How to Evaluate Antique Furniture

By eHow Hobbies, Games & Toys Editor

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Collecting antique furniture is a costly endeavor. You don't want to make any mistakes and buy a misrepresented piece that you thought was worth hundreds of dollars or more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Signs of Age

Step1
Measure a piece of wood furniture. Wood shrinks as it ages by up to 1/8 inch per foot. If the furniture is old, its dimensions will not be uniform - it won't be the same width throughout, and a tabletop will not be completely round.
Step2
Run your hand over and shine a flashlight across the surface of the wood to detect hairline cracks and ripples that come with aging.
Step3
Look underneath for the inevitable warping and buckling of wood.
Step4
Look for wood that is discolored from uneven exposure to light and sun. An old piece of furniture that has stood against a wall for years will show its age with distinct differences in coloring.
Step5
Check the wood beneath the hardware. Here, the wood should show even greater contrasts in color.
Step6
Look at the screws. Screws made before 1840 had flat, un-tapered heads.
Step7
Search for the signs of normal wear and tear and the buildup of dust and grime in the furniture's corners and crevices.
Step8
Look at the frame under the upholstery for sets of nail holes from previous upholstery. An aged piece may have seen several changes in fabric.
Step9
Use a pocket level on a piece of glass or a mirror. Glass, too, warps with age.

Signs of Newness

Step1
Look closely at the various pieces of wood used in the furniture - particularly the edges and feet. Differences between the pieces would indicate that parts have been replaced.
Step2
Beware of smooth edges from a power saw in contrast to the ragged edges made by a handsaw.
Step3
Distinguish between the older plank-style construction and the more modern tongue-and-groove construction.
Step4
Inspect for old or filled nail and screw holes that would have been made when the piece was originally built.
Step5
Open drawers and doors and look for screw holes that indicate that the original handles and hinges are gone.
Step6
Look at dovetail joints. New dovetails are either machine-made or much narrower than the wide, up-to-3/8-inch dovetails of the 1800s.
Step7
Compare all the dovetail joints in the piece. Perfect matching could mean the furniture is newer than advertised. Gross differences would demonstrate that pieces have been replaced.
Step8
Check out the surfaces. Uniformity in coloring, texture and smoothness points to newness or refinishing.

Tips & Warnings

  • Replaced hardware may not affect the value of a European antique, but it can with an American antique.
  • Forgers try to mimic signs of wear and aging and use antique hardware and screws to dress up new pieces.

Comments

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Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 As wood ages, the shrinkage often forces wooden pegs to rise above the surface. Pegs that are smooth to the surface may indicate that the item is new.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Beware of houses where someone in the household smoked. There may be a grimy residue on glass and mirrors. In addition, curtains and upholstery may smell like cigarette smoke. This is difficult to remove.

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