I recently refinished this George Nelson dresser and put it up for sale. I am NOT trying to sell it on this forum and won't accept offers, so please don't take exception to my post. My issue does not involve sales; it involves the label, or in this case the absence of the label. People keep emailing me asking whether the dresser has one. It does not. The piece was abused pretty badly and the label got lost. But after I tell them this, I never hear from them again. I can understand that a label is important when it is not clear who designed a piece or when you want to make sure you're not buying a knock-off. But in this case, there is no question that this is a George Nelson dresser. So what's the big deal about a label? Why does the presence of one so greatly affect the piece's value, or even its salability, in a way that has nothing to do with its beauty or its obvious provenance? Oh, by the way, if anyone out there has an extra Herman Miller/George Nelson label lying around, let me know. Sticking a piece of paper in the top drawer may be the only way I sell it.
Why is a label important to...
Why is a label important to some people?
The same reason original paint, matching engine/transmission and body panels are important to car collectors.
These Nelson pieces are not rare, so I dont blame potential buyers from being picky and waiting for an example with a label and/or a piece that has not been refinished.
Garlanre, I certainly didn't mean
to suggest that you had devalued the chest. I meant only that a refinished example would bring less than a piece with its original finish in good condition might.
My apologies for any misunderstanding. From your photos, it seems that you've done oustanding work on a worthwhile rescue.
Perhaps if you state up front that the piece is refinished and sans labels, you'll save yourself some grief?
Here are pics of
the sides and the top. They came out well. I only needed to color match one
2-inch spot on the side where I sanded through the veneer to get that monster scratch out. You can kind of see it on the right side if you look closely, but it's a pretty good match. I was expecting more, but the two ends of the scratch weren't quite as deep, so I was able to maintain the integrity of the veneer. I was lucky because lateral scratches like that are the most difficult to restore.
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