SNAKE Auction Observer 004: undervalued furniture, accessories ending this week
10 auctions ending this week (some today) I think are undervalued, or affordable. All on LiveAuctioneers, all furniture and home goods. If you’re looking for a specific piece of furniture for your home or office, let me know. (Info on how to use Liveauctioneers at the end of the email.)
The auctions:
Nino Rota Ron Arad chairs, LA, shipping from NY: Same house. The most accessible Arad chair I’ve come across — weirdly some Arad work is deeply free of style. Jasper, the house, has been trying to sell these forever. They also have a Branzi for Zanotta coffee table I dig, too. $2800, flat shipping.
Bridge chairs by Carlo Tamborini for Palluco, LA, shipping from NY: Maybe the deal of the week (Dot W) if these stay at the reserve. Same house as above, $200 shipping. Completely without style. From 2001, predates the Lizz chair which is better known. $700 (for 4)
Cardin-style center table, LA, shipping from NJ: Just purely aping Cardin’s better-recognized work from the 70s, with less contrast and style. Not a lot better than designer-adjacent furniture. Well made, unique, anonymous, cheap. House also has this deranged Gio Ponti bench that’s shaped like someone who’s breakdance fighting. Some Danish stuff, this Petal dining table (a favorite). Fair at $275
Frank Lloyd Wright chair for Manson house, LA shipping from Philly: Was at the Rose Bowl flea Sunday, saw a guy in a shirt with an unrepeatable phrase on the back towing two Chandigarh chairs (fake), and another man in a straw hat on a penny farthing (real). Same angles. House has a Ponti cabinet... FLW’s plywood work is perfect, though not cheap at $3500
Wharton Esherick stool, LA from NJ: From the artist, signed. Tough looking, takes up as much space as possible. Esherick’s the toughest wood guy since the Shakers… same house has a Wendell Castle sideboard for 100k, and cheap vases: Ones I like: A, B, C. $2400
Mario Bellini Cassina sofa, LA from NJ: Skirts camp, but an 82” (full length) sofa by Bellini for $500 is the SNAKE LOCK OF THE WEEK. House also has an affordable Saporiti coffee table for $300. Not my fav Saporiti but nice.
Artemide Dedalo umbrella stand, LA from Austin: Just about everything from Artemide is worth looking at twice. Lots of watchers. House also has a FLW stool, Gucci loafers with the Union Jack on them, the Slap A Ham dog, 70sish Italian armchairs for $300 too. $100, deal if low.
Cassina Cab 412/13 chairs, LA from Austin: Seven Cab 412 chairs (no arms), two 413 (two arms), designed by Mario Bellini in rich-person-colored leather. $3250 is rich, but market.
Overstuffed LC3 armchair, LA from St. Louis: Best LC3 era, second best color (after dark brown). House also has four clear Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli chairs at $100. Fair price at $425
EURO WILDCARD:
if you feel like spending cash to ship something overseas but still want a deal, buy:
Tito Agnoli Canapé Novimela sofa for Arflex, LA shipping from Paris: One of the few nice insane giant couches. Maybe not this sofa, info is wrong on a few auctions. Still, at 1000€, a steal
Snake
How use Liveauctioneers: LA is an online portal for actual auction houses. Sign up with your credit card, then bid (facing both digital and live bidders). To buy an item: register for that auction before you bid. There’s a button/prompt on every item page. Houses usually accept a registration right away, or within a day. Then bid. Ideally live. Livr auctions are a pop-up window. To win, you must spend.
Prices jump the most during live auctions, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes items go for a lot of money, sometimes they don’t, sometimes they don’t sell. Not much different from eBay. Because of buyers’ premiums (a fee), ~25%, and shipping or pick-up, expect to pay more than list. After winning you have ~a week to get it. Houses have their third party shippers, and might ship themselves (if they do, LA says so: In-House Shipping will be below the register button). Sometimes it’s affordable, sometimes it’s not. Picking it up yourself is cheapest.
As with anything, insane deals are rare, nice deals are occasional, and fair prices are frequent. If you have more questions about LA, email me.