Vintage IKEA Furniture Is Going For Thousands at Auctions

Early iterations are trending big on the block, going for as much as $60,000.

May 22, 2017 5:00 am
Hottest Auction Item? Vintage IKEA Furniture
In 1993, Ikea commissioned Danish designer Verner Panton to put his touch on a line of "Vilbert" flat pack chairs with a pastel color scheme. They're going for nearly a thousand dollars. (Barnebys)

You don’t need to read Swedish to see that vintage items from the world’s largest furniture company are part of a trend that’s sweeping auction houses around the world.

Midcentury designs from IKEA are bringing in a big haul. Two Philip Arctander- designed clam chairs from 1944, a rarity according to Barnebys auctioneers, are going for $65,000 each on the auction block.

Hottest Auction Item? Vintage IKEA Furniture
Two rare Philip Arctander-designed clam chairs from 1944 are going for $65,000 each on the auction block.(Barnebys)

“Our records show that there is a huge demand, greater than ever before, for vintage IKEA furniture,” a Barnebys co-founder told The Sun. “There has been a big boom within the last year that has been felt in markets all across the world.”

Despite the Scandinavian retailer’s reputation for flimsy particleboard, IKEA used high-quality materials for its earlier products—and they’ve stood the test of time. Though the auction trend extends to some its products from the late 20th century, too.

In 1993, Ikea commissioned Danish designer Verner Panton to put his touch on a line of “Vilbert” flat pack chairs with a pastel color scheme. Those were first sold at $80 a pop—but now go for nearly a thousand.

Hottest Auction Item? Vintage IKEA Furniture
Midcentury Teak wooden bookshelf by Gillis Lundgren for IKEA. (Barnebys)

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