What can I say about this desk? It’s simply fantastic. The drawers shut without binding, and the roll beautifully. There is a quality of craftsmanship here that can’t be had for such a value in today’s market. A desk that is 40 years old and purchased for $57 shouldn’t be as amazing as this.
There is something to be said for the entire concept of vintage. Objects that can survive 25, 40, even 50 years are usually built with quality. Chances are, if it’s still around now, it’ll probably be around for a while longer. Look at older cars. Cars built from, say, 1945-1970ish are solid pieces of American industrialization. They were considered machines that were designed to be durable (crumple zone what?). This is how a “barn find” is possible. If you took one of today’s cars and stuck it in a barn to sit for 30 or 40 years you wouldn’t have much of a car left to restore. Vintage guitars and drums are sought after by musicians for their tone quality and construction. Vintage office furniture should be added to this list of “better when it’s old”. This desk was designed for work. It’s designed to stand up to work. And it’s no-frills design is a paradigm of utilitarian understatement.
What makes something better when it’s old? Yes, in some cases it’s the so-called “street cred” that you get when playing a rare instrument, or driving a collector car, or wearing an awesome vintage t-shirt. But I posit that in most cases, old things are better. My previous desk was a contemporary pressboard design. No, I didn’t pay for it but when I got it it was in good condition. Three years of off-campus college housing and the 3 moves that it endured took it’s toll. It all but fell apart under it’s own weight and I removed it from my room a few days ago. In pieces. My former roommate had a contemporary design desk bought at a office supply chain for a moderate price. Within two years it was coming apart at the seams. I noticed the problem before his purchase when I took a look at the floor model on display. The display was shakey and the joints were loose. If a product can’t stand up to moderate examination then how will it hold up under heavy use? It’s supposed to be a work surface not a monitor holder. But my Steelcase spent 10 years in a garage and cleaned up just fine.
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