Ikea at auction

Usually we think about Ikea when we want to furnish our homes cheaply. And that's not so bad - after all, Ikea was established so that everyone could be provided with good and affordable design (if you're interested in Ikea's history, I highly recommend you to read this book).

But did you ever expect to encounter Ikea products at auction, sold with thousands of euros? Apparently some of the older Ikea products are so wanted items in Sweden that their prices are skyrocketing. For example a set of two wire chairs pictured above, designed by Niels Gammeldaard and produced in 1980-89, can be bought with 975 € (!). Here's some other examples:


'Ulvö' oak sideboard designed by Erik Wørts, manufactured in the 1960s. Available for 3500 € from 1stdibs. 















A set of two 'Amiral' chairs designed by Karin Mobring in 1971. Sold at Bukowskis with ca. 1 291 €.




'Åke' armchair upholstered in lambswool designed in the 1950s. Sold at Stockholms Auktionsverk with ca. 2100 €. Another similar armchair was sold in England for 1,5 million Swedish krona, which is about 161 424 €!


These examples prove that there are some true hidden design gems in Ikea. Jonas Forth has already given thought about the contemporary Ikea products which will be sold at auction in 2030. I would like to add to his list at least the following items: the PS 2014 clocks designed by Dutch design duo Scholten & Baijings, PS 2014 Pendant by David Wahl (awarded with the Red Dot Award) and the future JASSA products designed by Piet Hein Eek (available in 2017). 

So keep your eyes open for the potential Ikea treasures!

Sources: Retromania, Leva & Bo and Ever Classic.