Ccleaner Furniture

Collecting antique furniture pieces are considered as a prime financial investment and a superb way of decorating houses and other sites. As such, many people have considered antique collection as one of the most rewarding hobbies and activities that one can engage in. However, a serious antique furniture collector should take note of the following factors;

The Style of the Antique Furniture

Most antique sellers classify their products through style names such as Louis XV, Queen Anne, and many others. Usually, the style of the furniture piece plays an important role in determining its value. Furniture pieces which have styles and designs which originate from centuries before are considered as more valuable than those which possess more recent designs. Also, the more unique or customized the style is, the more expensive will the furniture piece be.

Moreover, there are designs which have been popularized by notable craftsmen or furniture manufacturers. As such, furniture pieces which carry such popular designs, including those which resemble such, may be more expensive than the usual antique furniture.

The Originality of the Antique Furniture

It is important to determine if a piece is a reproduction or not. One can easily determine if the furniture is an original piece through the hardware that is used in the furniture.

Examine the nails and screws that were used. Note that screws were only used in furniture pieces during the later half of the 19th century. Others shapes, types, and lengths of nails were used in furniture making in varying points in history as well.

If the furniture piece is original, note that its wood dimensions should not be uniform. Some of its parts should have shrunk by as much as an eighth of an inch due to aging. Also, note that the surfaces of the furniture should have suffered from discoloration. An original furniture piece may be affected from uneven exposure to sunlight. As such, it should have significant differences in coloring. Otherwise, the furniture might have undergone repainting or refinishing.

Apart from that, check the edges of the furniture. Note that early years of furniture construction only made use of handsaws. Thus, most old-age furniture pieces have ragged edges. If there are any differences in various pieces of hardware that was used in the piece, it may be a sign that the original parts of the antique have already been replaced.

The Age of the Antique Furniture

This factor is a prime consideration when collecting antique furniture pieces. Usually, the more aged the piece is, the more valuable it will be. Among the most notable periods in the history of furniture construction are Chippendale (mid-to-late 1700s), Empire Period (1830 – 1850) and Victorian (1850 – 1910). Note that one can identify the historical age of the furniture piece according to its style and design.

However, the antique collector should be aware that there are cases when appearance, design, and functionality supersede the value given to the furniture’s age. This is often the case for tables, chairs, cabinets, wardrobes, and other large furniture pieces that are not suitable for mere display and decorative purposes.

Also, in cases where the antique furniture pieces are a product of a notable craftsman, the value of the piece increases along with the complexity and the intricacy of the furniture’s design.

One of the most significant characteristic of any antique item is its age. Since antiques have been passed down from one generation to the next, these items easily undergo daily wear and tear. Thus, any antique item demands considerable care to preserve and protect its timeless value.

While a professional antique restorer is recommended for more intricate and detail-oriented method of antique restoration, you can also do your part to help maintain the artistic and historical value of your collection. Read on some tips on how to clean precious antique pieces.

Direct sunlight is a no-no for antique furniture. You should never display antique furniture in direct sunlight or beside air-conditioning or heating units. The heat that comes from these sources will deteriorate the fragile state of the antique piece. Place antique furniture in cool areas or better yet ask antique experts of how to properly display your piece. Note that different types of wood require different temperature to maintain its elegance.

Use soft, lint-free cloth for polishing. Soft and lint-free cloth should be used when polishing antique pieces. You should never polish antiques the way you may polish your modern pieces. Remember that antiques are old and can easily be torn, scratched or broken if mishandled.

Move antique furniture with care. Because of the furniture’s sensitive condition, you should only move antique pieces when you really have to and only with utmost care. Otherwise, let the furniture stay in one corner of your house to lessen the probability of accidental breaking.

Use your hands when dealing with antique ceramics or glass. Cleaning antique ceramics and glass is quite simple just by using lint-free cloth for regular dusting. However, unlike antique furniture pieces, wearing protective gloves in handling antique ceramic and glass is not advisable. It is more appropriate to handle antiques of this type using your clean hands. It is good to know that sunlight and humidity would not affect the condition of some antique ceramics and glass. To determine sensitive antique items, you must seek the advice of an antique expert.

Store antique ceramics or glass in sturdy shelves. The most common problem with antique ceramic or glass is breakage. Therefore, extra care must be given in its storage. You must never place antique ceramic or glass in unstable cabinets. In case of accidental breakage, place each piece even the smallest one in acid-free tissue and bring to an experienced antique restorer. You must never repair damaged antique pieces on your own to avoid devaluation.

Regularly polish antique silver and metal pieces. Antique silver and metal items are extremely delicate. Antique items made from these materials can react to natural conditions and may result to corrosion, scratches, dents and fractures. Regular and proper cleaning through polishing with soft cloth will reduce the difficulty of maintaining the items’ patina. You should use protective gloves when handling antique silver and metal to avoid tarnishing due to body sweat.

Store antique jewellery separately. Antique jewellery is extremely delicate. A piece of jewellery is possible to be made up of several types of precious stone or metal in which one would adversely affect each other through time. This is why you should not store several pieces of antique jewellery in just one box. Make sure that you have a separate box for each piece to avoid chemical reaction.

Hire the expertise of an antique jeweller. Small jewellery pieces make it almost impossible to clean, so an experienced jeweller specializing in antiques is recommended to handle these items.

Putting value to any antique is a complex process whether to a buyer or a seller. Treasured for its age, form and rarity, an antique requires meticulous study and expert handling. While antique experts and seasoned collectors have acquired the skills to detect the authenticity and significance of antiques whether historical or artistic, first-time collectors or first-time sellers need the help of an antique appraiser.

For owners of antiques, appraisals do not necessarily mean that the items have to be sold. Having the antiques appraised will only tell the monetary value and artistic or historical importance of the items, or for insurance purposes. Insurance protects antiques but note that some home insurance policies do not cover antique collections in the home. Therefore, having an antique appraisal will help the owner decide if he or she needs to purchase a separate insurance policy for the antique collection.

The Process of Antique Appraisal

Antique appraisal is a method of determining the value of antiques. Generally, an appraisal refers to an educated opinion of a knowledgeable individual who has no interest on the value of the item. The process of antique appraisal may take about a month to provide detailed information on the item. The appraisal, which is a legal document, describes the item appraised, provides an analysis of the market, place and date of the appraisal, value of the antique, ethical laws, fee policy and an appraisal certificate.



An antique appraiser gives considerable importance on the market analysis because some item may not be as significant from one place to another. Therefore, it is important that the appraiser is aware of the different market valuation.

Looking for the Right Appraiser

Antique appraisers, are professional experts in antique appraisals. They have different areas of specialization, either to a kind of antique or a particular era. It is advisable to seek and match the right antique appraiser who specializes on the antique that requires appraisal.

To get an accurate evaluation of an antique, an appraiser must see the item first hand. A good and experienced antique appraiser should have in-depth knowledge about antiques which he or she may have acquired through education, extensive research on books or in the internet, or by direct process like the repeated and actual buying of antiques.

A trustworthy and meticulous antique appraiser would be able to provide significant details about an antique item such as its era, style or form, uses, rarity and sometimes, even the artist or maker.

Through these details, the antique appraiser would be able to identify the value of an antique. If a collector is looking for a specific antique, an antique appraiser is also a credible source of information on how to locate antique shops holding that particular item.

Nowadays, online antique appraisers are available. If an antique owner desires to have an item appraised immediately, he or she may contact online antique appraisers. Mostly, these types of appraisers rely on photos of the item and through descriptions. Online antique appraisers should have the qualified skills and knowledge on appraising antiques. However, they may provide limited information on an antique object because of the inability to see the antique personally. Hence, it is important to research for credible online antique appraisers backed with extensive experience on antique appraising.

The process of antique appraisals is expensive and lengthy. Thus, it is recommended that the antique owner should take considerable effort to search for highly experienced antique appraisers so as not to waste time and money.