getting good stuff from businesses  

haven't had much luck with...
haven't had much luck with businesses, but i know there are people here in the st. louis area buying shell chairs off peoples porches, i have heard some stories of people getting pretty irate when answering their doors too

Rescue the Tulip
You might tell the business that you have a piece like it at home and you--or your spouse--would really love a matching pair. You've been looking for years. Offer to buy or replace it.
There's a moral imperative in rescuing unappreciated furniture. It's probably considered "retro" by others, and will eventually end up at the Goodwill if you don't rescue it. So give it your best try.

Thats tricky
I've always felt too uncomfortable about this. Made full offers in the past, no luck. People, myself included, tend to be leery of a strangers interest.
You could get yourself in a position to negotiate, say opening a HUGE account in return for the table. Akin to free toasters upon opening a new account. Just an idea...
I'm getting a little humor out of this... picturing a customer in a bank, on their hands & knees looking under a knoll table. "uuuuuhhhh...Nope, no gum under this one"!

I have.
I try buying from businesses ,and different institutions all the time.I've had luck in the past too like one time I went into a courthouse which I was told was full of vintage Herman Miller.I just asked to speak to the property manager ,and ask if they happened to have anything surplus.He was pretty nice about it ,and took me into a store room where I happened to spot 60 arm shells and a Sofa Compact.All I had to do was fill out some paperwork to place a tender to purchase.A few weeks later I got a phone call informing me it was all mine for a whopping $175.The only thing was I had to remove a bunch of crap off the property with it.So generally after that anytime I spot something I just find out who the property manager is ,and inquire sometimes it pays off.Right now I am trying to purchase a Poul Kjaerholm PK 80 out of a crappy apartment complex that I spotted while on a walk.
However; sometimes these thing cause more heartbreak ,and disappointment when you can't buy it.As an example I was driving one evening and spotted an amazing light fixture in a very run down building.I turn around to go see what it was up close.It turned out to be the most amazing Arredoluce fixture I've ever seen.So the next day I went back down to the ghetto to see if I could find out who owned the property or managed it.I spoke to the caretaker ,and he thought the owner might sell it to me.I finally got hold of the owner ,and he basically told me to piss off even though he doesn't have a clue what the light is (I even offered him $1200 ,and fixture of his choice) he wouldn't budge.Makes me weep when I happen to drive by that place now.

here is
your go for it story. i was in a business that i was collecting scrap materials for charity and sure enough, in the break room was a gigantic oval tulip table and 8 pedestal armchairs, all knoll. all filthy but good shape. i asked and was told they would talk to the owner. the next time i went back and asked i was told no. but an employee had overheard the original conversation and was waiting for me the next time. he showed me a picture and said if i liked those, would i be interested in this chair. it was an jacobsen egg. i about keeled over right there! it is in my living room today. if you can handle being told no sometimes, try it!

It IS possible, but its time is passing
Your story about finding a filthy tulip table in a break room is very cool and still possible, but most but companies have dumped their 30, 40 and 50 year old furniture years ago.
Back in the 1970's was probably the time to find unused and discarded office MCM furniture at some of the larger used office furniture companies.
Few companies have a basement full of discarded designer furniture...space is much too valuable.

ah,
but barry, you see the question was basically, ive spotted it, should i persue it, rather than should i go searching at businesses. so for the original question ill stick with it cant hurt to ask position.

As my old mother used to...
As my old mother used to say...'if you don't ask you don't get...' GO FOR IT 🙂

I'd say go for it, I haven't...
I'd say go for it, I haven't personally found anything worth perusing from a business. But I was able to save a black upholstered Eames chair from a hard life in the front yard. I also saved about 8 shell Krueger shell chair, yes they aren't Eames but how could I just leave them out in the cold country elements?

80% of my house is...
80% of my house is furnished that way...
A nice way to find out, 'I get such a kick from seeing that chair when ever i
come in here. It reminds me of stuff my parents had when i was a kid, but
they threw it all out.'
In my case it is a true statement. Most often it is about to go to the garbage.
If the owner has a personal attachment, they will say so.
I've even mentioned that they could get 50-75 each if they were cleaned up
a bit. But usually they don't want to fool with it.
Every visit to my in-laws i see blank spots where some nice danish pieces
were the year before...
My parents are also on a tossing-out binge. My fathers college leather-bound
dictionary that i have always coveted, is gone! 'that old thing?'
(replaced on the shelf by a stack of Martha Stewart Living! she can't cook and
isn't crafty) ?!
...It is best to speak up

When my father sold my childhood home
I asked if I could remove the Danish shelving system, since I knew that he and my stepmother didn't intend to take it to the new house.
Just as I was about to start disassembly, my stepmother chimed in that the shelving is considered a "built-in", and removing it would jeopardize the house sale. After asking if the buyer specifically asked to keep the wall system ("no"), and then assuring her that wall-mounted furniture is no more a "built-in" than a painting or a clock, she remained unconvinced, so I dropped the subject, to keep peace.
I have no doubt that the buyer ripped it down and put it on the curb, or perhaps used it as firewood.

step mothers can be that ...
step mothers can be that way it was no doubt cado
before i moved to my modern mansion
I was a victim of the English country / Santa fe look works real nice and our other home was really cool just not modern.
I spent a lot of time in Sante Fe and a really great door store is named LaPorta.
I had a door made from
17 century Spain that was wonderful cost be 4500.00 US dollars, and 500 to install and shim,
I had no place to go with the new door and the realtor said do not take it off cause it is a real eye catcher and a fabulous selling point for this home.
Well the morans that bought my home junked the door for a home depot metal door!!! they did not like the colors of the door and the carving, That freaked me out, wow what taste they have if you have heard Yiddish it is called Taste in your Toukass!!!
I am sure some painter or carpenter is laughing their ass off at these dumb kids for getting rid of treausre for 100.00 home depot door.

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