How to Start an Antique Furniture Collection

Choosing furniture is a very personal decision, as each person's taste is a little different. If you want to start an antique furniture collection, acquiring a basic knowledge of the periods and styles will help you decide what you would like to purchase for your own home. Read on to learn how to start an antique furniture collection.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Book of antique furniture styles

1. Set a firm budget for your antique furniture collection before you start looking at items. This will help prevent you from overspending.
2. Research furniture styles and periods. You may want to collect from a particular time period or just pieces that strike your fancy. Knowing what you are looking at when you see an item you like will be helpful, especially for the more expensive pieces.
3. Read up on how and where to buy antique furniture for your collection. Antiques are usually sold at estate auctions, flea markets and online. "Antiques on the Cheap: A Savvy Dealer's Tips: Buying, Restoring, Selling" by James McKenzie will help you get started. It is available at Amazon. See the Resources section below for a link.
4. Examine items closely when you are shopping for antique furniture. Look for manufacturer's marks or labels that will help determine authenticity. Real antiques tend to show wear, but keep in mind that the effects of age can be faked with clever surface treatment techniques.
5. Ask questions about the antiques you are considering for purchase. You will want to know about any repairs done or missing pieces before you add a piece to your antique furniture collection.

Tips & Warnings

• Buying antiques solely as an investment is not advisable. If you later decide to sell your collection, you probably would recoup your purchase price or a little more. In most cases, it is unlikely that you would sell any one item for many times what you paid.
• An "eye test" will help you judge the integrity of the antique dealer with whom you are dealing. If he will not let you test the stability of an item, move the piece so you can see all angles of it or look you in the eye when you ask questions, there may be something shady going on. Reputable dealers will always let prospective customers examine their wares and make eye contact with you.