Antique Furniture’s are beautiful and can add that special charm to your home. Not to forget, it’s a great way to a add unique to your space. But purchasing antique furniture is a little tricky from your usual furniture shopping simply because you are buying furniture from a different era completely.
Important Tip: To qualify as real antique furniture, it should be more than a 100 years old.
But how do you go about shopping for antique furniture without getting ripped off? How do you determine it is a good piece and well worth its price? Or how do you even find a piece?
Just follow our below mentioned guide:
1. Carefully examine the finish.
Does the finish look very old (at least one hundred years old) or has the piece been refinished? This could be the case if it the finish is particularly smooth and clean. Newer knobs or drawer pulls are another giveaway indicator of refinishing. A refinished piece is less valuable, so be aware that this should be reflected in the sale price. A truly old, unfinished piece will be somewhat worn-looking, and you can also expect to see a buildup of wax or oil, and dust or grime in the wood’s crevices.
2. Check that all pieces match.
Look carefully and you may see signs that the item has undergone alterations over the years. For instance, drawers could be added to a chest of drawers to create a highboy-style dresser. In that case, you should be able to identify slight differences in the wood, the finish, the pulls, the hinges and, of course, the style of construction
4. Assess the seller.
Is the seller reputable? How long as he or she (or the Website, if you’re buying online) been in business? Does he or she answer all your questions adequately? A good dealer will be able to tell you quite a bit about each piece in store, including the era in which is was made, the wood used, whether or not it has been refinished, and perhaps a little about its history. If you are at all doubtful about the seller’s credentials and you are considering a highly-priced purchase, try and get a second opinion (perhaps from a knowledgeable friend) before buying.
5. Don’t rush in and buy on impulse.
Concerned an item is over-priced, not a true antique, needs repairs or maybe just won’t fit with your other decor? Let it go. At the very least, take a digital snapshot, then go home and mull it over before committing yourself. The antiques market is a gargantuan enterprise in this country, with container-loads of furniture being shipped in from overseas all the time, believe it or not.
Data Credit: www.homesessive.com
