Is the Mid-Century Market slowing down?  

Here in KC...
I would say that a lot of dealers here have priced themselves out. When Mad Men was all the rage and there wasn't enough good MCM stuff to go around, dealers started asking more for their stuff. Now that the market has been realitively flooded and dealers prices are still high, people have begone not buying the MCM stuff as much. And again, I blame eBay.

hum
not (seemingly) for me, and I sell worldwide. I do price on the low side as this is mostly a hobby (overflow, don't you know).

I wish...
I wish it would slow much more; than there would be more for me to buy. I agree with the comment above about the Mad Men hoopla. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's I was buying George Nelson slated coffee tables from 'higher end' stores for 80 bucks, fast forward to today and I see them everywhere from junk shops to etsy to ebay to craigslist and people want 250 dollars for ones with marks and scratches, insanity.
Not to mention that most people (even dealers, buyers, ect..) HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THESE DAYS. It amazes me how many times I've seen furniture from the 70's listed as mid century modern or cheap Lane perception coffee tables being sold for 280 dollars, its a joke really, ten to fifteen years ago there was little inventory and moderate demand and prices were low then the demand goes up, prices skyrocket. However when the market is flooded with furniture the otherwise ignorant public would send to the landfill the prices still climb even though the demand has dropped off a bit, I don't get it

Yes.
Wouldn't it HAVE TO slow down? At least a bit? With the price escalation such as it is, I find myself wishing for a bit of a slowdown... It's only natural.
But long long term, I think that GOOD mid-century design will always have a lot going for it.
For one thing, urban dwellers are living in smaller and smaller spaces, and mid century stuff has always had a very nice ability to not "fill up a room" too much.
I have a hard time imagining that people who have been introduced to (and gotten used to) beautifully designed furniture that is just the right SCALE for their environment-- all of a sudden trading in the mid-century stuff for an overstuffed couch and chair that sinks a room faster than anything.
Nothing will bring someone back to mid century stuff faster than seeing the horrors of a badly cramped space filled with stuff that is too big.
Sure, a few of the "Mad Men" crowd will move on, but I believe that once people have been introduced to these great designers, they will be on a lifetime learning curve of appreciation. Maybe someone starts with IKEA. Or maybe with a knockoff chair or table. But you gotta start somewhere, and a HELL OF A LOT OF PEOPLE have now done just that.
Just my opinion. I know there are other great designs besides vintage modern.
But its gonna be hard to go back to "LAY-Z-BOY" once they have seen the sheer fun of the designs of the mid-century, and how they activate a space.

waffle
noticed your chairs sold rather quickly. nice

I agree eameshead but...
I agree eameshead but... Most of those newcomers will keep what they've bought for a long time, untill they can either afford to collect or buy a bigger house needing more furniture. Hell, some of them will update when the new styles start to mimick new century because it's 'cool again'. So essentially they will be buying cheaply made overpriced Chinese made crap that looks like the few pieces they still have left. As with every generation (I'm 37) only a few will embrace one specific art form for their entire life
At least I'm hoping so, lol. I won't stop until my entire house is filled with original pieces from the greats.
'

yes
REALLY fast
I decided to not re-upholster them as I figured whomever bought them would have their own tastes.
A high end bric a brac store in NYC I believe.

Chairlove in KC...
Hey neighbor (waves). I'm on the Jo.Co. side of town.
I too agree with the comment about Mad Men. A lot of accessory items really spiked for a bit and have rolled back down. For dealers it's that old saying, 'make hay while the sun shines'. Funny how a TV show can or a casual mention on Oprah, Martha, whoever can drive people crazy for a while.

.
I have noticed that there could be a LOT more reliable information about the market, which would strengthen it. And the information is out there, but many people don't share it for whatever reason. Obviously this forum is the one huge exception to this statement.
For instance, I was just looking at sideboards on 1stDibs, and maybe 25% of them were egregiously misattributed, to the point of being marked, and the dealer incorrectly identifying the mark. Amazing. I could accept that on Craigslist or even eBay, but the premier online shopping forum, really?

cubby01
Nice to meet you (waves back). I work in your side of town.
leif ericson- I might be going out on a limb for say this, but could it be that many dealers are knowingly perpetuating this false information in an attempt to make more money? Yes the information is out there if you want to look. But why would you tell someone that your Replogle globe is only worth $50 when you could magically make your globe designed by Paul McCobb and then charge $1500 for it?

yeah...
shawnaugust,
Maybe I am being too optimistic. Once a place is filled up, the process does slow down a bit.
I do have a real hard time keeping from sending an email when I see a laughably HORRIBLE knock-off Nelson clock on ebay with a description along side of it that says: "....will lend authenticity to your mid century decor".
Authenticity!
That is the one thing it will NOT lend to a room.

Like any trend, at some...
Like any trend, at some point it has to change. The moment that everyone has got the look is the moment that fashionistas move on to something new. I have noticed a definite move away from mid-century in many auctions in Australia with rare pieces not reaching low estimates and most stock being passed in. It's hard to know the exact reason for this slump but I think that replica designs have played a role in saturating the market with cheap copies, thus making mid-century design ubiquitous and cliche.
Antiques appear to be back in vogue, but they always have been in magazines like World of Interiors (U.K.). As for me, I have always liked mid-century designs and perhaps a decreased public interest will result in prices being a bit more realistic.

yes foxxxy,
the same thing seems to be happening here in Toronto. A trend towards something called "granny chic". Over the last year a well known MCM store has been bringing in many traditional antiques at reasonable prices, conversely pricing their existing MCM stock much higher, for reasons no doubt stated above, pricing out of the market, supply and demand, a waning interest etc. They are not the only ones. I am noticing other stores slowly following suit, perhaps nudging their clients in this direction.
The same with local on-line sellers. The merchandise does not seem to be moving.
I see the decor trends similar to fashion ones, they come and go...and for many, isn't MCM just that? Shops, even ones selling replicas did well because many people wanted the look, or just whatever was popular at the time.
For some, MCM design will stick for life, and for others not. I can totally see someone trading in their Eames shell armchair for the pomp and circumstance of a poufy Queen Anne chair, because it's something different, because it's the next thing, and because it's probably cheaper.
Case in point, I recently bought an (authentic) 2006 lcw for next to nothing from a seller who said she was "over it"...
shawn august, I would be happy to have your problem...the insanity of Nelson benches everywhere insulting me with their $250 price tags 🙂

This is an old thread but...
This is an old thread but still relevant. My answer is yes and no.
Yes...I think it's harder to sell things.
But...but there are still many people hunting mcm down at estate sales.
All in all, from what I see at estate sales, mid century modern is thriving COMPARED TO antiques. Estate sellers have a hard time selling antique bedroom sets for $100 and even on last days they often aren't going for half price.
Most of the problem is that it's "not fun" anymore for a couple of reasons-
Mid century decorating and collecting drew a lot of people in when prices were low and things could be had for 20 bucks-the industry garnered a lot of new collectors when they could enter at that price point. Once they caught the bug, they'd escalate their buying and refine their collections with nicer things as time went on. Now that prices are high, new collectors aren't entering the market. It's mostly just the same collectors and they are pickier. They probably won't settle for no name Danish and might demand Finn Juhl or Arne Vodder instead. They may not want mass manufactured American pieces at all.
Original owners aren't as ignorant as they used to be. They think all of their items should go for the same prices they see on the internet and don't take into account the rent, taxes, wages, work that stores put into selling inventory at those prices.
And sadly-let's face it...everyone thinks they can be a vintage seller. People that have never handled vintage except for at one or two estate sales think they can get 1st Dibs pricing for things. And yes, as the commenter above said, even stores that are supposedly "high end" are misinterpreting, misattributing, etc. Reputable antique dealers of old could be counted on to advise customers well. There are many vintage dealers out there that are buying and selling and misadvising customers. I don't even check 1st Dibs all that much and have still written to three dealers in the last four months to tell them they'd misattributed something.
Reproductions of pieces have made the market confusing for amateurs.
Lastly, the competition got too fierce for the faint of heart. CL is full of all sorts of shenanigans...many of them dealer perpetuated.
All of these things combined has made it just too much work for people. I've noticed Crate and Barrel and other stores are more mid century contemporary looking than they used to be. I think people just want the look. They aren't going to deal with the hassle or potential of being taken advantage of. So they just go into C&B and buy what they need to get the look with no hassle.