Nelson Sofas

All the sofas in the store right now are George Nelson designs for Herman Miller circa 1955. All have been recently upholstered.

They include a Model 5073 three-seater sectional ($2400):

A four-foot Steelframe seating unit in black vinyl that may consist of lounge, bench or table units (price will vary):

And two six-foot Steelframe seating units, one with a three lounge configuration ($2400) and one with a two lounge, one table configuration ($2200):

Buying mid century furniture and art at auction

Around the country, commercial auctions (I am not talking about eBay here) are held every day. In many metropolitan areas, auctioneers will hold “estate auctions” on a monthly/quarterly basis, selling the collected holdings of a variety of estates. For more sophisticated items – art, furniture, some collectibles – it makes better sense for an estate to sell at auction than to a home-estate-sale audience made up of people lined up to buy the deceased’s dishware.

If you find yourself online (many auction companies have online presences), discovering auctions rich in items at what seem like great estimated prices, there are a few things you should be careful about. I want to say the concerns are, “condition, condition, condition,” but  other things, like buyer’s premiums and shipping costs, also bear mention.

More after the jump . . .