How to Evaluate Antique Furniture
Many homes have old wooden furniture, but how can you tell the difference between a piece of furniture that’s simply old and one that could be a valuable antique or a reproduction? If you think you have a very valuable piece on your hands, or if you’re considering buying an antique at an auction, it may be worth it to get the piece professionally appraised. In the meantime, there are a few things you can look for.
Consider the Age
One of the first things to check is the furniture’s age. Some furniture dealers consider an antique to be anything 50 years old or older. Fine antique dealers won’t consider furniture to be an antique unless it’s at least 150 years old. Your geographical location can also make a difference. In the Eastern states, furniture from the Queen Anne period qualifies as an antique. In the West, people generally consider furniture to be an antique if it was hauled across the mountains in a wagon. And in the South, a piece of antique furniture had to have been produced prior to the Civil War.
Check the Joinery
One way to evaluate the furniture’s age is to see if the joinery shows signs of being made by machine. If not, it could have been made prior to 1860. Look for handmade dovetails. If you can see only a few dovetails that may not be quite even, then it was likely made by hand. If the dovetails are precisely cut and evenly spaced, then it was likely made by machine.
Look for Saw Marks
Closely inspect the furniture. If it has drawers, pull one out and check it for straight saw marks. If you see them, the piece was made before 1860. You can also check for nicks and cuts in the wood, which indicate the usage of a plane, drawknife, or spokeshave, and mean that the piece is likely to be an antique. If you see any circular or arc-shaped nicks or cuts, then the piece was made with a circular saw after 1860.
If you’re redecorating your home, you can find all sorts of antique furniture at Hines Auction Service. This family-owned and operated company offers both in-person and online auctions. You can call their office in Ellsworth, WI, at (715) 273-3377.
Hines Auction Service, Inc was started in the 1960’s by Colonel Jack Hines of Ellsworth, WI. The business grew year after year. Jack sold everything from farms to machinery to antiques.
Business continued to grow and the family became ever more involved. Eventually Jack was joined by his son Jeff. Jeff worked on and off with his father for many years and graduated from auction college in 1985.
Jeff finally joined his father full time in the 90s and the business took off. As a team, this father and son duo helped to grow one of the largest auction firms in the Midwest.
More about Hines Auction Service.This content has been submitted by authors outside of this publisher and is not its editorial product. It could contain opinions, facts, and points of view that have not been reviewed or accepted by the publisher.