There is a lot of antique furniture available on the market, furniture auctions, dealers, markets and private sellers offering plenty of opportunities to find a beautiful and valuable antique. Here are a few things you should look out for when purchasing antique furniture.
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The antique cost of expensive woods often means that antique furniture is made of multiple types of woods. You can often tell the difference between an antique and a reproduction by checking the back, underneath or drawer interiors to see if a secondary type of wood was used.
This will be identifiable by differences in colour and grain. If all the wood used to build the piece is the same or parts of the furniture is made with a manufactured wood - such as plywood - it is unlikely to be an antique. Dovetailing is a furniture manufacturing technique that has been used for centuries to join different parts of a piece of furniture together.
If no dovetailing is present, the furniture was most likely made using modern techniques. However, dovetailing was also used in many pieces of reproduction furniture. Check to see whether lines and edges are perfectly straight and even in any dovetailing you find.
If there are irregularities, this will mean the dovetailing was done by hand, so the furniture is likely antique. Perfectly straight lines will have been cut by a machine, meaning mass production. The condition of the wood can tell you a lot about the age of your furniture. Looking out for totally consistent colour, mouldings or carvings that are too perfect to be done by hand, a lack of patina and modern screws all point to furniture being newer.
Older furniture will likely have more irregularities due to being handmade. Antique antique also tends to showcase signs of shrinking, read more can lead to splits and seam separation. This can mean that circular tables are no longer perfectly circular and furniture is slightly wonky, which is a good thing when it comes to identifying real dating. Search for any labels, stamps or manufacturing tags underneath or on the back of furniture, or in the drawers. These marks will be able to tell you who made the furniture, where it was manufactured and often the year that it was made.
If there is a label, look for signs of ageing as they can be faked. When a piece dating furniture is old, it antique likely have signs of wear and tear. However, wear and furniture are often antique for reproduction furniture to make pieces look older than they are.
If the signs of wear all look the same or are consistent along an entire section of the furniture, it is likely to be a reproduction. They know what to look for to be able to tell you if it is an antique, as well as what the furniture is dating.
How to Date Antique Furniture by Feet
Close search summers onlyfans violet. The Types bars hook up Wood Used The high cost of expensive woods often means that antique furniture is made of multiple types of woods.
Look for Dovetailing Dovetailing is a furniture manufacturing technique that has been used for centuries to join different parts of a piece of furniture together. The Condition of the Wood The condition of the wood can tell you a lot about the age of your furniture. Wear and Tear Furniture a piece of furniture is old, it will likely have signs of wear and tear. Not Sure Your Furniture is Dating Share this article. Featured Seller. Please Register. You need to register in order to Furniture to Favourites.