It Was Discontinued In The '90s — The Funky IKEA Chair Worth Hunting For Online

If you've fallen down the thrifting rabbit hole of discontinued IKEA products, then you know there's a plethora of furniture pieces once sold by the Swedish retailer that are now considered valuable vintage finds. This category encompasses everything from 1950s night cabinets to '90s CD racks, all of which serve as a snapshot of life and the company's evolution throughout the mid to late 20th century. But where should you focus your search when there's so many iconic products to track down? The answer just might be a funky '90s seat that you can find online. Enter the Vilbert chair. The saturated color-blocked ensemble that looks as much like a piece of postmodern art as it does a chair for your sitting room.

The Vilbert chair was a product that avant-garde designer Verner Panton created for the Swedish furniture manufacturer in 1993. It consisted of four medium-density fiberboard panels that made up the backrest, seat, and base. Aside from its daring construction, each panel was a different shade, which nodded to the Memphis design era's use of bold colors to contrast geometric shapes. Despite the chair's eye-catching appearance, it could be assumed that the chair's configuration and color combinations were unpopular among customers. It was only in production until 1994 and it's estimated that there were only a few thousand ever made. The short manufacturing time and limited inventory is why the Vilbert chair is sold for around $2000 today. 

If there's any dupe-proof vintage IKEA furniture to search for online, it's the Vilbert chair. Its design is so unique that there doesn't appear to be any recreations or similar models that could be mistaken for the real thing. That being said, the chair does come in two slightly different color variations, so you should know both before you start your search. One has a purple backrest, blue seat, red front panel, and green bottom back panel. The other style has a blue backrest, a red seat, a green front panel, and a purple bottom back panel.

Based on pricing across eBay, Etsy, and collector sites, the color variation doesn't have an impact on price. Both options can cost between $1300 and $2900 depending on the condition and the seller. Some chairs have the IKEA sticker label and Verner Panton's signature which could add to the value. Make sure to verify the authenticity of both the chair and the seller before purchasing.