1stdip
let's just KNOW that ebay doesn't care to buy or care about 1stdips or 1stdiss or whatever he claims to be as the number one seller blah, blah, blah. but we KNOW what president and founder is up to. EGO, EGO, EGO, GREED, UNFAIR and clearly unethical in his business dogma. i really wish everyone would please think about and support and look at the other e-commerce venues selling antiques and modern on the internet. this includes dealers exercising their backbone as well. 1stdibs has overextended their venue and i don't waste my time even looking on it anymore as it too saturated! all these sheep/dealers who continue to flock to be on it are actually doing themselves a disservice as it too much. too much inventory, too much president and founder to look at. i thought i was suppose to be looking and shopping for rarefied and exclusive antiques on 1stdibs, i thought he wanted to keep it EXCLUSIVE and for a particular group of buyers, like himself. well this is not the case anymore if you will look closely. i am not interested in supporting vanity and ego. i give kudos to the dealers who have the where-with-all to not cave to the dumbing down of mall culture. this is exactly where 1stdibs has gone. to the mall.
norris
i like you norris ... and i like what you say..... I feel the same about them a waste of time,
i only look for a laugh and to think how expensive the stuff i own is , I think it would be around 1 million and that is no bull on the 1st dips sites. I have around $100,000 in actual dollars
I bought on ebay and estate sales and have everything from Early Eames, George Nelson, Panton from 1958 and early day Knoll brnos and barcelonas and real Karl Springer lamps Harvey Probber and Kagan and tons of other stuff,
the prices they come up with are such a joke,
I would love to meet the customers that think they are getting a deal the auction houses would be a better buy with a sir charge on every thing,
A worthwhile reference for high end stuff
Yes, some of the sellers are simply grand in their pricing, but you DO get nice pix of some rather rare high-end stuff and an idea of what the high-end sellers think they might be able to get. I often see somethong on eBay and look at 1st Dibs before bidding.
nice pix at the mall
there is most definitely nice stuff on the aforementioned site. however, if you will notice, the nice pix you refer to are constantly repeated and shown by the same stores/dealers over and over by aforementioned site. therefore showing a favoritism to the more exclusive stores in NYC and Los Angeles allowing this farce to perpetuate. dealers/buyers or whoever then gages and justifies what they believe as the standard for pricing perhaps a designer piece (valid) or perhaps a mediocre piece disguised as a designer piece. i will say again to those of you looking/shopping for antique/modern/vintage items, you have other options and internet venues besides ebay and 1st. don't be afraid to TRY something UNKNOWN and NEW. there is no need to continue feeding the greedy beast. SHARE THE LOVE. there is no pleasure or fun in being manipulated and coerced into being part of the pomp and pageantry just because you were told this is all there is.
'tis so true
i tip my hat you killian. and from what i know when one is a dealer on that site you are fined $$$ for not providing new inventory images to the site for weekly "new listings". what is so cool about that? i implore dealers and buyers/decorators to use the other sites i have mentioned.
design e-zine v. design e-commerce
since when is it important for an online magazine(1stdib), or any other catalog or trade magazine to constantly boast and brag of "record" sales to its customer base and not only boast but to also continue co-opting and assuming the glory for these sales? how tacky! i thought this site was about "art" and antiques and those looking for a resource to buy "art" and antiques. i think it is fine to expand the venue of ones business and keep it moving forward but it isn't cheap and tacky to do it under the guise of DESIGN RESOURCE GUIDE. but let's call it and see it like it really is. it has clearly moved beyond the focus of character and dealers of integrity. i am always seeing THE SAME big money making stores/dealers and now decorators forever showcased. It's all just a big circle jerk for these same people. (think high school) do you really think these smaller stores that he has coerced and bullied away from other sites are contributing to his big number "record" sales making 1stdibs the be all end all. i don't think so. i will say again it is about greed and ego. we all know what it is. we all know 1stdibs exists. i want to know from the dealers who decided not to give other sites a chance and the opportunity to grow and to grow with the sites, (and they were selling on the other venues) are they satisfied with their decision to follow along behind the big guns? are they still selling and are they happy with being buried beneath piles and piles of overpriced merch? i like the idea of an online magazine! i like to see what "new" design is being forecast from our talented stylemakers in the industry, but really, do i need to know or do i care what the founder and president of 1stdibs deems is credible as far his co-opted sales are? remember, 1stdibs is exactly that. a "magazine". all those dealers pay "rent" for space to be on line to show their merchandise. he is merely a broker. those sales belong to shop owners. so please, if one wants to enjoy the magazine, great! if one wants to focus purely on looking at product and product only, also great. i will say again you have options.
Dear ageofmachines
1st Dibs is clearly a good resource to see some of the finest higher-end stuff, as well as gauge what's the upper-end 'going price'.
I understand higher-end dealers like Mark McDonald. They have the knowledge and sophistication. They also often have access to the kind of stuff that would NEVER show up on eBay.
I understand, too, that there's a bit of greed inherrent in these high-end stores. I know nothing about the fees 1st Dibs charges you, but I do think it's inappropriate to sell something online for the same price that you would charge in your store or gallery...after all, displaying the item in a shop or gallery has to be figured in the cost.
Either way, I DO look at 1st Dibs...and use it, along with eBay and other etailers of fine mid-century stuff to gauge values.
Anyone who simply writes off 1st Dibs is living in a dream world. But, honestly, I wouldn't buy on 1st Dibs unless it's something I HAD to have and couldn't find it elsewhere.
Another resource for interior design.
Just thought I would mention, take a look at ---
--- is also a group of shop owners who sell fine antiques and luxury goods. There are higher prices as well as midrange. I love this site.
Edited: Site name and link removed by Design Addict. Please no advertising in the forum.
Ads are not appreciated on the forum....
Support this site by sponsoring it and placing a banner on the sidebar, rather than planting ads in the forum. The forum is a place reserved for discussion, the moderators do not appreciate ads here.
And respectfully, your column on "The History of Danish Teak Furniture" and "Why Did the Danish Choose Teak?" though colorful, needs a little more research. The choice of teak was actually the result of a trade agreement brokered by the royal families by Thailand and Denmark. Our resident Scandinavia expert Simon explained in an early thread:
"The Danish King Christian 10th was very good frineds with the Royal Thai family and they had decided between them to arrange a trade-off between Denmark and Thailand.
Denmark was to supply Thailand with high quality goods and services in return for the use of Teak at a very reduced rate."
The link to the thread is here:
http://www.designaddict.com/design_addict/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/th...
Business is business
ageofmachines
I agree with your logic and defense (if I may call it that). Business is business and as I wrote to another person with a pricing question the object is to always, I repeat always, make the highest possible profit margins. The salary of a baseball player is based on what the team is willing to pay not what the public thinks he is worth.
I was in NY last week and I...
I was in NY last week and I visited 7 shops that advertise on 1st dibs.For some reason I was expecting a cold reception but of the shops where I engaged the salespeople in conversation they were all extremely welcoming and nice and helpful.
A funny thing happened in one of the shops we visited where there were 3 assistants, my wife asked for a pricecheck on a set of quite stunning cutlery,the girl with her turned to a guy at a computer and asked him what price it was,he shouted back 32,000 and the assistant who was with my wife showing her around turned back to him and said in shock "WHAT....32000......WOW!!" .......I thought it was funny because she verbalised exactly what my wife and I were thinking 32000 for a set of cutlery....what is the world coming to.
The shops I visited all occupy quite large retail spaces,nearly all of them had quite extensive reference libraries and their stock is all in extremely good condition and very well presented.I have to say that meeting the various dealers and visiting their shops was a very pleasant experience.
Killian
i too was in NYC last week and went to all the shops . I was very disappointed with Evan Lobel modern
He seemed to be be rather arrogant and somewhat disinterested in what I was asking him, kinda like i was bothering the fellow,
Todd Merrill seemed nice, as did Kagan, and several other shops, but on the overall i was disappointed in all the shops .
If you are a Karl Springer fan, or any designer of the late 70's these are your guys, they seem to want to sell the decorator stuff coming out of the Park Avenue homes, before they head to the retirement home, I feel they feel they can jack the prices up to the moon if they think they can get it, If any one in design land can tell me why a Karl Springer desk with Python should sell for $25,000 please let me know, I paid $900. for mine last year at a estate sale.
I visited lobel but I didnt...
I visited lobel but I didnt say a word to anyone there (well except the parrot),i liked the stock but didnt stay long.We got a guided tour of Todd Merril which was very interesting and Alain Moss and the two shops next door (de lorenzos and ? (both on 1st dibs as warehouse)) were where we spent quite a bit of time and had a nice time chatting with the staff,we also had a small chat with the guys at lost city arts who were very nice and helpful.
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