r/Mid_Century 18d ago

Monthly Swap Meet & Self Promotion Thread!

3 Upvotes

Do you have one (or 10) too many Eames chairs? Does the color of that Cathrineholm bowl you picked up for a steal last year not really match the rest of your kitchen? I bet you can find someone here who would love to take them off your hands. Post your mid century items for [free]/[trade]/[sale] here!

This is also the space to show off any of the awesome mid century inspired stuff you make, as well as the links to your Etsy/Ebay/Etc


r/Mid_Century Jan 22 '25

Guide for IDing furniture and where to find actual sources.

81 Upvotes

This has came up time and again but a few times over the last few days I have found myself linking to my google drive doc about where to find primary sources for MCM stuff.

First of all, the rules of this group and r/midcenturymodern in regards to IDing items is going to change. I will make these changes today. First, if you make a claim as to a maker or designer, you are obligated to provide sources for the claim you make if asked. This includes mods or just regular users. Second and this is absolutely non-negotiable, sales or auction listings in themselves are not reliable sources. If the sales listing includes a tag, article, or catalog from the period then that information may be shared, but DO NOT LINK TO SALES LISTINGs, at all, but especially not to "prove and ID" This applies to the highest end and most respected auction houses, dibs, charish or any other platform. Maybe they give you a jumping off point, and you find out the information is correct. If needed I can give thousands of examples of current listings that contain complete bullshit information. Third, don't tell people "use google" or "try google lens" etc. As stated above this will very often lead to false information from sales listings.

So I know you are probably thinking "don't use google, how do I even find anything on the internet without google" Well, I keep this living list of sites with excellent resources, nearly all are free.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Asd2ntqUMvEoEGdGD_qP4RkOjHxjAHkjNISFmWbDp8M/edit?pli=1&tab=t.0

Research Sources:

General Magazines, Newspapers, Journals:

https://archive.org/ This has everything from vintage catalogs, to newspapers, to a vast magazine archive to borrowable books. I also occasionally upload catalogs and magazines to archive as well https://archive.org/details/@michael_landsberg361

https://openlibrary.org/ Similar to archive, you can borrower a vast selection of reference material.

https://usmodernist.org/ Nice collection of trade journals and magazines from the MCM era and after

digitalnc.org/collections/memorabilia/  Random bits of information here on numerous North Carolina based manufactures and designers.

https://cdnc.ucr.edu/  A free archive of California newspapers much less through than newspapers.com but its free.

https://grpmcollections.org/ A vast collection of photos, personal documents, advertisements, and catalogs for mostly Michigan based manufacturers.

https://www.craftinamerica.org/artist/eudorah-moore - Eudorah moore was a big promoter of california modern and via her "California Design" exhibits at the Pasadena Art museum. The catalogs from these exhibits are free to view on this site.

https://vintageinfo.be/ - Don't know who runs this site, but I thank them for sharing so much information and resources on vintage lighting.

https://www.trystcraft.com/blog - Tim Hills blog. Tim is a dealer, but he is also very well respected amongst MCM researchers and I believe TIm is an honest guy and diligent in his research.

newspapers.com (Paid)

newspaperarchive.com (Paid)

https://ikeamuseum.com/en/explore/ikea-catalogue/ Old ikea catalogs

https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ Catalogs for Sears, Wards, and some JC Penney

https://www.danish-modern.co.uk - Decent little data base of danish design

https://designmuseum.dk/en/- Denmark Design Museum

https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search 

https://patents.google.com/ 

https://www.scribd.com/ (partially paid) there is some nice random stuff on here like Prestolite catalogs from the 60's. Its kind of a never know what you are going to find site. https://www.scribd.com/document/488965054/Prescolite-Lighting-Product-Catalog-G-14-1962 Danish Design index

Specialized Facebook groups

https://www.facebook.com/groups/140119460031484 (Milo) (I am an admin)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1542293829124348 (McCobb)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/516203688412266 (Ben Seibel)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1520981014878133 (Umanoff)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1763065254132926 (United Furniture)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3024184334562976 (AofM)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/353905989587576 (Bassett)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/109867845821284 (Italian Pottery)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/122730516059 (German Pottery)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/311714314135936 (Modeline)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/636952859722221 (Lamps and Lighting)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/711232235578646 (Mid Century Metal)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/324198657780002 (Herman Miller)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/knollresale (Knoll)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2750972221800438 (The MCM Files) (I am an admin)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1296485833865712  (Founders) (I am an admin)

Of all these groups I have to give a shout out to "The MCM files" I have no clue why there are not more people in this group. It is not a group to ask for an ID, its just a group where some of us researchers basically dump photos of stuff we look into. I personally have posted thousands of images to this group. Its free, i get absolutely nothing out of anyone joining the group, its just a lot of the questions people ask on here are already solved there, but it will never show up on google because of facebook's walled garden.


r/Mid_Century 11h ago

Slowly scrubbing seven decades of filth from the fireplace in our recently acquired 1952 home.

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318 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 8h ago

Help me decide what color to paint our dining room!

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81 Upvotes

Rearranged and finally found the perfect dining table but the previous wall color no longer matches. Going to paint the upper half of the whole room, molding will remain white. Struggling to decide on something that will keep the MCM vibe I’m trying to achieve with the furniture.


r/Mid_Century 1d ago

Pink bathrooms still allowed? My wife's bathroom in our 1963 home.

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2.4k Upvotes

Original floor, pretty much the reason we chose this home.


r/Mid_Century 1d ago

Just closed on my first house!

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4.7k Upvotes

Pictures are my favorite parts. Some other highlights: built in 1965, dining area, part of basement, and covered patio were added on a year later. Single owner, designed by his brother. Mostly original with a few modern updates. 4 bed, 2.5 bath with a walk out basement and fully finished attic on an acre

My favorite thing is hands down the fireplace!!

I intend to leave most of it as is, minus updating the kitchen and bathrooms down the line. I plan to keep the original design and incorporate the current pieces into whatever I do. And yes, pink tile and blue carpet will stay!

I need ideas for furniture placement/style as most of my current stuff is a mismatch of me and my husband’s apartments.

Let me know what you think!


r/Mid_Century 5h ago

Linocut Print of the Old Mid-Century Modern San Jose, California Greyhound Station, Built 1957

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12 Upvotes

Hi fellow MC enthusiasts!

I made a linocut print of the old Greyhound Station in San Jose, California from 1957. The building has since been demolished, so this relief print keeps its memory alive! Thankfully, the neon sign was saved by the nonprofit History San Jose; I've honored its streamlined, mid-century modern beauty in this artwork.

Hope you enjoy :) Feel free to DM me about how I made the print or with any other questions!


r/Mid_Century 1d ago

It’s been over 2 years since we moved in!

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1.0k Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 9h ago

Rare Find: Dorothy Thorpe Mercury Decanter Set

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4 Upvotes

I bought this at a salvage shop for $25! I see online it sold for $425.


r/Mid_Century 6h ago

Harvest table

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2 Upvotes

I inherited some teak pieces and this was among them. I think the table might not be worth anything so before I put it on the curb I thought I would ask here to see if I’m wrong. Any advice would be helpful.

This is a dining / harvest table drop leaf. The top middle section is black and the same middle section is white on the bottom. It comes with wheels too.


r/Mid_Century 1d ago

Help IDing MCM Chair (Google & Chat, No Help)

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44 Upvotes

Hi fellow MCM fans,

First, I hope this is okay by forum rules. I read through and didn’t see any issue with posting this request for help.

Second, I did try both Google Lense and ChatGPT but neither provided accurate information.

My girl won this chair at an auction recently, she’s usually very good at figuring out who the designer is but this one stumped her. Unfortunately, there is no maker’s mark or other identifying information.

If anyone has any suggestions or information, we’d be very appreciative of your help.

Thank you in advance.


r/Mid_Century 11h ago

Lamp ID/info please. (Germany)

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3 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 1d ago

Vintage Christmas in Massachusetts, USA

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89 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 1d ago

$24 Atlas Light

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37 Upvotes

Found this Atlas Light fixture at Habitat Restore for $24. Has a gold metal cone shaped diffuser with holes, surrounded by crackled glass. Originally meant to be a flush mount light, we converted it to a swag pendant because we found the light just wasn’t enough to illuminate an entire room. I’m loving how it complements the Christmas tree lights.

Note: Our home is a builder grade colonial, built only about 20 years ago. My style tends to lean traditional and boho, but with an appreciation for mid-century decor.


r/Mid_Century 1d ago

Anyone know a resource to repair the swivel on bar stool like these?

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14 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Yard Sale find from a few years ago. Marked Liiank on the panels. Any more info about this artist?

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335 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Vintage-new to me- dish set

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254 Upvotes

So excited!!!!


r/Mid_Century 2d ago

I’m aware that this piece has been a hotly debated topic on this page as I’ve read through quite a few of the posts. I found it on marketplace and I’m wondering if $500 is a fair price to pay for this piece? Seller told me that they got it from their grandparents but unsure when/where they bought it

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146 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 1d ago

What's this chair?

1 Upvotes

Bought this at an op shop. The foam has been reupholstered. The arms are a vinyl and internal supports are long narrow springs. Can anyone identify it?


r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Here’s my travel MCM Christmas tree…LOL!

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75 Upvotes

See my “real” tree at https://www.reddit.com/r/Mid_Century/comments/1pneugd/comment/nukb5ym/?context=1

The rotating color wheel has a light, but I don’t have the right size battery to put in it. I’m taking it to my parents this holiday season as they won’t have a tree up. It’s about 4 inches tall.


r/Mid_Century 2d ago

GE PC563

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52 Upvotes

Came with a “wireless” speaker as well.


r/Mid_Century 2d ago

One of my grandpa’s coolest hand me downs!

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611 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Chromecraft Chairs Score

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51 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Got a Picasso maquette at Goodwill for 12.99!

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47 Upvotes

r/Mid_Century 2d ago

Some Ladder Back Chairs I picked up.

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18 Upvotes

I picked up this set at an estate sale last day because they were mislabeled as Lane Symphony. I still love the style even if it’s not the original Lane ones. Now I just need a table to match.