On the hunt for a vintage Braun collectable? Only/Once Shop is the place to start

In 1958, Czechoslovakia triumphed at the World Expo in Brussels. Its pavilion, with its sleek modernist design and showcase of innovative new gadgets, won the Gold Star, the fair’s highest accolade. Though it took place decades before he was born, the event provided an unexpected seed of inspiration years later for collectable-design dealer Filip Triner. He left his native city of Munich in 2011 to study graphic design in Prague and experience life in the Czech Republic, the country that his parents had left during the Cold War. When he began to research the 1958 World Expo, he was captivated by the winning pavilion’s sense of style. “Half a century later, I saw so many objects from that period that are now described as Brussels style,” he says. “For people like my grandma, they were communist relics. But for me, they were masterpieces.”

Triner began a personal collection, initially scouring Czech flea markets for lamps, clocks or small electronics. But after moving back to Germany, he discovered something that inspired him even more: objects created by Dieter Rams for Braun when he was the head of design there from 1961 to 1995. “I love their timeless simplicity,” says Triner. He began adding these products to his vastly growing collection.

In 2011, Triner launched an online publication about graphic and web design. Then, with his storage overflowing, he decided to begin selling his product collection to his readers, rather than just writing about them. Thus was born his online shop, Only/Once, in 2013. Through collecting, Triner had learned about product restoration. “I began to love taking an item in bad condition, making it look almost brand new and then passing it on to someone else,” he says. “That process is more satisfying than owning the object.”

Now, Triner sells between seven and 10 products a month. Each is a labour of love. He sources them online or through European dealers and collectors, then two local veteran electricians overhaul them. Finally, Triner or his father deep-clean and polish the pieces to museum quality. Braun products make up most of the business but Triner also sells other 20th-century designs, from brands such as Italy’s Brionvega and German manufacturer Krups. “Krups doesn’t have collectable status but it has beautiful products,” says Triner. “I love its egg timers. When they ring, it’s such a beautiful sound.”

There are currently 100 objects listed on Only/Once and Triner has a further 250 items waiting to be refurbished. For the occasional viewing, he has an appointment-only showroom in the basement of his house in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, a town outside Munich. “I do get attached to my pieces,” he says. “But it still feels good to let them go and be loved by someone else.”
onlyonceshop.com