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My latest retro furniture haul....

post #1 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:14pm
Thread Starter 
In order to make up for the large short fall in cashflow when I transitioned from full time engineer to (now, fortunately, former) graduate student, I started to deal in used furniture.

I have some places I can get it fairly cheap.

Sometimes I get some neat stuff.

Piece number one is a 1960's vintage SteelCase Tanker Desk.



The second is another SteelCase tanker, but this one has been repainted and a wooden top added. It fits rather loosely and is easy to take off. The most interesting feature is that the left 'drawers' are actually fake. Its one solid door. Behind it is a retractable platform. This is spring loaded and, when empty, shoots upwards at a great speed. There is a lock to keep it at the top as well.

I assume this is for a (very heavy) typewriter to be kept out of the way until need be.



The last is a round occasional (dinner? card?) table. No idea as to its age, I would guess 1960s? But I liked the shape and am contemplating keeping it for myself.


Any idea as to what the steelcase desks are worth? I see some places out in Southern Cali selling them for upwards of a grand. Do they actually sell any at these prices?
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post #2 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ms244 View Post
Any idea as to what the steelcase desks are worth? I see some places out in Southern Cali selling them for upwards of a grand. Do they actually sell any at these prices?
Whoah. They were giving away steelcase desks (well, $10-$15) at a university surplus ten-fifteen years ago. Everyone thinks they are cool until they try to move one. Try carrying one up the stairs. Ouch. Even at such a low price they were slow to move out the door. I'd love to hear they are worth a grand today, but I'm skeptical. These are too common. Maybe in pristine condition, with drawers on both sides, with keys for the lock, etc. ? They are great desks BTW.
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post #3 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ms244 View Post
Any idea as to what the steelcase desks are worth? I see some places out in Southern Cali selling them for upwards of a grand. Do they actually sell any at these prices?
The Boeing surplus store has rows and rows of those old desks for much less.

I've always wanted one, but I've never felt like dealing with it during moves.
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post #4 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:24pm
Quote:
Maybe in pristine condition, with keys for the lock, etc. ?
Unrelated tidbit, but you could usually always open the locks in those types of desks by just inserting a paper clip and turning it.
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post #5 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by robin View Post
Unrelated tidbit, but you could usually always open the locks in those types of desks by just inserting a paper clip and turning it.

Not the better ones. I've never seen this work, and I've tried. But the ones I've had were more deluxe than the above examples. For example, the kind where none of the drawers will open if the main tray is not open first (i.e., the lock secures every drawer).
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post #6 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:29pm
^ Heh, well maybe it was just the ones at the old military bases in Europe.
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post #7 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:30pm
Thread Starter 
Yea I was shocked to see those prices. I sold the last one for $50 with delivery in town and was happy to see that much out of it. It was a short table with a missing center drawer. I advertised it as a jet age desk.

The little one is easy to move, the bigger one is manageable but not with stairs.

There is one on campus which is just a regular table but its the larger size. I'd like to get one like that and the biggest tanker they made for my (future) office. They look like a desk where work really gets done.
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post #8 of 22
9/18/08 at 10:46pm
I like the look of these steel desks especially in the old colors such as Avocado Green, etc. Combine with a speckled laminate tile floor, yellow brick walls and you have an administration building circa 1965.
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post #9 of 22
9/19/08 at 8:53pm
yuck, imo...
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post #10 of 22
9/21/08 at 6:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
I like the look of these steel desks especially in the old colors such as Avocado Green, etc. Combine with a speckled laminate tile floor, yellow brick walls and you have an administration building circa 1965.

A room only LK could love.
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post #11 of 22
9/22/08 at 12:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JetBlast View Post
A room only LK could love.

And apparently hipsters with an appreciation for the Midcentury.
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post #12 of 22
9/22/08 at 1:37am
I would feel very cramped in those desks.
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post #13 of 22
9/22/08 at 1:23pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by visionology View Post
I would feel very cramped in those desks.

But you would be productive.
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post #14 of 22
9/24/08 at 10:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LabelKing View Post
I like the look of these steel desks especially in the old colors such as Avocado Green, etc. Combine with a speckled laminate tile floor, yellow brick walls and you have an administration building circa 1965.
You shoud've seen my lab before the remodel. Straight out of the sixties. I'm still on a brown Steelcase with a yellow chair. I think these are great desks. I'd put that small one in the OP in my study. If I find a nice small one on Craigslist, it'd be worth it to have it repainted a funky color at an autoshop.
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post #15 of 22
9/24/08 at 10:49pm
Thread Starter 
I can ship if you are interested.

I am tempted to keep it for myself now, its just a little too good to sell to some midwestern frat boy who will leave it on the curb when he moves.
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