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I have been involved in the appraisal and sale of antiques and fine art my whole life ¦ thought I might share some of my knowledge with you ¦

The popularity and desirability of antiques is on the rise and quality pieces are becoming very scarce ¦have no fear ¦ antique furniture will always appreciate in value as it is irreplaceable ¦

But be discerning when buying antiques because a piece may look old but that does not mean it is an antique ¦

Whether it is rosewood ¦ mahogany ¦ walnut or oak ¦ the colouration ¦ quality and grain of timber is important ¦ proportion ¦ balance ¦ detail and patination is something you should look at ¦ elegant pieces started out as expensive and unique works of craftsmanship ¦ so this should be visible in them even today¦

Watch out for these points when examining a piece ¦

* size does count ¦ wood shrinks over time so nothing will be perfectly round or the same width throughout ¦

* move a light over surfaces ¦ cracks come with age and do not devalue the piece ¦

* check the screws ¦ screws made before 1840 should have flat un-tapered heads ¦

* look inside drawers for old screw holes as this will indicate that handles have been replaced ¦

* dovetail joints that have been machine made are much narrower than the wide up to 12mm dovetails of the 1800’s ¦

Visit antique shops and auction houses ¦. don’t just glance at furniture ¦ turn it over ¦ feel it and examine it ¦ find a reasonable priced piece and buy it ¦ this is the best way to build up an interest in antiques ¦

Buying antique furniture is a sound investment ¦ antique sales showed a steady appreciation of 30% in the past year ¦ but remember ¦ condition is the most important factor in determining value and guaranteeing your investment ¦

Do use a reputable restorer to maintain your furniture as timely attention from a professional will ensure the timeless appeal of your antiques ¦

Begin your antique odyssey tomorrow ¦ it will be an interesting and rewarding journey!

As you know I used to not only run Antique Fairs but also sold at them........all I have to say is in this country certain items have lost the value it had when I was in the game.I have always collected and I am sitting here at the moment looking at some lovely Antiques that I purchased some years ago knowing that if I sold them tomorrow I would not get my money back.China is not selling....nor many collectables that was some years ago.As for Furniture......I know some experts that have been conned by some good repro....if they can't tell....well my advise is...just buy something if you like it and not for an investment.

well what i like, to most it is conciderd JUNK. Primative. The hand made tools, trunks, chairs,tables. stuff like that. So what i like i can get cheap.

Carolly;921242 wrote: As you know I used to not only run Antique Fairs but also sold at them........all I have to say is in this country certain items have lost the value it had when I was in the game.I have always collected and I am sitting here at the moment looking at some lovely Antiques that I purchased some years ago knowing that if I sold them tomorrow I would not get my money back.China is not selling....nor many collectables that was some years ago.As for Furniture......I know some experts that have been conned by some good repro....if they can't tell....well my advise is...just buy something if you like it and not for an investment.


i hear what your saying carol ... i was talking about georgian/regency furniture mostly ... there is obviously a great deal of replica furniture on the market world wide ... having some knowledge about what to look for can help in identifying reproduction pieces ... having said that even the so called "experts" are often caught ...

especially in the art world ... there are "genuine" old masters hanging in the finest museums and galleries around the world that were painted quite recently!

southern yankee;921276 wrote: well what i like, to most it is conciderd JUNK. Primative. The hand made tools, trunks, chairs,tables. stuff like that. So what i like i can get cheap.


by all means buy and collect whatever pleases "your" eye ...

beauty after all is in the eyes of the beholder ...

I'm glad to see this thread, JJ. I love scouting antique shops and learning about all kinds of things. Good topic.

I enjoy shopping but I seldom purchase. What I have purchased I purchased because I liked it, ginuine or not...I'll let my kids worry about that when they are trying to get rid of it.

Great thread.