Hi. I am a lover of all things mid-century, but not an expert. I have the opportunity to buy this Eames Rocker off of Craigslist (850$). I'm hoping that someone can tell me if this looks authentic? He thinks the base is an original and from what I can tell (b/c of the label) it is a later version. Anyone know about what year? If anyone can help me to confirm if the base looks original and if this is a fair price, I would be very grateful. Any and all comments are appreciated.
Thank you!
Rachel
(edited by DA - link removed, pictures added - no links to items for sale please)
Pause 10 seconds for temper tantrum
Okay, you guys... this is EXACTLY what I was talking about on the thread about those moronic eBayers who sell, er (unsuccessfully) LIST reupholstered Eames shells chairs on repro rocker bases for outrageous sums.
They don't sell, but they're right there when someone googles it and thinks he's going to make next month's mortgage payment by selling it.
He specifically references "$800 to $2400 on eBay."
Not to say that his price isn't on the high side of fair - but only in a retail environment. This is CRAIGSLIST. The same guy is probably selling an old garden hose and some ski boots he bought in the 80's. He knows NOTHING about this chair - he only knows what he saw on eBay, which is a crazy misrepresentation of the current market.
You should have been able to swoop in and get a deal on this chair, but the idiots who overprice things on eBay drive prices up for everyone.
This is exactly what I was talking about. This stuff turns me into a roiling hellbroth of fury.
Zafari
I don't understand why this makes you so upset.
It seems to me that if you see something for sale that you want, but the price is set unrealistically high for the reasons you describe, you can simply explain to the seller the difference between a $2400 Ebay listing and a $2400 Ebay sale, make a realistic offer, and leave your contact information. One of three things will happen:
1. He'll find a buyer less knowledgeable than you and sell him the chair for $2400. In that case, you simply weren't willing to pay what the chair was worth; no big deal.
2. He'll be unable to sell the chair for his asking price and will decide that if he can only get a few hundred dollars for it, he'd rather just keep it. In that case, the chair wasn't really for sale anyway; it's no different than if he'd priced it at a million dollars.
3. He'll be unable to sell the chair for his asking price, he'll check completed sales on Ebay and see that your explanation was accurate, and he'll re-list the chair at a reasonable price or call you. This is exactly what you want; it just takes a couple weeks.
Is there a fourth option that I'm missing? Because none of those three seems like something that would turn you into "a roiling hellbroth of fury"...
fair deal
If the base is original to the chair I think the price is fair. I recently sold a completely original orange rocker from the same period for the same price out of an antique mall. I bought mine off of Craigslist for $550. Check the shock mounts to make sure there are no other indentations on the top of the mounts which would be an indication that the chair sat on a different bases at some point. If it is a marriage of an old shell and an old base, that would effect value too. If it is a vintage shell on a new rocker base it is only worth $300-$400 retail in my opinion.
Fastfwd
Option 4 - I buy the Eames RAR pictured above for $75.00, because the seller is unclear on its provenance and un-polluted by online ridiculousness.
I spend the evening icing my wrist, which has become sore from HIGH-FIVE'ing everyone I see because I am so PUMPED over my amazing purchase.
Online
The online market is part of the larger retail market. Go to any brick & mortar antique/vintage store and you will find simiar prices or more likely higher prices due to greater overhead costs. It's only logical that any retailer (online or not) wishes for market prices to increase, which is driven by the basic principle of supply and demand.
eBay sold listings is probably the best overall indicator of "fair market value" for more common collectible items. However, for something a bit more rare, such as an all-original RAR, prices can vary quite widely. For these and rarer items, more specialized auction houses may be a better indicator. For example, search Wright 20 or other auction sites for past sold RARs (in this case, look for later non-Zenith versions).
Option 4 which you described is becoming less and less common in today's market and is generally out of reach (in terms of time, effort, geography, etc) for the average consumer in the market.
Zafari: your option 4 is the...
Zafari: your option 4 is the exception to the rule. And the rule is what fastfwd and woody very eloquently laid out above.
To have option 4 be any more common than the exception does not stand up to a rigorous examination of economic, socio-political, and moral theory.
Economically, it would mean the value is approximately your 75 dollars, so your "find" wouldn't be a "find" at all.
Socio-politically, it would require a world in which education (Internet books, literacy, etc) is severely restricted and/or curtailed. History, and the current day offer us examples of what this world looks like, and the appreciation for design is not very high in those worlds. Brutish survival is.
Morally, see the karmic wheel, golden rule et al.
....................................................................
I live for option #4, but I'm not an online re-selling asshole (no offense intended to anyone here).
We all want to steal it, when we sell it we all want to get as much as we can for it. So what? So that's kind of hypocritical, but that's the way it works if we're doing a "good job" at this whole capitalism thing.
I love to have my cake and eat it too, but a person can't always do that all the time. Although, come to think of it, I pretty much always get some version of what I want (eventually). Something about creative manipulation and economic lifestyle-ethics and patience, and realistic goal setting and just goddamned good luck or whatever.
It can take some persistence for things to pay off (in whatever regard) but that's a good part of the fun of the game.
Throwing tantrums doesn't help anything, but once in a while I too certainly enjoy going outside and just yelling at the sky...
I'm actually in the midst of an ebay argument about an overpriced object at this very moment...
I'm looking forward to showing it off.
No Viking I ever met cared a thing about Karma...
...BUT, I suppose if you're content to overpay for every single stick of furniture in your home, doing so will balance out the collective Karma of our design-addicted subculture. Cheapskate bastardos like myself should be fine, right?
Just kidding. I'm a vegetarian and an Eagle Scout - I suppose I should credit my spotlessly clean Karma with the few "exceptions" to your stated rule that have come my way.
The exception will always be an exception - it's the rule that's changing for the worse as a result of un-serious eBayers.
I'm sure you'll cobble together another disorganized word salad of semi-philosophical musings whilst missing the point, entirely - again.
Thank you
Thank you for the info from those who commented. Didn't mean to stir up a sh*t storm but have to admit I'm finding it all very interesting. Apologies to DA for originally posting the link to something for sale. Didn't know how to show the pics w/o posting the link.
I decided to wait and see if he'll come down on the price. If I can get the same thing for the same price from a reputable dealer, I'd rather do that. OR let the seller realize he might not get that price and see what happens. Seems to me the point of getting it off of Craigslist is to get a bargain. It sounds like this is a fair deal but not a good deal.
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