Furniture Buying Help

So you have watched all the latest episodes of the Antiques Roadshow, but are you ready to play with your own hard-earned cash? Without a knowledge of what to look out for, you may run the risk of purchasing an item of poor value, or dodgy provenance. The following rules are not hard and fast, and every item requires a different eye; however, as starting point they provide you with the basics to survive in the exciting world of antique furnishings.

Auction block or shop stock? In this bid to help you choose the right piece of furniture, you must consider where you are going to look. While many newcomers head straight for auction houses such as Bonhams, this is not necessarily the right thing to do. While numerous quality pieces are picked up every day, there are disadvantages to this process. Auction houses are not required to display information – although many respectable ones do – as to the background and origin of the piece; nor do they automatically guarantee it as genuine. Add this to the fact that you, as a purchaser, have few rights to return a piece if it is faulty or unsatisfactory. Furthermore, with buying premiums adding to the purchase cost, many newcomers find that they have paid over the odds for their item. The benefits of using established sellers in preference to the auction house lies in their consistency and reliability. There are no buying premiums, so what is displayed on the card is the price you pay. Many also offer returns policies, so that if you are unhappy or believe your product to be faulty, you are entitled to return them. That said, you are unlikely to find a true bargain at these locations. All in all, do consider which location is right for you.

It’s a material world. Whichever location you choose to make your purchase, there are some rules that you should follow when purchasing antique furniture. First off, the material is of upmost importance. You should recognise the valuable woods, which include mahogany, rosewood and various types of walnut, among others. You should learn to tell these on sight and feel. This is achieved by paying close attention to the hardness and grain of the wood. If your fingernail leaves a mark, then the wood soft; likewise if it leaves no mark then you have a hard wood. The close-grained woods have a smooth appearance and the most popular of these are cherry, maple and birch. The open-grained woods are oak and ash. Watch out for authenticity. Is your wood truly a maple, or has a maple veneer been added? A veneer is a thin layer of valuable wood that has been glued onto a less valuable one. While veneers do not necessarily reflect poor quality furniture, it is worth your time to learn to spot them. Knowing your materials also makes restoration easier. If you are a dab hand at DIY, you could invest in some tools to allow you to create a professional finish on damaged items. Major brands such as Fein have products designed to minimise damage to antiques when making such delicate restorations. Dismantling a 19th century cabinet? A Bosch drill could make the task a whole lot easier. Considered restorations will certainly increase the value of the item if you do place it back in the market.

Overall, do your research. While it is unrealistic to expect you to become an antiques expert overnight, it will benefit you to know the basic names and makes of famous antique furnishings. Use the internet to cross reference items and prices. Mobile technology even allows you to do this on the move. With this wealth of information at your fingertips, a little study – and these tips – can help you go a long way.