It is my experience that many of the best designs did not come to be well known when they were produced. This is not due to the quality of the design etc, but to the multitude of other factors, timing, and luck that go in to making a successful product.
So when everyone knows everything, I look for the worthy things that nobody knows.
Ernest
How the internet has modified, in good or bad, your relationship with flea markets, thrift-shops and other stores is a valid question.
In the broadest sense all men are created equal and immediately competition begins. There will always be unfortunate individuals who pay more and have less regardless of time and circumstance. The bell curve of life is reality. Being happy with what you have as opposed to want you desire is a good start.
A big part of the whole adventure (term broadly refers to any enterprise that is potentially fraught with physical, financial or psychological risk, such as a business venture, or other major life undertakings) is to make the most of the situation.
"The thrill is in the hunt not in the capture"(Agatha Christie?)
I love searching for great design too pedigreed or not and I try my best to learn as much about design more than the sellers do. I keep an open mind and allow my eyes to see more than what my eyes just want to see.
Put me in a major auction house, a flea market or a landfill and I'll work equally and just as hard putting the same amount of effort and knowledge to find the best undervalued design icon that is hiding in there somewhere.
Yes, it's much harder these days to get something special for a lot less than market value (whatever that is). The internet is mostly to blame but the internet has also made it much easier for us collectors to learn about design and to see things that we'd never be aware of otherwise. When I registered here years ago, I thought I had a pretty good grounding in mid-century design; now I know that I knew only a fraction of a percent of what is out there. I can trace most of what I now know to the internet, and after 15+ years of this I'm still seeing something that is new to me nearly every day.
I think my main complaint with the way the internet is used is that so many dealers and casual sellers don't know much about copies and designs that are "inspired by" iconic pieces; they see a vague resemblance and assume they've got the real thing (or they know perfectly well what's up but assume their market won't realize it). The public's willingness to pay more for junky stuff drives all the prices up.
Another factor is that mid-century modern is still very trendy in general but this will pass eventually. (I'm talking about consumers who put high value on having whatever is new and different from the crowd, and right now it seems like the crowd loves mid-century modern.)
That said---there are still bargains out there and I for one am not dropping out of the hunt just yet.
Ernest #1, perhaps you are looking at the glass as half-empty? The interwebs have opened up access to "flea markets" around the world that can be easily accessed and mined. There are still plenty of goodies out there, but they usually require a different means of exploration.
Ernest #2, I'm assuming your glass is never half-empty or half-full, but always topped off.
thank you, I had the suspect it was from vitra but from a quick search on google could not find it.
In the future there will be a software, similar to what nowadays they do with face recognition, to identify objects on the internet. And finally, people on this forum won't be bothered by stupid questions like mine...
cheers,
Ernerst
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