Thanks, Toni

I am sending out a huge round of applauds to my friend Toni of the Mid-Century Modern blog Mimomito for her research skills that helped me avoid the biggest mistake of my antique picking career. Earlier today, David & I stumbled upon a brown Eames style lounge chair listed at a ridiculously low price. You think that the price would have tipped us off but we came across it at a junk store where we have found hidden treasures in the past (i.e. rare 1st edition books for $1). So we were curious. The chair appeared to be from the right era. The leather worn in all the right places. Structurally it was sound. Needless to say, it caught our attention.

But my inner voice questioned whether it was too good to be true.

So I consulted Toni via text messages (love them smart phones) who immediately turned me on to an incredibly helpful website that distinguished real vs. fake. After quickly scanning this website we realized that the chair in front of us was not an Eames but a bona fide knock off. The dead giveaway was that the base was not five star but four. Its arm rests were also flat and made from one piece of leather. Yes, an expert would have noticed all this at first glance but we're still novices.

So thanks to Toni I am not sitting on my fake Eames right now sulking but counting the money she saved me at the click of a button. And I am one step closer to being able to spot a true Eames piece from the wannabes.

Hip Hip Hooray!