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Is genuine

I ♥ Original — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 10:11:01 +0000

I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up with the doom and gloom we hear in the press everyday. We all know it is tough out there, but if all we do is remind ourselves how tough it is, we are surely in danger of making it tougher for longer and thus we have a self-fulfilling prophecy. So I wondered, with bank interest rates so low, the housing market still pretty wobbly, is now a good time to invest in genuine designer furniture? All the main manufacturers of the mid-century Design creations by the likes of Eames, Sarrinen and Mies van DerRohe have put their prices up by at least 6% year on year again – some by as much as 9%! So it gets you thinking – better to buy one now before the prices go up again? And there is no doubt that these pieces hold their value pretty well too, some people prefer their Designer pieces to have already lived. If you are in the market for an Authorised Original, Hopefully our site can help you spot whether it is indeed Original. Vitra’s new price list comes into play on 1st February 2012, so you don’t have long on that one…

Wassily Chair

I ♥ Original — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:14:36 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpxscfYHUzs

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Eames Lobby Chair

I ♥ Original — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 08:40:06 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1G7rlh_t5g

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Hello!

I ♥ Original — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:00:20 +0000

Hello all, welcome to Find Me The Original!

A few months ago we came up with a plan, the plan was to create a place for us like minded people who love original design classics! Over the past couple of months we’ve met some amazing people who’ve helped bring our plan to life. Thanks to everyone who’s helped so far, this is just the start of something special and we expect it to blossom into something even greater!

We’ve been in to see our friends at Knoll, Vitra and Fritz Hansen and they’ve helped us put together some videos, so sit back (in your Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair perhaps?), and enjoy!

Next week we’re going to Vitra Headquarters in Birsfelden (Switzerland) and on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein (Germany), so I’m hoping to have lots more tales to tell and Videos to see.

The site may not be perfect just yet. We’re still ironing out some creases and it will continue to evolve. This site has been built entirely with you in mind, so we’d really appreciate your comments, ideas and suggestions. What you need to do to comment is click the ‘Hello!’ title up there and you’ll see the comment form appear. Don’t be shy.

♥ Original

Why Find Me The Original?

I ♥ Original — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:27:50 +0000

We have three aims for Find me the Original. One, to help clear up the confusion surrounding Original designer furniture. Two, to create a community of other like-minded individuals who love original designer furniture from the 20th Century era. We’d love to hear from you with your stories of any family heirlooms. Why not comment on our Blog or vote for your favourite Original.

And finally, if you are interested in purchasing an Authorised Original, we will guarantee authenticity. Click here for a quote or buy from our retail shop CouchPotatoCompany.com

Clearing up the confusion

Because of the popularity of classic pieces such as the Eames Lounge chair and the Jacobsen Series 7™ chair, there will always be companies who wish to profit by imitating these famous designs. Due to the weakness of UK Copywright law, the companies which manufacture and sell copies are generally allowed to get away with it. They are supposed to use words like “inspired by’ or “reproduction”, but they often don’t adhere to this. By using images of the Original pieces on their web sites and copying the text from authorised retailers, they end up causing huge confusion in the market.

Most of the time you can tell an Original by its price tag. For example a genuine Lounge Chair & Ottoman retails at between £4,300 to £5,300 depending on the finish; whereas a copy will cost between £750 to £1500. The companies selling copies often try to claim their price is reduced down from the usual RRP of an Original making it look as though you are making a huge saving. But the usual rule applies: If it looks too good to be true, it is.

Take a look at our Videos section to learn more about the finer details of many of these Authorised Originals, to learn about some of the history of these famous pieces and to help you distinguish them from copies.