(Stockholm) At a prestigious Stockholm auction house, the hammer fell Monday evening for 122 collectible pieces from flat-pack furniture giant IKEA, sold for a total of 37,000 euros ($54,000).
Collector interest is growing in certain pieces that have become design icons for the brand, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year.
Behind the window of a posh building in the Swedish capital are displayed a tubular sofa, a lacquered chest of drawers or even a pair of “space-age” lamps. The pieces, which date from the 1950s to the 1990s, are branded by the famous Swedish brand known for its inexpensive furniture.
“I have been working in the industry for 30 years and if someone had told me that I would one day organize an IKEA auction I would not have believed it,” laughs Li Pamp, CEO of Stockholms auction house Auktionsverk.
“It’s a brand that is controversial, known for its tendency to copy, for following trends and not being very in tune with ecological issues […] but there are certain pieces that stand out from the crowd. For many well-known designers, IKEA was a nursery where they started their careers,” she adds.
Crockery, furniture, mirrors, lighting: more than 100 pieces from individuals were sold. A red sofa distributed in 1972 for 120 euros ($175) sold for 2,000 euros ($2,928).
Earlier this year, an armchair from the “Cavelli” model made a big splash when it sold for 18,000 euros ($26,353) compared to around twenty euros (around $30) when it was put on the market in 1958.
“When I was little, we saw it more as the place you went when you wanted cheap furniture. We assembled them and then after a few years we got rid of them,” recalls Thomas Raber, an elegant sixty-year-old visiting the auction house’s showroom.
“To see these pieces now being sold as works of art, antiques, it’s fascinating. »
“For me, it’s a trip back in time,” smiles Anette Aly, a 78-year-old Swede who bought her first sofa in one of the brand’s boutiques in 1963. “I see the same things again as in the boutique there. 40 or 50 years ago! », she adds.
The emergence of a high-end second-hand market does not leave IKEA indifferent.
“It’s flattering, and it’s proof that we have created designs that still have meaning today,” enthuses Thea Mix Davidson, head of the company’s museum collections, before qualifying on soaring prices. “The only thing that makes us a little tick is that we want to make pieces that are accessible to everyone. »
The brand that sniffed out the vintage trend has reissued pieces from its old catalogs this year with the slogan “back to the future”.
Faced with a booming market, Li Pamp took the opportunity to appeal: “maybe people have valuable IKEA pieces in their homes without knowing it? If you call us, we’ll help you evaluate them! “.
