Ikea treasures worth thousands: Do you have one at home?

Ikea treasures worth thousands: Do you have one at home?

Vintage Ikea furniture, once considered mass-produced goods, has become sought-after collector's items in recent years, fetching high prices at auctions. Loud oe24 Exclusive auctions are currently running at Catawiki, presenting some of the most sought-after Ikea design classics. Designers like Carl Öjerstam, Karin Mobring and Niels Gammelgaard are among the best-known names whose works fetch high prices.

Chairs and armchairs are the most sought-after items on the market, with vases, bookcases and lamps also popular with buyers. An example of the price increase is the “Vilbert” chair from 1993, which is now trading for around 1,300 euros, although its original price was only 20 euros. The set of four PS JONSBERG vases by Hella Jongerius, created in 2005, also achieved a sales price of 2,450 euros in 2022, while the “Diana” chair by Karin Mobring was sold for 750 euros.

Current auction offers

Catawiki's next exclusive auction runs until May 25, 2025. Planned auction items include:

• Niels Gammelgaard: Bücherregal aus Holz und Metall – geschätzt auf ca. 400 Euro.
• Karin Mobring: „Natura“-Sessel – geschätzt auf 1.100–1.400 Euro.
• Tony Almen & Peter Gest: „Döman“-Skulptur – geschätzt auf 200–300 Euro.
• Gammelgaard & Andersson: Postmoderne Sitzgruppe (1980–1990).

This trend towards valuable furniture seems to be getting stronger in the current design world. So reported NZZ Bellevue that old designer collaborations from Ikea fetch high prices. An example is the Cavelli chair, which sold in 1959 for 27 euros and reached over 12,000 pounds at auction.

Special pieces such as the “Kröken” lounge chairs by Christer Blomquist from the 1970s are also very popular. However, the question arises as to how valuable old Ikea furniture actually is. Not all early models are of high value, such as the widespread “Billy” shelf, which is considered less valuable.

Increase in value through limitations

The value of Ikea pieces increases primarily due to limited editions and designs by famous authors. Collaborations like the one between Virgil Abloh and Ikea in 2019 have resulted in pieces that are in demand but not rare, limiting the chances of high resale values. Although many consumers buy Ikea furniture because of its aesthetics, Raphael Erhart from Stuzh GmbH warns that when purchasing Ikea furniture, you should not only think about the value, but also about personal preference.

Overall, shoppers should keep their eyes open for potentially valuable design pieces during their next spring cleaning. Market developments suggest that well-preserved vintage Ikea furniture is not only eye-catching, but can also be a solid investment if it is a limited edition or designed by well-known designers.