thanks for the nice comments, tips, hints and knowledge guys !
I also think it was a great find. I only thought it was a rare early one, but I didn't knew for sure, but I am thankful that my thought has obtained sureness through your nice replies!
I think I'll have tol buy the Neuhart book(s) on Eames design, cause they look like the sort of things from where I can obtain a lotta knowledge about specific Eames productions in detail. Have some of you Eamesheads read these?
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