Mahogany is a hard wood native to northern South America and the West Indies, and was an extremely popular choice for furniture in England during the mid-1700’s.

Mahogany is either a dark deep red color, or sometimes a deep dark brown, or often times a mix between the two. Red mahogany is generally from the West Indies while brown mahogany is generally native to South America.

This type of wood isn’t only pleasing to the eye, but it is also durable. This is a favorite type of wood for many uses, from boat making to furniture, and also one of the most expensive types of wood because of its relatively rare occurrence, and its undeniable beauty.

Antique mahogany furniture comes mostly from English tradition. Most of the antique mahogany furniture you’ll find was made in the 1700s. Not only did it look good, but it would hold up for generations, giving buyers a possession they could hand down through the generations.

Antique mahogany furniture tends to be really expensive, so if you love the look but the prices are too high you might want to consider either reproduction furniture, or look in smaller town antique stores. It can be far cheaper to rent a truck and move several cheaper pieces from a small town than it is to buy it in a large city antique store.

If you are interested in learning more about antique furniture or other types of antiques, please visit the website I made for my mom’s store at: http://www.squidoo.com/modernantiques

Thanks for reading!

Shane

Yardsales and op-shops are a great source of antiques... but do you know what to look for?

Handypersons often like to purchase old pieces of furniture for refinishing purposes. Since most antiques are best left in their original state, many experts recommend finding out the value of a particular piece before engaging in any modifications. It is better to spend a few dollars on an expert opinion than to destroy a piece of furniture that could be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

English and American Colonial designs are common, but because these styles embrace a broad range of details, it can be hard to delineate. Regardless of the style, there are ways to tell if a piece is antique. Furniture components were not machine-cut until about 1860, so examining the drawers can provide tell-tale signs. If the drawer was constructed using handmade dovetails, it was produced prior to that time. Older pieces also required the use of hand tools, such as planes and draw-knives, which left nicks and marks in the wood.

True antiques do not often display exact symmetry, as this was impossible to achieve when working solely by hand. These pieces are imperfect and small details can usually be spotted, such as rungs and spindles that are not uniform, or shapes that vary somewhat. Machine-cut pieces are reproduced identically.

Another way to identify an antique is by examining the finish. Oil, wax, and milk paint were used on the earliest pieces and eventually replaced by Shellac. By the mid-1800s, lacquer and varnish became popular finishes, helping to date a later piece. It is possible to test for various finishes, much to the dismay of dealers. If a Shellac finish is dabbed with alcohol, it will dissolve.

Oak represents most of the oldest pieces of furniture, prior to 1700. With the turn of the 18th Century, mahogany and walnut dominated the woodworking world. Pine has always been a popular choice for American products because it is plentiful and easy to manipulate. More valuable pieces can also be found in maple, walnut and cherry.

Quality and condition are the final important factors to consider when shopping for antique furniture. Pieces constructed by a particular designer may be declared valuable, regardless of their age or condition. However, in most cases, original components in great condition equal higher worth.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for pottery, antiques, and figurines. When shopping for pottery, antiques and figurines, we recommend these online stores for pottery and antique furniture.

Antiques... foolish investment or long term returns?

The steps you need to take to refinish antique furniture are easy to learn and easy to follow, so here is your first class. Refinish antique furniture for Newbies!

1. Ensure that you have all of the necessary materials to refinish antique furniture on hand or at least know where to lay your hands on it quickly. There is nothing that devalues antique furniture more than doing a botch job on a piece that can be spotted by experts at 10 meters away. You will need tools and supplies to achieve the correct finish.

2. Make sure that all tools you need to refinish antique furniture are well maintained and in tip top condition because using rough tools will usually make damage worse and scratch the surface beyond repair.

3. Practice patience. There is nothing worse than rushing any job that needs to be done properly so take your time and learn how to effectively refinish antique furniture before commencing a job. If you do not know what you are doing then the likelihood is that you will devalue your investment and probably damage the piece beyond repair.

4. Do your homework and research the piece fully. To refinish antique furniture, you need the skills and tools but you also need to have a working knowledge of what each piece looks like and how to take the best possible care of it whilst you are working on it. If you refinish antique furniture properly then the likelihood is that you will not lose any of the original value because it will blend in nicely with the piece’s original work.

5. If you think that you cannot refinish antique furniture to the standard needed to maintain its value then do not even attempt it! There are hundreds of experts out there just waiting to get their hands on your antiques. They can refinish antique furniture with their eyes closed and can do a professional and invisible job. Paying them is a small drop in the ocean as to what you would eventually be able to get from the piece.

6. If you do employ someone to refinish antique furniture for you then make sure that you agree a price up front. Get two or three quotes to check out prices and get the best possible deal. Always make sure that the individual you choose to do the work has a solid reputation and happy clients because you do not want to pay someone to ruin your furniture for you instead of refinishing it effectively.

You should enjoy your antique furniture as well as looking after it for future generations or as an investment. If your do need to refinish antique furniture then make the best choice possible because who know what it may cost you if you don’t!

If you collect, deal or invest in antique Victorian furniture, you’ve likely received some mixed messages recently with regard to the market. Let me share what I myself have come across over the course of the past four months or so and then give you my thoughts. I’ll present my research in the confusing and conflicting stream that it has come to me, to show you that you’re not alone in wondering what’s going on right now.

antique-victorian-furniture

My first source tells me to be boldly bullish. It says that now is the time to invest in Victorian antiques, because values are due to rise 60% or more over the course of the next two to three years. Victorian antique furniture is an upwardly mobile investment.

The next source tells a different story. It says that Victorian furniture is rapidly losing its value and is perhaps permanently devalued as a result of changing tastes.

But wait, says another. Sales of antique Victorian furniture are actually on the rise, precisely because of their currently attractive prices. And antiques in general are enjoying an influx of investment money because people believe that their value will turn around, unlike other investment alternatives. Now is the time to buy, with the real thing going for less than reproductions.

Then comes a mixed perspective, reporting that prices are at their lowest level in a decade, following the boom of the 90s. Pieces of antique Victorian furniture are selling for 70-80% less than they were in 1998. People are desperately selling their antiques to pay off debt. Dealers are giving up. Auctions, however, are booming because so many people are selling. And because prices are unusually attractive, younger people are buying. A new generation of collector is being formed out of the economic rubble.

And then there’s the news that all the misery is really about low-end antiques. Business at the high-end remains brisk. After all, a Victorian bed by Herter Brothers just went for $326,000 at auction, a record or near-record for Victorian furniture. Good antique shows are still drawing crowds. And the ratings for The Antiques Roadshow are outrageous.

Next I run into a decidedly pessimistic report. There is a deadly combination of factors working against Victorian furniture, it says. Economic conditions are leaving people strapped for cash, so everybody is dumping their stuff, young and old alike. And the market for antiques in general is in the tank because of the internet. eBay and Craigslist is making it too easy to get things that previously had perceived rareness. And the young people of today simply aren’t collectors, despite the source that claims a change in this regard.

What are we to make of all this?

As with most everything, your own perspective is essential. What is your personal stake and involvement? Are you a dealer with a huge inventory, a beginning collector, an investor looking for an opportunity? Do you own presently devalued Victorian furniture and need to sell it to pay bills? Have you always wanted to acquire nice antique Victorian furniture but haven’t been able to afford it in the past? Do you believe that the currently depressed market will never recover? Or do you feel that the best time to buy in any market is when prices are down? Are you an optimist or a pessimist?

Okay, here’s my take. If you’re facing severe financial hardship right now and need to turn your Victorian antiques into cash, the market is against you. Selling anything when you desperately need the money puts you at a disadvantage, even when markets are strong. But you may want to hold on to those antiques if you truly feel you can’t get what they’re worth.

On the other hand, those of you who are interested in buying Victorian furniture, start looking now. Get some advice, but don’t procrastinate. See what’s online, but be sure to go to the auctions. Antiques need to be seen, touched, sensed from every angle.

And avoid the very low-end. Do you know what the ultimate criterion is when assessing the value of an antique? It’s this: how much was the piece worth when it was first made? A low-end piece now was a low-end piece in the 19th century. High-end is still high-end. Sure, not many of us can afford genuine Herter Bros, but don’t go after the cheapest pieces available.

At auctions, you’ll be competing largely against dealers who are looking to resell. See what they’re paying. Dealers know what they’re doing, and they’re still buying. They’re survivors. I really don’t think that dealers are closing their doors everywhere. If a dealer is willing to pay a certain price for a piece you like, offer a bit more without getting into a bidding war. You’ll get a good buy that way.

Finally, pessimism is futile. It attracts what it fears. Tastes shift. Markets come back. As I mentioned above, there’s evidence that the current state of the market is actually creating an opportunity for young people to collect antique Victorian furniture, despite what people claim about the tastes of the times.

Be the type of person who sees opportunity in the midst of gloom. Be an optimist with open eyes. Who knows, you might just find a gorgeous Victorian antique to put into your home for a lot less than you would have dreamed it would cost. And if it rises in value over time, as it is likely to do, what a bonus!

David Mehl
Independent researcher, writer, and publisher
http://www.antiquevictorianfurnitureblog.com