There are several ways you can spot an antique. What you may find is a genuine reproduction, and these can be extremely valuable. Wherever you look, it's a sure bet that you won't find a genuine antique from 1500 or 1600. A southern antique is a piece made before the Civil War. In the East, an antique is Queen Anne or earlier in the West, it's any piece of furniture that came across the mountains in a wagon.

Fine antique dealers consider objects 150 years and older to be antique. The age factor is subjective: general antique stores label objects 50 years or older as antiques. Technically, an antique is a piece of furniture with special value because of its age, particularly those pieces embellished with fine artistry. Just remember, if you like it, the style is right. The basic English and American styles run the gamut from ornate to severely functional, from massive to delicate. For the most part, the furniture you'll encounter will probably be limited to traditional English and American Colonial styles you aren't likely to find a Louis XV chair at a garage sale. There are many different styles of furniture, and each type has distinguishing features. In this article, we'll discuss how to assess whether a piece of furniture is an antique and whether it is worth saving through the refinishing process. Never buy an antique, or try to refinish it, until you know what you have. If you aren't sure an antique is really antique, pay for an expert opinion. Real antiques and many reproductions are extremely valuable, but there are also many imitations. If you're interested in antiques, recent or old, research before you buy anything. With furniture, as with anything else, one person's junk is another another's treasure.Īntique stores are a good place to find furniture to refinish, but expect to pay for these pieces. Other good sources are secondhand stores, household auctions, and garage sales.

You may also discover a real antique or two - pieces handed down through the family for generations. When you want to refinish old wooden furniture, the best place to look is the family storeroom: Check the attic, basement, garage, or wherever unwanted furniture has collected. Antique wooden drawers had joints that weren't machine-cut until 1860.

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