How To Spot An Antique Table

The market for antique furniture is defined by a few specific characteristics. First of all, the overall market is relatively small. Furniture is an essential requirement for people; it’s hard to imagine a house without a table or a bed. However, the main reason why the market for antique furniture is so small is because of the high prices. Every piece comes with its own history. For instance, you might find a table that was once owned by a famous baron or lord, or you might find a bed frame that used to belong to a member of the royal family at one point in time.

Antique furniture is generally made from high quality wood or metal. It might have an emblem or logo on it as well. If you want a piece of history in your house, you should definitely look for some antique furniture items. Whether you want an antique white dressing table or any other piece of antique furniture, you need to be a bit more careful when shopping for these items. Due to the risk of fraud in this market, you need to learn how to spot pieces that are actually authentic. Here are a few tips that will help.

Learn Furniture Styles

Before you venture into the market, you need to learn about the different types of antique furniture styles. Most of the really valuable antique furniture was made in France and England during the olden times. Unique styles of furniture, such as ormolu and marquetry, originated in France; they can be characterised by their refined style and their use of expensive materials. Antique French furniture generally sells at a premium at auctions. Many furniture makers try to replicate antique designs, but in most cases, they are unable to reproduce the exact same finish.

Know Your Wood

The reason why replica antique furniture is so commonly available in the market is because it is very cheap to manufacture, and the profit margins are through the roof. Most local furniture makers that produce replicas don’t use high quality wood. Actual antique furniture can be easily identified by its use of expensive, high-grade wood. Some of the most common types of wood used in making antique furniture include ebony, pink ivory, lignum vitae, dalbergia, and bocote, just to name a few examples. If you can learn how to identify different types of wood, you won’t be fooled by imitators.  

Know Your Dealers

There are only a handful of dealers in the UK who specialise in selling or auctioning different types of antique furniture. If you want to buy a dressing table, for example, you can contact the dealer to show you whether they have any antique furniture available in their inventory. Most antique dealers continue to update their inventory throughout the year, so you can tell them about a particular piece that you might be interested in, and they will keep an eye out for you. Most antique furniture is generally auctioned off to private dealers, so you might have to prepare yourself for a bidding war as well.