MCM - Surely It's Over NOW?

[akirlu]

Okay, I admit it. Occasionally, I do see Mid-Century Modern furniture, such as this little teak secretary, that I like okay. In a nostalgic way, since it reminds me of the houses of my grandparents and their friends, when I was small. See, aside from the deforestation of Southeast Asia, the main thing I have against pieces like this one is that they just don't look right to my eye unless accessorised with white porcelain elephants, hand-crocheted antimacassars, blue-and-white porcelain Christmas comemorative plates on the walls, and large vanilla-colored sheepskin rugs over herring-bone-patterned wood floors. Welcome to Scandinavia in the early '60s.

But if even I can grudgingly admit to not minding some MCM furniture, surely we have jumped the shark, gone beyond hip, and exceeded the Sell By date on this particular fashion trend. So, NOW can we move on to the next thing, please? And declare a five year moratorium on chocolate brown anything?

Comments

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I have a secretary. It's laminated engineered wood, and much more useful for my purpose than that one. I keep meds in the secretary part and use the drawers for storage. It would be nice to have a real wood one, but I can't afford that, and this one is fine.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

I have a secretary, too -- found it through craigslist and I paid not more than $75 for it. I think it was $60, actually. It's a bit scarred, but it's real wood.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Yes, and you had to go pick it up and bring it home. Mine (along with the chest, the bed, and bookcase headboard) was delivered and then friends put them together for me.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, I chose to pick it up and bring it home, because I could. If I couldn't, there are guys who advert on craigslist who will do pick up and delivery service, too.

[chiefwirehead.livejournal.com]

I have a wall full of that style (not literally, as its not on a wall at this exact moment) which my mother bought in Denmark in the early 60's on one of her gallivants (she liked to take off to Europe with basically a large handbag as luggage for weeks at a time. She really knew how to travel light).

This particular time a whole lot of boxes arrived with funny stamps a few weeks later. I probably still have the receipt somewhere (which is different than saying I can find it, of course).

I have not clue what its worth, and I'd like to, since I'm probably never going to put it on a wall. It does have a boxy secretary, & cabinets & bookshelves & magazine shelves.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Actual Danish MCM pieces can be worth quite a bit, depending on the maker, the shape it's in, and finding the right buyer. I find that there's a vast range of prices on craigslist, most of which are still less than an antique dealer will charge. The hipper antique dealers are definitely dealing in these pieces now. If you plan to get rid of yours, now might be a good time to look into that.