$8.4Million - What true classic design can be worth!!!

[Jon Olson]

There was a small article in my local paper on the sale of these antiques. Makes you want to design for the long run and not the current trends!!

Here an article referencing the sale.. http://www.maineantiquedigest.com/ar...illion0305.htm The piece that sold for $8.4M was the Nicholas Brown carved Mohagany Table - Mid way through.

[Chris Padilla]

Povenance...it is all about provenance. If some King sat in a chair you made....

[Jamie Buxton]

For collectors, the value mostly is in how rare the object is. For instance, there are stamps which are extremely valuable. They're no different from other old stamps, except that there are few examples of that particular stamp. $8.4 million only tells you that this table is rare. It doesn't tell you that this is a good design, or that it was built with fine craftsmanship, or anything else that fine woodworkers care about.

[Jon Olson]

Reviewing information from Sotheby's auction house on the piece, lead to further understanding that yes this piece is very old, rare, and in a condition un heard of for a piece from the 18th century, but also that the master craftman, John Goddard, was indeed a Master!! The craftmanship and wood slection are what take this piece to the highest level for antiques, not just the age. Just some of my thoughts after reading a couple of articles. http://search.sothebys.com/jsps/live...p?lot_id=4CW2R

Hope people enjoy reading about the piece and its sale.

Jon

[Corvin Alstot]

Weird, but my outfeed table is that exact one.

[Pete Lamberty]

I find that some of the classics like this table have kind of a wierd look to them. (For instance, click on the link and scroll to the chair that is under this table. It looks like two chairs stuck together at 90 degrees. Kind of strange looking to me.) And look at this table as a whole. The legs don't really seem to go with the top do they? I don't see that the top flows nicely into the legs. There seems to be an abrupt stop or division between the top and the legs. The top sits on top of four legs. Also there is no carving on the top, but plenty of carving on the legs. The legs have an animal look to them but the top doesn't. I wonder if this style had never been made and a modern woodworker made it now in 2005, would it be accepted as a great design. I don't think it would. I think it is considered to be great because some thing about it was innovative or new for the time it was made. The crafstmen making these pieces were doing something worth while in design that had not been done before. This leads me to the next point that I would like to make. If the craftsmen who made this style of table thought to themselves that they should stick with the classics. Then they never would have made this table. What a loss that would be for our culture. I don't think that one should stick with the classics. We are all individuals with different thoughts. Let's see what each of us can come up with on our own. Maybe you will make something new that in a couple hundred years will be considered a "classic". All of this aside, I really do like the look of this table, but I can't tell you why. I also don't think that one should only make original designs. Make the classic too. But don't ever limit yourself to anything.