I recently picked up a black Eames armshell. I remember reading somewhere that black was a fairly rare color.
What are the hardest colors to find?
How many years did Herman Miller produce the armshell in black?
I might be selling this, so any idea on value would be helpful. It is in great condition (no chips, cracks, edge wear, etc.).
Thanks
I can't give a good estimate...
I can't give a good estimate of the value of your armshell, since I live in Denmark. The prices here are higher than in the US.
However, regarding your question about the colours, it's my impression that pink is the rarest, then followed by Robin's Egg blue and Terra Cotta. Kelly green and Light Seafoam also seems to be rarely seen. A black armshell is also a bit unusual.
Rare vs. Desirable
Says Mr. Barrion of ModernLoveDesign.com of chair colors:
"As a dealer, I believe there is a difference between "rare" and "desirable". They are not always the same. For example, a lot of dealers say orange (Red Orange) is rare. I personally wouldn't consider it rare because it is one of the Standard colors, but it's an extremely attractive color for some, and because of this it's quite coveted. On the other hand, colors like Grey Light or Greige Light are not as popular, but I would consider them rare because of the Contract designation."
clarification of my last post
Each year Herman Miller offered a set number of standard colors for the fiberglas chairs. These colors were available at any time in any amount. Also offered were a select number of contract colors. These were available by special order only, and with a minimum order.
Also were made shells where the color did not come out exactly as planned. Many of these shells were recycled into the upholstered shells.
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