How to Evaluate Antique Furniture

Collecting antique furniture is a costly endeavor. You don't want to make any mistakes and buy a misrepresented piece that you thought was worth hundreds of dollars or more.

Signs of Age

Instructions

STEP 1: Measure a piece of wood furniture. Wood shrinks as it ages by up to 1/8 inch per foot. If the furniture is old, its dimensions will not be uniform - it won't be the same width throughout, and a tabletop will not be completely round.

STEP 2: Run your hand over and shine a flashlight across the surface of the wood to detect hairline cracks and ripples that come with aging.

STEP 3: Look underneath for the inevitable warping and buckling of wood.

STEP 4: Look for wood that is discolored from uneven exposure to light and sun. An old piece of furniture that has stood against a wall for years will show its age with distinct differences in coloring.

STEP 5: Check the wood beneath the hardware. Here, the wood should show even greater contrasts in color.

STEP 6: Look at the screws. Screws made before 1840 had flat, un-tapered heads.

STEP 7: Search for the signs of normal wear and tear and the buildup of dust and grime in the furniture's corners and crevices.

STEP 8: Look at the frame under the upholstery for sets of nail holes from previous upholstery. An aged piece may have seen several changes in fabric.

STEP 9: Use a pocket level on a piece of glass or a mirror. Glass, too, warps with age.

Signs of Newness

Instructions

STEP 1: Look closely at the various pieces of wood used in the furniture - particularly the edges and feet. Differences between the pieces would indicate that parts have been replaced.

STEP 2: Beware of smooth edges from a power saw in contrast to the ragged edges made by a handsaw.

STEP 3: Distinguish between the older plank-style construction and the more modern tongue-and-groove construction.

STEP 4: Inspect for old or filled nail and screw holes that would have been made when the piece was originally built.

STEP 5: Open drawers and doors and look for screw holes that indicate that the original handles and hinges are gone.

STEP 6: Look at dovetail joints. New dovetails are either machine-made or much narrower than the wide, up-to-3/8-inch dovetails of the 1800s.

STEP 7: Compare all the dovetail joints in the piece. Perfect matching could mean the furniture is newer than advertised. Gross differences would demonstrate that pieces have been replaced.

STEP 8: Check out the surfaces. Uniformity in coloring, texture and smoothness points to newness or refinishing.

Tips & Warnings

Replaced hardware may not affect the value of a European antique, but it can with an American antique.

Forgers try to mimic signs of wear and aging and use antique hardware and screws to dress up new pieces.

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