That Old IKEA Piece You Passed Up On May Have Been Worth Thousands

Vintage furniture often sells at auction for thousands of dollars. One major point that drives furniture value is rarity. Well-made pieces that have remained in good condition for decades are hard to come by. They often display intricate wood carvings made by well-trained craftsman, or had purposes no longer relevant such as the smoking stand or gossip bench. Iconic furniture from famous designers like Eero Saarinen, Ray Eames, Charlotte Perriand, and Frank Lloyd Wright will also fetch a pretty penny. 

One brand of furniture you've probably not seen on "Antiques Roadshow" is IKEA. Terms like "well-made" and "craftsmanship" don't exactly spring to mind when thinking of the Swedish retailer. Your standard IKEA furniture is highly practical, it doesn't offer many intricate details, and it is built by the consumer, using a few screws and an Allen wrench. And with almost 500 locations in 61 countries, IKEA furniture is hardly "rare." However, the flatpack chain has been around over 80 years, and some of its earlier designs are reaching collectible status. So, that old IKEA piece you passed up on may have been worth thousands. The "Cavelli" armchair from Swedish designer Bengt Ruda in 1958 was one of the first IKEA designs, and was produced in limited quantities for the first few years after the company's launch. In 2019, this chair was sold at auction for $5,812, and only two years later, sold for a whopping $14,510.

IKEA stores didn't open outside of Scandinavia until 20 years after the store launched, and good-condition pieces from this era can be hard to find. Those pieces are also highly sought-after because they represent the Mid-century modern décor from the '50s and '60s, which is incredibly popular today. Also valuable are pieces from iconic IKEA designers, such as Gillis Lundgren. His IMPALA lounge chair from 1971 was highly unusual, yet tremendously popular. 

Not all valuable IKEA pieces are over 50 years old. As 1990s style is cycling back around, IKEA furniture from the decade is growing in popularity. These pieces are more likely to be found in thrift shops and yard sales, and the prices may not yet reflect their worth. You should also snatch up any recent pieces from limited-edition collaborations with famous design houses (or in one case, a music group), which could be worth quite a bit in the years to come. These include the Marimekko collection at IKEA in 2023, the collaboration with supergroup Swedish House Mafia in 2022, a textile line with iconic British fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes in 2021, and a collection of rugs with famed American designer Virgil Abloh in 2018. For a specific list of valuable IKEA pieces, check out the "IKEA Through the Years" auction on Auctionet. The collection features over 200 IKEA designs, some of which are iconic, and others which are long forgotten.