6 Discontinued Products Worth a Secondhand Rescue

Sometimes what’s been put out to scrap is the true prize.

Issue 08: “Out to Pasture” is presented by East Fork.

By Alicia Kort

For a certain set of connoisseurs, online shopping has become a competitive sport, filled with alerts, calendar reminders, and a final sprint to add-to-cart and checkout before a prized piece gets scooped up. And among the most coveted wins are those items that have been off shelves for years. “Retired” products—to invoke the language of Beanie Babies—are desired for several reasons. The brand might be known for making high-quality goods that last in a colorway that is no longer available. Or maybe it’s a book, long out of print, that shares images lost to the gloss and speed of the algorithm. Or maybe it’s just nostalgic for the shopper. From cookware to bedding, the hunt is on—across sites like 1stDibs, eBay, Etsy, and more recently, live marketplace app Whatnot. We did some deep dives on reseller sites, Reddit, and publishers to pull out some household items that people are going back in time to buy, rather than opt for something new.

IKEA “Vilbert” Chair

When you think of IKEA, you might flash back to decorating your first apartment—a fatiguing all-day, in-person hunt for furniture ending with Swedish meatballs, or an early, humbling experience assembling an IKEA dresser. Likely due to those formative experiences, IKEA has some diehard fans who not only love versatile workhorses like the KALLAX line, but have an appreciation for rare retired pieces. Among them is the Vilbert chair, made in the 1990s and designed by Danish architect Verner Panton. Only a few thousand of these chairs were made—so they fetch pretty decent coin on the secondhand market today. The chair is a visual feast with colorful planks of wood thrown together to create an eye-catching piece of furniture.

Green Lucite Pearl Wick Laundry Hamper

Modern laundry hampers are not exactly the most aesthetically pleasing household essential—or so we thought. That is, until we were introduced to Pearl Wick hampers from the 1950s and ’60s, which have quite the cult following for both collectors and those who just want to put their dirty clothes in something other than a Sterilite white plastic bin. These have been out to pasture since the early ’80s, but the few examples we found on resale sites convinced us that they need a resurgence. Usually made of metal, vinyl, or Lucite, these spacious bins are anything but an eyesore—plus, they hide dirty laundry. We’re partial to this green Lucite option.

East Fork Mug in Soapstone

The North Carolina–based pottery producer has established a loyal fanbase—self-described “potheads”—with its durable and stylish tableware. Thanks to its limited-run seasonal shades and retired colorways, East Fork has created a thriving secondary market. There are pages and pages of mugs, plates, and bowls that are going for double their original retail price. One of the most coveted retired shades is Soapstone, which was one of East Fork’s first glazes made for their gas-fired kilns. It went out of production in 2020, returning briefly in 2021 for a seasonal run. Cofounder Connie Matisse put out a now-archived love letter saying goodbye to the shade, so you know customers were verklempt. With Soapstone’s delicate, blue-gray speckled coloring, we can see why.

Ralph Lauren Charlotte Sage Green Floral Flat Sheet

Although Ralph Lauren Home is still alive and well, vintage bedding shoppers have a penchant for the brand’s linens of the 1980s and ’90s, praising both their quality and homey style. The patterned sheets and comforters—especially the florals and paisleys—seem to be popular, at least among the bedheads on Reddit. Just a word to the wise: Sheets from this era are not designed to fit today’s monstrously tall mattresses, so do some measuring before purchasing.

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Braiser Pan in Cassis

The colorful enameled cookware brand has attracted plenty of collectors over the years, because Le Creuset routinely discards a shade or two each year in favor of new colorways. A moment of silence for this year’s victim, Shallot—which might be called the dying gasp of millennial pink. But one of the most-talked-about colorways on Reddit is Cassis, a deep plum-violet shade that retired in 2018, eight years after its debut. Yes, it’ll look immaculate on your floral tablecloth, but the hearty construction of Le Creuset’s cookware suggests that you’ll have something like this braiser pan for decades.

Culver 22K Gold Striped Old-Fashioned Glass Set

If you’re on the hunt for some gorgeous discontinued glassware, keep an eye out for Culver. Founded in 1939, Culver’s most sought-after designs date from the 1950s through the 1970s, when their 22-karat gold gilded designs were produced. (The brand is still kicking today in a slightly different form—they are the official glassware decorator for Fiesta, which itself has a die-hard community of eBay warriors.) Because most of these were made before regulation ramped up in the ’70s, you may want to check any finds for lead, and be sure to hand-wash those signature gold accents to preserve their luster for years to come. ⌂

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Alicia Kort is a Brooklyn-based journalist.