Antiques Try Out New Home Online
If there’s anything that’s hard to sell on the Web, Jean-Michel Frank armchairs from the 1930s and George III mahogany sofas from the 18th century might seem to be near the top of the list. But some prominent venture capitalists are betting they have the answer for high-end antiques.
Skype investor Index Ventures and Twitter Inc. backer Spark Capital say they are leading a $42 million investment in 1stdibs, an 11-year-old online marketplace that is little known beyond the circle of well-heeled customers, antique shops and art dealers who use it. Part of the new funding comes from Benchmark, an early supporter of eBay Inc., which last year paid $60 million for a big stake in 1stdibs.
