Need help with Stiffel lamps please

[Pale Rider]

I have a pair of Stiffel lamps that I am trying to figure out what they are worth.

1. What price guides are the best for looking up the value of a Stiffel lamp please?

2. In what year range were these lamps made please?

3. What materials were used to make the lamp please?

4. What is it designed by Tommi Parzinger please?

5. What was the model name of this lamp please?

and ty for all your help...

[mart]

Why do you ask about Parzinger ??

[Pale Rider]

Why do you ask about Parzinger ??

According to what little pricing/value/pricing I can find on these lamps, the lamps will get a bump in value if it can be proven they were designed by Tommie Parzinger..   http://en.wikicollecting.org/vintage-stiffel-lamps

[Dewain]

The lamp's look Retro. So that is likely Tommy's work. we can't prove it. It would require a hands on Appraisal by & expert in that line.

[mart]

I have read through many different sites for both Parzinger and Stiffel I found no documentation that he ever designed for Stiffel !! Although many of their lamps do say "attributed to" !! Your lamps look like typical late 70`s or 80`s style and not like the mid century lamps attributed to Parzinger !! Go to palumbo.com and send them an email or the Stiffel website !!

[Dewain]

the 1970's Is considered Retro.

[mart]

 Any decade can be called retro but usually in todays terminology its the 50`s, 60`s and 70`s. That's why most people specify a decade when using retro ( retrospective) when describing an item !!  For those much younger than I am even 80`s or 90`s would count !!

[cogar]

   retro .... is too close to .... repro ...... and would surely cause some confusion.

[Pale Rider]

I have found some more information that might help at least one of you answer my questions in regards to this lamp.

First of all, it has a flamed finial.. Secondly, the lamp shade is considered Mid-Century pleated. As far a I know, mid-century meant 40's-60's. That also would have been the period where Tommi Parzinger was designing lamps. But I know that is not 100% certain.



I also found a lamp from an auction site that closely matches the one in my possession.  The lamp shade is different, so now I am not sure if mine have the original lampshades.

[Pale Rider]

I have read through many different sites for both Parzinger and Stiffel I found no documentation that he ever designed for Stiffel !! Although many of their lamps do say "attributed to" !! Your lamps look like typical late 70`s or 80`s style and not like the mid century lamps attributed to Parzinger !! Go to palumbo.com and send them an email or the Stiffel website !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommi_Parzinger

Parzinger's works were titled "high-style modernism", which represented a "more idiosyncratic, rarefied midcentury design". Most of the pieces he created were custom-built for large studios, with Parzinger using "cosmopolitan-looking designs, involving costly, craft-intensive materials and processes like brass work and lacquer".[1]

I tried contacting a rep at the Stiffel website and sent the same pictures and questions as was posted here...Lets just say she was not exactly helpful..But according to her, most of the Stiffel catalogs, casts, etc...from that era were lost after the business went under and was purchased by someone else...They are now trying to get all that stuff back.

But I will try the palumbo site...ty

[mart]

Yes, I checked the Wikipedia article as well as a several others !! It doesn`t mention anything about Stiffel or lighting of any kind !!  That's why the experts are skeptical of these lamps where no proof is available !! You would think that with a well known designer and a prominent lighting mfr there would be some written signature or proof somewhere !! Stiffel did have some lamps that closely match his work,, but then many others did too !! Thats what makes it difficult !! 
Frogpatch worked in the lighting industry for years,,maybe he will take a look !!  I personally do not think your lamps,,nice as they are, look like Parzingers work !!

[Pale Rider]

Yes, I checked the Wikipedia article as well as a several others !! It doesn`t mention anything about Stiffel or lighting of any kind !!  That's why the experts are skeptical of these lamps where no proof is available !! You would think that with a well known designer and a prominent lighting mfr there would be some written signature or proof somewhere !! Stiffel did have some lamps that closely match his work,, but then many others did too !! Thats what makes it difficult !!  
Frogpatch worked in the lighting industry for years,,maybe he will take a look !!  I personally do not think your lamps,,nice as they are, look like Parzingers work !!

Come to think of it.....yeah..You would think that a designer would have its name on it.. The only place on the lamp I have not checked is inside the lamp by peeling away the bottom...I may be amateur when it comes to antiques, but even I know that is not a good idea...

If you were to check a certain online auction site...you would think every Stiffel lamp was designed by Tommi Parzinger.

Probably the most frustrating question I would like answered is that I cannot find a price guide for just Stiffel lamps or that covers Stiffel lamps....I realize that are numerous categories of vintage/antiques with a huge amount of items for each category.....But still.....oh well....

And to think...I was about one hour from posting these lamps for $10-$20 a piece on local Facebook Garage sale Group after I acquired them...I thought they were just neat table lamps (bought at a thrift store) that would work for our new house......But we discovered that we need taller table lamps, so I was just going to sell them and try to get as close as what I paid for them and move on..

But something about these lamps bothered me....so I kept looking at them and discovered the word Stiffel and the rest was history............ ...I just like a good mystery...

I  only paid $4.00 for both lamps....

[mart]

No No !!  Not garage sale !!  Look up Stiffel lamps on ebay then over on the left side (may have to scroll down a bit) you will see "completed listings" click on that !! Then you can see what the actual selling, or not, prices are !! Red are no sale,green are sold lamps !! You should be able to find some that are similar enough to give you an idea of what people are actually are paying !! And just for your own information,, the shades are not considered part of the lamp so they don`t count for the value !! Shades are bought separately !!

[Pale Rider]

No No !!  Not garage sale !!  Look up Stiffel lamps on ebay then over on the left side (may have to scroll down a bit) you will see "completed listings" click on that !! Then you can see what the actual selling, or not, prices are !! Red are no sale,green are sold lamps !! You should be able to find some that are similar enough to give you an idea of what people are actually are paying !! And just for your own information,, the shades are not considered part of the lamp so they don`t count for the value !! Shades are bought separately !!

I did not know that......ty Mart.I thought having the original shades to a lamp would raise the value....I apologize if this next question seems.....naive or unintelligent...but would I be better off to sell the lamps with the shades or sell the lamps separate from the shades (based on what you told me)? ty

[mart]

 If it were me,,I would do lamps only if selling online !! Then take an additional pic with the shades on to show how they would look !! You could however list the shades separately as a Buy it Now and state that in the description in case someone did want the shades too !!  I have found that most of the time people want to pick out their own shades to go with their décor !!