Eames wire side table - real or fake?  

5, 7, 13
Not all LTRs had plywood at all. Some vintage examples (circa late 60s from the round medallions most commonly seen on them) had solid cores. No visible plys at all. I think it looks just as nice. More so even perhaps as it's a clear sign of vintage production.

Examples
Here are are different examples of LTRs we have. From top to bottom: vintage with birch top, vintage with white laminate top, 90s production with rosewood top (these were given to employees of Herman Miller for the home after they used the last of their rosewood veneer to make the editions of LCWs and FSWs). You can see the solid core on the two vintage examples.

Close ups

Thanks, what would be the bes...
Thanks, what would be the best way to conceal or buff out the scratches on the laminate without replacing it altogether?

Yes, it is an Eames table....
Yes, it is an Eames table. Yes, there are quite a lot of posts concerning Eames and Herman Miller furniture. However, any basic Google search will give you more than enough info to answer your question.

scooterj2003
Why conceal the scratches on your laminate? It's just wear from use and makes it look more like a vintage piece. Ditto the oxidation on the base. I don't understand what this obsession some people seem to have with making things look shiny and brand new.
If you look at the photos of our vintage LTRs you'll notice that the black base has oxidation and the edges of the birch and white tables have little dinks on them. No only that, the bottom of the birch table has staple holes all around the edge where someone once converted the table to a stool buy putting foam and fabric upholstery on it. Am I going to paint the base or fill the staple holes? Not on your life. It's all part of the history of the piece, that patina is honest wear from age and makes it more special than a brand new LTR. At least to me. Besides, I don't look like what I did when I was brand new. With age comes a little wear, tear, and other changes. Embrace them.

I didn't create the scatches,...
I didn't create the scratches, I don't know their history and to me they are not desirable, so I'm wondering if there is a way I can buff them out. None of the other pieces in my place are vintage, and I don't even like the "vintage" look to begin with. I like new and shiny. 🙂 Any help is appreciated, thanks.

There you go
You answered my question honestly. So I guess my honest answer to your reply is that the scratches are not going to come out. There are products sold to improve the appearance of laminate surfaces, but to my knowledge, there is nothing that is going to remove a scratch. It's there, and it's there forever. The surface has been physically altered. Since you don't like a vintage appearance and you prefer things shiny and new, here is an idea:
Sell your LTR (eBay would probably be the best bet) and take that money and apply it towards a brand new LTR. They are not expensive ( under $200 I think) and since you only paid $15, whatever you get for yours would be almost pure profit. I think that there are others who would would be thrilled to have an LTR with some "love" on it and you would end up with a new one in perfect condition at a substantial discount. You could even choose your color. You know, black shows scratches more than the white tops do.
Good score, and good luck with them.

trade
Heck, i'll trade u a brand new kock off for that one! still in the box ... guaranteed NO scratches!
That's the kind of nice guy I am. 🙂

I considered that but I like ...
I considered that but I like knowing I acquired the pieces at an excellent price ... good conversation starter too. 🙂 Plus the prospect of restoring them is intriguing. I'll see if I can do some digging to see if there are any suitable products for filling in or buffing out these light scratches without destroying the laminate. There seem to be a multitude of options, I just don't know where to start.
Thanks!
PS @ Pegboard. Nice tables btw. I really like the rosewood top with the white finish on the base.

Very Close or?
Can anyone say who manufactured the table base on the left? It has been attached to a Herman Miller (or very close facsimile) top. Note shape of the connecting tabs. Table on right is legitimate Herman Miller all around. I have not seen another example like the one on the left.
The base on left also has the wire side/end heights reversed (see Pegboard's stack of LTRs above) and corner marks just like the white top table in Pegboard's photo above.
Any big ideas? It's not Modernica.

.
I posed the questiion directly above to the Eames Office and received no response. Boo!

Vintage LTR Variation
These are a recent acquisition, very not fake. Note, however, the totally different shaped bases, one is sharply angled and tapered, one is rounded. LTRs really have some inconsistencies in shape of base, tabs, and height of wire on sides.

Interesting
Had not seen the rounded corners like that before.... Can't say I like it, but it is interesting.

objectworship
A recent ebay LTR find arrived with these same rounded corners to the base. I had not noticed the corner difference until I had it in hand and placed it next to the others.
As you say, it is clearly not a copy. The top and label (and age of the zinc base) all look identical to my other solid core LTRs. But I have to say that I am still quite relieved to see another example.
I agree with woody-- I still prefer the look of the harder corner version. But it's almost more fun to stumble upon yet another manifestation of this great table.
Perhaps someone can shed some more light on this?
Thanks