Could You Have a Fortune Hiding in Your Attic? 10 Treasures You May Have Overlooked
The market for mid-century modern furniture is thriving, and the demand for designer pieces doesn’t seem to be letting up. Antique shops are overflowing with sleek, functional furniture, all showcasing shiny wood, stainless steel and elegant curves – and all vaguely described as “mid-century modern”. The term is actually sort of a catchall term broadly describing architecture, furniture and graphic design from the mid-forties to mid-sixties. The movement has its roots in the industrial revolution, when artist-idealists believed that the use of technology could make more efficient and hygienic living available to the masses.
The irony is that today, most of this furniture is completely unaffordable for the average Josephine. Design Within Reach, a popular modern furniture store, has been the butt of endless jokes, as most products are far from reach for those unwilling to put a serious dent in a month or two of rent. When DWR launched in 1999, its name referenced the new-found ease with which customers could buy furniture which until recently had been sold only directly to architects and designers. Nonetheless, these products remain coveted collectibles, saved up for, bid on, and carefully stalked on eBay.
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So what are the chances you have a beloved mid-century treasure under a dusty tarp in your attic? Though many of us are familiar with the work of famous designers like Eames, Noguchi and Saarinen, the range of products attributed to this time period is very wide, and for a lot of us (especially baby boomers), these pieces basically just look like our parents’ stuff. It can be difficult to know what’s valuable and what’s just old, especially if you’re looking at it in a dusty basement or cramped yard sale.
Some mid-century modern pieces are valuable because they are extremely rare one-of-a-kind designer heirlooms: prototypes that never went into production and experiments from rock star designers already known in their field. However, many valuable mid-century modern products were mass-produced. In fact, some of the most famous and recognizable mid-century modern designers were known for producing office furniture (think Herman Miller’s Eames chair, which in 1951 could be ordered for as little as $20).
Now the chances of you having the Carlo Mollino table that sold at Sotheby’s for $3.9 million in 2005 tucked away in a cardboard box in your basement labeled “Uncle Phil’s Stuff” are very low. On the other hand, a less recognizable, perhaps more widely available piece may somehow have ended up in your collection. Who knows, you may have un-wittingly picked it up at a neighbor’s moving sale just because you thought it looked neat, or –more appropriately for a mid-century modern enthusiast –just because you thought it looked simple and useful.
We pulled together a list of mid-century modern treasures you may have overlooked in your attic whose value might surprise you.
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