Comparison Shopping - 1stdibs.com!

As I read the various decorating magazines and, specifically, the sources shared by well-known designers, I often see references to 1stdibs - the on-line source for 1000's of furnishings and other decorating items (http://www.1stdibs.com/)
A brief history:

Founded in 2001 by Michael Bruno after visiting Paris flea markets, today 1stdibs is the go to source for the world’s leading interior designers and in-the-know wealthy consumers to find antiques, design, estate jewelry, vintage fashion and art. With headquarters in New York City.

After seeing the advertising and references so often, I decided (today) to check it out.  Although you can see photos of the wonderful items that can be bought through the site, you do need to register to see the prices - which was easy to do.  The result, however, was a bit shocking - the prices are REALLY, REALLY, HIGH!  I did some additional google research and found a lot of articles about the pricing structure and the term "1stdibs envy" was introduced - as in "When I want to dream about furnishing my house with impossible to find and buy items, I go to 1stdibs.com to see what they have available".  In early 2011, they opened an actual bricks and mortar store in the New York Design Center in Midtown with 53 dealings occupying 33,000 square feet.

1stdibs store in New York

So, I guess I'm not feeling too threatened by this particular competitor.  It is nice to dream, however, and now that I have found them, I will check the site out every now and then for inspiration and to see what the competition is doing!