Author Topic: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard  (Read 3935 times)

Moosektier

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1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« on: September 06, 2016, 09:40:23 pm »
Hello all!  I just purchased what was described as a 1920's sideboard.  The manufacturer is Karpen Furniture.  I have searched the Internet and can find nothing on sideboards/buffets made by Karpen.  I'd love to find some history about the piece and the value. It is really a beautiful piece and I am very happy to have it!  Any help would be greatly appreciated. 😊 I am working on an iPad and cannot get the picture to load.  I have included a link to my photobucket, hopefully it works, so you can see it if needed. I apologize for the additional step.
http://s1244.photobucket.com/user/Moosektier/media/image_zpsz06bgpgb.jpeg.html?filters%5Buser%5D=145601257&filters%5Brecent%5D=1&sort=1&o=0

Ipcress

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2016, 03:55:28 am »
Karpen Furniture Company, Chicago. Founded by Solomon, who was later joined by his brothers.

Solomon Karpen - He was born on January 7, 1858 in Wągrowiec father Moritz (1823-1886) and mother Johanna née Cohen (1835-1902). He was the eldest child and also the first of nine children.

When Solomon was fourteen years old, his parents decided to emigrate - from Berlin to London and Glasgow, where they sailed to the United States. Eventually they settled in Chicago, where eight years later Solomon - to the company with his younger brother Oscar - founded the company S. Karpen & Bros. It specializes in the production of upholstered furniture. At the beginning of the twentieth century it has become in this field the largest producer in the world. At that time even employed seven workers. Furniture manufactured by Karpen today can even be found on Capitol Hill - the headquarters of the US Senate.

He died on October 24, 1936 in Chicago, and was buried in the local Jewish cemetery  , where he had already buried his parents. The company remained in the hands of the descendants of the family Karpenów to 1951, when it was bought by tycoon market cheap furniture - International Furniture Co. (The new owner paid for S. Karpen & Bros. $ 3.5 million, according to today's conversion rate would be almost 30 million).

Karpen's wife was born in 1862 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Ernestine Schwalbe. They were married February 17, 1884 and in the same year was born their first child. Ernestine lived Solomon twenty years, died in Chicago March 26, 1956.


Loads more here

http://immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entry.php?rec=105


Lots of stuff on the net.

mart

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2016, 08:15:13 am »
Jacobean Revival style !!  Date would be about right 1920`s !!

jacon4

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2016, 10:30:24 am »
Yeah, odd how that was a popular style in the 1920s, guesses people were getting tired of golden oak!
« Last Edit: September 07, 2016, 10:34:08 am by jacon4 »

Raven31557

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2016, 04:28:23 pm »
I have a similar sideboard for sale on Craig's List.

Guarantee line
An American burl walnut sideboard by the Endres-Tompkins Company, Rushville, Indiana.

Description
The molded terminals with scroll corbel surmounts, comprising two long drawers flanked by a pair of doors with shield shaped panels, the shaped apron with caved scroll, the bulbous turned and fluted legs ending in square feet joined by stretchers, bearing the manufacturer's printed paper label.

Date
Circa 1930.

Extra Notes

This elegant buffet/sideboard would originally have formed part of a fashionable suite of matching dining room furniture. The category continues to be admired but despite the merits of these pieces auctioneers are finding that there are fewer buyers for this dining room furniture now and auction saleroom prices are curtailed as a consequence. The fashion has diminished for many of the younger generations as they pursue the current trend for modernist and minimalist interiors.

For many centuries, there have been a variety of walnut wood used in furniture making. Walnut veneer was considered highly priced and depending on the ‘fanciness’ of the veneer then it was considered more expensive and desirable. Burr walnut (or sometimes referred as burl walnut) was seen as the most attractive varieties of walnut. Burr walnut was taken from a specific portion of the tree trunk where a form of rounded outgrowth of smaller branches and or roots would occur. As this ‘growth’ area were rare in both occurrence and size, this veneer was prized for its beauty by many.

Auction value: $200 - $300

Insurance value: $500
« Last Edit: September 07, 2016, 04:50:20 pm by Raven31557 »

mart

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2016, 05:10:21 pm »
Both of these sideboards are very nice !!  Unfortunately they are hard to sell in todays market !!  While they would be perfectly at home in the houses of that era,, they would be completely out of place in todays homes !!  $200. to $300. is about right !!

ghopper1924

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2016, 05:36:50 pm »
Sadly, that price is becoming optimistic in this area. More like $150 at best.
"I collect antiques because they're beautiful."

-Broderick Crawford

Raven31557

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2016, 05:54:58 pm »
Sadly, that price is becoming optimistic in this area. More like $150 at best.
What a shame.

Yeah, my appraiser said the same thing about a desk/secretary I sold last week.
No current market.
Auction value: $250 - $400
Insurance value: $650

Luckily, a woman who is restoring her mother's house saw it and snatched it up.

Moosektier

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2016, 11:56:04 pm »
Thank you all for the information and input. I appreciate the history and pictures of comparable pieces.  Unfortunately, I paid a little more than it may be worth but I love it none the less.  I've been looking for one at a decent, California, price for a couple of years.  This has been sitting in an antique mall and was on sale for 50% off of the original price.  It is in excellent condition and has no condition issues at all.  Again thank you all!

jacon4

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2016, 01:51:31 am »
 Unfortunately, I paid a little more than it may be worth but I love it none the less.

Hey, that's OK! That is one advantage collectors have, you are not buying to sell it, you are buying it to have interesting things to live with.

mart

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2016, 07:59:39 am »
And another note,, California prices do not always reflect the rest of the USA !! Things are always more expensive there,, so if thats where you are located,,you did well !!

Raven31557

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2016, 11:43:33 am »
Unfortunately, I paid a little more than it may be worth but I love it none the less.

My family was/is blue collar since way back when.
I can't imagine anybody in my past generations buying "top of the line" anything.
You could very well have something that is a Cadillac, whereas we always bought the Chevy.
 :D

KC

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2016, 03:15:53 pm »
We have all paid more at some point...but the rule is that you buy what you like and want to live with.  If you are buying for resale - know your items REAL WELL first! 

And, like Mart said, California prices run more than lots of places.
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

mart

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2016, 05:12:25 pm »
Unfortunately, I paid a little more than it may be worth but I love it none the less.

My family was/is blue collar since way back when.
I can't imagine anybody in my past generations buying "top of the line" anything.
You could very well have something that is a Cadillac, whereas we always bought the Chevy.
 :D

Mine too !!  And sometimes that Chevy was a few years old !!  But from my perspective,,thats how you learned to appreciate what you did have and not gripe about what you did not have !!  I am still like that !! 

Moosektier

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Re: 1920's Karpen Furniture Sideboard
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2016, 06:57:44 pm »
Yes I do live in California so antiques here are priced higher than they may be in other states.  I paid a little less than the insurance value.  Still it is an incredible buy for my area and it's not painted white!  Yes jacon4 and KC I agree that this is a piece I bought to live with and love.  No resale for me.  I love antiques and have many pieces that my Mom collected as well.  Many I'd love to know more about too.  I'm sure you will see more posts from me in the future.  Next up will be an open well grandfather clock from the Black Forest region of Germany. 😃