Understanding Antique Furniture Values

One common query that comes up when an antique collector, investor or a casual buyer who is comparing antique furniture values would be about the cost or worth of the item. Apparently, prices of antiques are given by means of ranges because there is just no way to determine an exact cost. If you are interested to set up your own collection of antiques, take the time to travel and look around for antique shops and auctions to get a better view on how negotiations are made before spending your money; it would for sure be a good head start once you are aware of the basics to ensure that you will be getting genuine pieces that are valuable.

In order to assist you in learning more in examining antiques and its costs, it would be beneficial to seek assistance from an accredited appraiser so that you will be provided with appropriate and necessary information regarding antique furniture values. Accredited or certified appraisers can be located by making an inquiry from the dealer; there is also an option to attend their events because that’s one great way for them to educate collectors about the services they offer. Generally, antique furniture values vary from one another and it is best that you try to be familiar with what to look for. To avoid wasting your funds when you are engaged on antique hunting, here is a list of the values to observe:

· Insurance Value is classified as a formal appraisal that is documented and this is also intended for the replacement cost in instances where the item would be reported as lost or stolen.
· Fair Market Value would be a price both agreed by the buyer and seller. It is compulsory that the buyer and seller have enough knowledge regarding the items being sold.
· Tax or Estate Value is calculated by means of achieving averages from the auction amount of similar pieces.
· Retail Value would be the price of the antique that has been already posted by the sellers in shops or stores.

How To Determine the Age of Antiques

To determine the age of an item in your shop, you can either look it up in an antiques reference book or online, or you can look for the following characteristics:

Furniture. All old wooden furniture can be identified with simple examinations.

Size and shape of dovetails on drawers. Dovetails on old furniture are always larger and less symmetrical than those on modem pieces.

Wood grain. Furniture makers about one hundred years ago often con­structed tables, dressers, and such, of quarter-sawn wood. This wood was cut to produce a distinctive wavy pattern, sometimes called tiger oak. This cutting method was extremely wasteful and isn’t used today.

Saw marks. Before the advent of modem machinery, all wood was cut by hand. Whereas cabinetmakers would take great pains to sand and smooth the exterior surface of a piece of furniture, they often left concealed areas quite rough. You can frequently see obvious saw marks on the underside of tables and the backs of case pieces.

Shrinkage. All wood shrinks in time. With enough time, shrinkage becomes obvious. You’ll sometimes see enclosed panels that have split because the cabinetmaker glued the panels into the surrounding framework. The thin panels eventually shrank and the tension caused them to split. Round tables made of a softwood such as pine can become slightly oval in time as the wood shrinks across the grain.