Name: melissa lee
City: lamy
State: new mexico
Country: usa
Comment:
Vicente,
I have since found a few spots to look for furniture in Santa Fe and am pleased with my finds… Thank you for the advice on how to decorate living in a town with few options…
My next questions is this: I found these wonderful fold up chairs that sit low to the ground and have either jute or rope on the bottoms and back woven…I really do not know furniture designers, but I have a great eye for finding treasures.
The name of the designer is: Hans Wegner.
The price of each chair is $995.00 retail at a consignment store… They are in good condition. Can you tell me if this designer is well known and what gives it such a high price in a consignment gallery???
Thank you so much for your time..
Always,
Melissa Lee
Vicente Responds:
Melissa, Hans Wegner is one of the mid-century masters. His most famous chair is the Papa Bear and they are certainly classics. If the condition is good and you like the chairs (and you can afford it), it will always hold its value. In fact, I have a Papa Bear in my bedroom and every time I look at it, I appreciate it a little more.
#1 by Karena on August 4, 2010 - 1:42 pm
Vicente I love these chairs by Wegner and I can also picture the one Melissa is speaking of. Wonderful shot of your bedroom with The Papa Bear!
Karen
Art by Karena
#2 by Karen J on August 4, 2010 - 3:53 pm
Beautiful room! Just wanted to say I rectnly discovered your blog and have greatly enjoyed reading it. It’s a real treat!
#3 by Joe Probus on August 4, 2010 - 4:58 pm
If they are “real” $995 is a steal, buy them both.
#4 by melissa on August 4, 2010 - 11:04 pm
Thank you Vicente for your thoughts on the chairs and the photo of the one in your home… I would also love to hear from others about what they think..
thank you Joe for your input, too…
I would love to hear what Gary thinks??
I am not a desinger but it’s so strange how I can always find at consigner shops or junk shops these treasures w/o having any back ground training????
I’ve been able to do that with fashion and food and travel etc….
xxoo
Love to all,
Melissa
#5 by Dagny @ Scandinavian Chic on August 5, 2010 - 8:08 am
Hans Wegner chairs for 995??? Get them asap, hold on to them, and never let them go
We’re actually planning a Wegner post in our Scandinavian Design classics series.
xx
dagny
#6 by brooke on August 6, 2010 - 4:01 am
The Papa Bear chair is a favorite of mine. And, Vicente, your work (and advice) is always spot on.
#7 by Sparky on August 6, 2010 - 3:24 pm
I LOVE my Hans Wegner “wishbone” chairs! I have one vintage one in the breakfast room and four new ones in the dining room.
#8 by Gary Nelling on August 9, 2010 - 5:54 am
Hi Melissa – I just got back from a HOT time in NYC, but one with a weak internet connection, so I’m just getting back to you. I second the affirmative comments here about the enduring quality of Hans Wegner’s designs. The value of the chairs is a function of the age, condition and provenance (sp?). If they have the marking of PP Mobler, Carl Hansen and Son (or any other Hansen), then you have a superb find and great bargain. (I didn’t know those names. I had to look them up.) I know Knoll made his Peacock Chair and some others, but I’m not sure if they built his folding chair.
If you find Knoll inscribed on the bottom, you have a very good value too. I never saw knock-offs of his furniture, as is so common with Breuer’s Cesca Chair, Mies Barcelona Chair, etc, so I think there is a good possibility that they are of an early production. If they are made of a dense, aged blond wood with a good finish and hardware, that would indicate age and improve your chances. And ask the dealer. They may have the info for you. This chair was manufactured in the 1960s, so it would be just the age to be sold out of an inherited estate. It sounds like they are still being made by a quality manufacturer, so that is another option.
Do they look like this?
http://www.scandinaviandesign.com/hans_wegner/
Good eye and good luck. Let us know if you unfold your wallet for these folding chairs! – Gary