Mod UK Part 2

For all of those who say that St. louis has great thrift traps, take a gander at London.  They do thrifting on a whole different level!

That Scandinavian teak and other assorted Mid-Century goodness had my tongue wagging.

Looks like I'm a little late to the Brasilia party

I'd planned on posting this the other day, but there's just not been a single minute where I could sit down and write up an entry.  I've been a busy boy.

See, Mr. Modtomic and I went halfsies on this striking Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set and I've been selling like mad on Craigslist and Ebay.  Grueling work that selling is.

I've already got one of these gentlemen's chests, but you have no idea how hard it was to part with the rest of it.  I've set my heart on a roomfull, but it'll have to come another day.  There's bills that need paying, after all.

The buyer just moved into an amazing mid-century home (with a freakin' stream running under it and a huge sunken living room!) that I hope to feature sometime soon.

If you want to hear the details on this rather convoluted flip, head on over to Mr. Modtomic's place.  It's always a pleasure, Mr. Mod.

Also, for the Tom Waits fans among you, click this link.  It's mesmerizing.

Schooled

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.  It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.  It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.  It lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge.  This is the dimension of imagination.  It is an area which we call- the Craigslist Zone.

Submitted for your approval, this ad appeared on the St. Louis Craigslist this morning.

SAARINEN BEDROOM SET - $7999 (ST. LOUIS METRO)

SAARINEM BEDROOM SET BY R-WAY IT IS FOR THE LOWBOY, HIGHBOY AND 2 NIGHT STANDS I HAVE THE ORIGINAL GLASS TOPS FOR THE NIGHT STANDS. IT IS EARLY 40;S DESIGN.
THIS SET WAS DESIGNED BY FURNITURE SRTIST ERNO SAARINEN WHO IS THE FATHER OF THE DESIGNER OF THE GATEWAY ARCH. THE FURNITURE IS MID CENTRY MODERN AND EAMES WORMEY KNOLL WOOD IN THE CENTER THE MIRRORS ARE NOT ORGINAL AND THE ORIGINAL MIRROR IS A LARGE OVAL MIRROR. THE LOWBOY IS LISTED ALONE ON THE INTERNET FOR $5500 AND WE WILL CONSIDER ALL OFFERS SEE PICTURES IT WAS REFINISHED ABOUT 10 YRS AGO SO IT IS IN ALMOST MINT CONDITION THERE IS A FLAW IN THE LOWBOY SEE PICTURES. THIS IS THE PERFECT SET FOR THE NEW CONDOS THAT THEY ARE DOING IN DOWNTOWN ST.LOUIS OR ANYWHERE.
PLEASE NO SEND ME ADDRESS AND I WILL MAIL A CHECK.
THANKS -

Given the numerous spelling/grammar errors and dubious references, any normal man would quickly write this listing off as either erroneous or a complete fraud.

But nothing is as it seems in the Craigslist Zone!

While I do feel that the pricing is out-of-whack, further research turned up evidence that this bedroom set was, in fact, designed by Eero Saarinen's father, Eliel Saarinen (not "ERNO" as the writer would have you believe).

source: vandm.com

Edit: Looks like there is more evidence over at Mr. Modtomic's place as well.

Who'd have thunk it.  Well, looks like I need to keep brushing up on my stuff. 

Estate sale madness

Over the years, I've been dragged along to a fair few estate sales, but always came away thinking that they were over-priced and full of junk.  Turns out, it takes a fair amount of dedication, persistence, and sleep deprivation to get the good stuff.

The kind gentleman who sold me the Danish sofa introduced me to estatesales.net and my mind was blown.  All of these years, I'd been relying on Craigslist or Ebay and this site was chock full of mid-century goodness.

I'd spotted the goods.  I'd printed out directions.  I'd arrived early.  I'd brought provisions.  Everything, however, did not go as planned.  It seemed like every week, the piece that I'd waited for was snatched up by a mysterious goateed man.  Coincidentally, or so I thought, the same pieces were appearing on my favorite blog, Mr. Modtomic.  Once this happened a few times, I put two and two together and realized that this WAS Mr. Modtomic!  Talk about salt in the wound.  I'd lose out on all of these great pieces and then have to read about what a great score they were the very next day.

Then came what I thought was my day.  I'd scoped out a Broyhill Brasilia bedroom set on estatesales.net and woken up at the crack of dawn (actually, way before it), but once again I was soundly beaten and left to stare longingly at the now tagless pieces.  If any of you have ever seen Brasilia, you'd know how heartbreaking such an encounter can be.

After that disheartening experience, I thought that I was done with estate sales.  However, on the way home from dropping the girlfriend off at the airport early one morning, I made a last minute decision to stop by a sale where I'd spotted a couple Lane Acclaim coffee tables (another of my favorites).

And there in line, right in front of me, stood Mr. Modtomic.  He'd done it again!  I decided to wait it out anyway, as I was 6th in line and might still be able to grab a few things, but it looked like slim pickings if what could be seen through the windows was anything to go by.

When the doors opened, I watched as the others made a mad dash for the dining room and bedroom.  They were after the Kipp Stewart dining set and the tension pole lamp.  This was my chance!  I quickly made my way to the basement, as I'd seen concrete in the photos, and snatched the tags.

It was a small victory, but victory nonetheless.

Afterwards, I even got a chance to speak with Mr. Modtomic, who seemed like a genuinely nice guy.  He congratulated me on my find and we talked for a while about mid-century design and exchanged emails.  Since then I've tried to forward tips on any pieces that I know he's been looking for or that might interest him in his way.  Maybe there is room in this town for the both of us after all.

Click the link above to check out his blog.

Beginner's Luck

Over the last several months, My girlfriend and I have made a habit of visiting area thrift stores in the hope that we might stumble across some treasures. A few items have made the cut so far, but one of our earliest scores turned out to be my personal favorite.

This amazing bedroom set was sitting in the basement of the local Salvation Army, just begging to come home with us (the pictures don't really do it justice).

It wasn't marked, so I inquired about the price and waited ... and waited ... for a manager. An hour later (and after witnessing a fellow shopper walk off with a pair of sandals shoved into his pants) we were loading everything into the van and on our way home.

It's no Broyhill Brasilia, but I find the lines, on the lo-boy in particular, very attractive. The set looks almost Streamline Moderne and reminiscent of the front end of a 1951 Buick LeSabre.

There are, naturally, a few imperfections. The finish is worn and the wood is bone-dry, but the pieces are in passable condition. If I get some practice in, they might be good candidates for a Howard's Feed-n-Wax treatment. In the mean time, I'm attempting to identify them. There is a United Furniture Corp. stamp, but I can't seem to find anything on the line to which they belong. Any ideas?