Modernica factory sale (slide show)

Once a year, the famed Modernica design company opens its factory warehouse doors to the masses for six hours of furniture-buying mayhem. Design-minded folks line up hours in advance (we arrived at 7:30am and there were already about 25 devoted consumers ahead of us, complete with folding chairs, iPads and lots of coffee) for the chance to snag the perfect fiberglass shell chair. Along with the brightly colored seats—which customers could buy piecemeal and assemble themselves or bring to an assembly line to have the work done for them—Modernica offered George Nelson bubble lamps and Case Study furniture: bedroom sets, lots of tables and couches, the iconic Papa Bear chair and ottoman set, as well as planters and outdoor lounge furniture. It was a melee of Eames-hungry style hounds—from Eastside hipsters to parents with their 2.5 kids in tow—grabbing for sales associates and cramming their cars full of loot. For the less frantic, Modernica opened its fiberglass shell chair factory (which operates with the same machinery used to fabricate the original Eames chairs back in the 1950s) to give customers a glimpse into the making of the classic pieces. There were also food trucks offering sustenance to tired shoppers, as well as friendly movers and a will call area to keep people's precious purchases safe. Modernica gets major props for keeping such classic styles alive and well, and the resulting brand loyalty and fanatic shopping are truly a sight to be seen. Here, our best shots from the factory sale.