Designer furniture as an investment
The value of designer furniture is determined by the timelessness of the design, the high quality of materials and the best workmanship. With furniture from renowned designers, you can assume that the items will age in beauty. Slight signs of use even give some furniture more character. Scandinavian classics and Italian design are in constant demand; design made in Germany is even increasing in price. The value of some designer furniture is comparable to the price development of classic car models in the automotive industry - the older or rarer, the more valuable. Many a new piece of furniture by well-known contemporary designers such as Kontantin Grcic or Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec has the potential to become the design classic of tomorrow. Whichever product is a good investment, time will tell.
Originals that have stood the test of time
Classics that have stood the test of time into 2021 include the Vitra Panton Chair from 1967, USM Haller's modular shelving and dresser systems with the patented ball-and-socket joint that has been in continuous production since 1969, the Vitra Nelson Bench seating bench in fine ash by George Nelson from 1946, Bauhaus classics from the 1930s such as the Adjustable Table E1027 by Eileen Gray, the cantilever S64 and the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer. Among the tables, the sculptural Coffee Table by Isamu Nogushi and the Knoll Saarinen Side Table by Eero Saarinen from the 1950s are beacons of design. Numerous chairs by Charles & Ray Eames also became design icons, including the Vitra Eames RAR rocking chair.
Buying and selling classics
While the majority of our ancestors still had a job and many even had only one or a few employers, today flexibility in the working world counts. After a move or private changes, furniture sometimes no longer fits into the concept. Especially if the new apartment is smaller, not every piece can find a new place in the new home when moving. Sometimes tastes or personal lives also change; small children and designer furniture are not necessarily compatible. When you retire to the retirement home or go on a world tour with the camper, you often have no more use for the furniture. The children are already furnished or have a different taste.
Sought and found is easier with renowned design
It is all the nicer if you can still get a good price for used furniture and home accessories, some designer pieces are a good investment that you can easily resell if you change cities or personal style. With a little luck, you can even earn a few euros in addition through originals. For both buyers and sellers, it is easier to find or place the piece on the market if it has a name. To advertise a nameless dining room chair or to find a matching one is much more difficult than for example a well-known one, like a Panton Chair or a chair by Thonet.
Cabinet, table, chair and the zeitgeist
It fits the current zeitgeist to buy a sustainable piece of furniture that has quality and hardly breaks. Some designer furniture, such as the Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or the Lounge Chair by Charles & Ray Eames, are still made in parts by hand. Maple or ash from German forestry are used for the base of the Eames classics. The idea of sustainability or recycling is increasingly finding its way into the furniture industry. There are still spare parts for designer pieces even after decades. Some designer pieces are now made directly from recycled materials or are recyclable in whole or in part. Many designer furniture is made in Germany in traditional family businesses. Furniture classics usually do not lose their value. Of course, there is no guarantee of this - sometimes values change in a society; stamp collections, openly displayed fur coats and bulky oak wardrobes are currently out and hardly confer status. What is needed is furniture that exudes and symbolizes lightness and elegance.
Tips for buying: original or fake?
Replicas of many designer furniture are sold. This replica furniture is only similar to the originals. It is not possible to say anything about their quality, but it is certain that these copies do not increase in value, but, just like all other furniture, at best achieve a flea market price. Many pieces of furniture are not worth anything after they leave the store or after the calendar year of their purchase. To verify the authenticity of your furniture, you usually just have to turn it over and discover the signature of the designer or a signet of the manufacturer. The Thonet company has also changed the way it is marked during its long history, so you can determine the era based on the logo. Rare originals are traded like works of art. Re-produced or limited editions, which are intended to act as an investment, come from licensed manufacturers such as Knoll, Vitra or Thonet are sold with a guarantee of authenticity through embossing or identity card. In the case of counterfeits, the legislator intervenes: Selling counterfeits is a criminal offense, while possession of such furniture and accessories is exempt from punishment. Customs employees are allowed to destroy counterfeits.
Authorized retro furniture is considered original
Some retro furniture is manufactured unaltered, while others have been slightly modified. These have the advantage of having been adapted to the time. For example, the Eames chairs have been inconspicuously raised so that they meet the general increase in height. The plastic has also been improved; the Plastic Chairs are no longer made of fiberglass, but of recyclable polypropylene. Nevertheless, they are considered originals; all changes have been agreed upon with the respective design offices or the heirs. There are also adjustments in the area of color - not everyone appreciates the bright orange of 1970s Pop Art. The Vitra company has hired the well-known designer Hella Jongerius, who is responsible for color management in the company. Other companies have also adapted their colors to the times, pastel shades and fashion colors have also changed the furniture classics, this applies to plastics and upholstery fabrics, some chairs are also available in colored leather.
