Hi,
Today I scored 3 (yes-- THREE!!!) vintage GEN 2 Eames lounge chairs with 2 ottomans. Owner purchased all 3 in 1960. HM labels were taken off, but it is clear they are legit from our research. Appears to be rosewood and black leather. Condition seems excellent for the age. Curious what the market would bring for these (West coast USA)?
Thanks!
Wow, it makes me jealous. I...
Wow, it makes me jealous. I think it makes a huge difference where you're located. In places like Los Angeles and San Francisco, I think chairs in this condition can certainly go in the $3K-$4K range. Of course, eBay will attract a bigger audience, but you have to ship and pay fees. Lovely find! How did you find them?
We got an advanced notice...
We got an advanced notice from a friend, beat the auction house to the door by 3 hours. Got first dibs. Lady knew what she had, but was willing to part with them for a good price because she was motivated due to moving to overseas. What amazes me is how good of condition they are in. They had made fitted slip covers for each cushion! The veneers have hardly a scratch, cushions are all in tact, and all shock mounts and hardware are firm. I almost could not believe the leather could have lasted 50 years, but they said they hardly sat in them! So many estate sales have been a bust with zero MCM furniture and all crap -- finally our day has come.
That's such motivating...
That's such motivating story. I"m sure we've all had our good finds and bad finds. So far my worst has been getting a set with a couple cushions that were damaged by cat pee. But the excitement and anticipation of acquiring our next treasure is the best part of collecting, I feel.
Congrats again!!!!
After a lot of research I...
After a lot of research I have found very few price comps for series-2 vintage. Most are series-3 from the 1970's, and even many of those are in poor condition. Although mine were purchased in 1960 I'd say these are in very fine condition (dare I say museum quality?) with not much of a mark to take down the value. I'm looking for price comps on a chair in that age and amazing condition.
So lucky! The production...
So lucky! The production series 1's & 2's (early 1960's manufacture) are much MUCH more desirable than the 3's & 4's in the vintage Mid-Century Modern marketplace.
Price is influenced by condition, of course. Your chairs sound like they're in the upper echelon of condition which is spectacular. Another factor to consider in estimating price is the market & geographic area/s you plan to sell within. In larger markets (large urban areas), you could start by asking $6-7K. In smaller suburban markets, maybe low 5k's. Serious fans know how hard it is to find one of these in this condition & are willing to pay. I'd bet on the larger urban markets if I was you.
I'm sure you'll get all kinds of offers, but that's the appropriate price range in my experience. If you're not in a hurry to sell, even better. You can simply wait for the right price. Good selling!
Slightly related, as the opposite of a good find...
An interior designer I work with grew up next to a family that had seven 670/671 combos all lined up in a row in their theatre room. Eventually the wife got sick of them and replaced them all with velour La-Z-Boys. She had the deliverymen dispose of the Eames lounges.
bgillettephoto's story is a b...
bgillettephoto's story is a brutal tale of ignorance and sorrow. To get rid of 671/670's because she was tired of them is bad enough, but to have replaced them with "velour La-Z-Boys" is just disgustingly sad. I like to pretend this story ended with a glimmer of hope & the delivery guy that scored those 671/670's was able to get them out to buyers that would appreciate them.
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