In the Pink

If there ever was a reason to buy pink For the Cure, the likes of Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, and Phillipe Starck are giving you one now. Design Within Reach on Monday announced the auction of five classic chairs, with all proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation, which raises money for breast cancer research.

The auction is being held on eBay, where the bidding is already active even though it doesn’t close for at least a week. Here’s where it all stands:

Swan Chair, designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, is in the lead with 25 bids so far. The high bidder is offering $2,025, more than double the starting price of $750, but still less than the $3,045 retail price.

The Tulip Stool by Eero Saarinen for Knoll has 16 bidders so far, and the price is at $1,275, way up from the starting $350 price and also over the retail price of $1,014.

The Eames Management Chair also has 16 bidders, with the bid up to $1,875, just shy of the $1,999 retail. Bidding started at $750.

Twelve bids are in place for the Wassily Chair by Marcel Breuer for Knoll, and the current bid of $2,025 has surpassed the $1,824 retail price. Bidding started at $500.

The Heritage Rocker by Phillipe Starck for Emeco is the clear sleeper hit here, with just 10 bids up to $510, still below the $825 retail price, and not much above the starting price of $350.

Of all the dozens of products that have come out to raise money for breast cancer research, these classics are by far the coolest. But in case you want more pink in your home, you can also get KitchenAid appliances such as a toaster or stand mixer. And for an occasional flash of fuchsia, try the Orek vacuum.