February 13, 2009

Accumulating vintage antique furniture is a desire shared by many people around the globe. Many travel great distances just to attend auctions, sales, and events. Buying vintage antique furniture is not only a way of characterizing your fashion but is also an endowment both historically and financially. Buying Antique Furniture pieces is also a great way to fill the need for household furnishings, investment, and hobby in one fell swoop. Just keep in mind when looking for antique furniture; pieces must be at least one hundred years old to be antique.

Vintage Style Furniture is popular and will almost always appreciate in value because of its solid wood construction and beautiful craftsmanship. Furniture today is not constructed like it was in the old days and people want pieces with style and individuality. Antique furniture is beautiful pieces of history that you will want to display in your home with pride. When looking for pieces of furniture you may ask how do I know how old they are for certain? A bit of research about the origins of the item can help you date it easily. Having problems dating a piece you may be interested in? Don’t hesitate to ask for help from a highly trusted and well known antique furniture specialist. Sack, Albert. 1993. The New Fine Points of Furniture: Early American: The Good, Better, Best, Superior, Masterpiece (Hardcover). Crown; is a great resource to have when looking for early American furniture.

Antique furniture is valued on account of its workmanship, or the materials of which it is composed. Antique furniture is constructed of better quality wood material which will most certainly outlast new furniture purchases; they are also often more cost efficient than buying new modern pieces. Price guides such as the Husfloen, Kyle. 2008. Antique Trader Furniture Price Guide. Krause Publications is a great way of establishing retail value. Please note however that “retail value” is what you might expect to pay at an antique mall or show. Having the item you may be interested in purchasing appraised by a professional appraisal service is always a wise decision.

Antique furniture pieces are becoming a lot more popular but caring for them takes extra effort. Lumber and wood does not dry out from a deficiency of oil but rather from a deficiency of moisture. As such, storing your pieces in high heat dry areas such as in your attic should be done a little as possible. Wood shrinks and swells with changes in humidity resulting in the loosening of glued joints, veneers, inlays and marquetry. Lack of humidity also causes gaps to appear where two pieces of wood come together such as tabletops made from several boards. McGiffin, Robert. 1995. Furniture Care and Conservation. AltaMira Press is an excellent resource on furniture care and conservation.

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