Tips
on Shopping for Antique and Second-hand Furniture
Homes are a retreat from the outside world, a place
to be our private selves and a place to entertain family and friends.
They reflect our personal style. In creating a unique home, searching
for one of-a-kind furnishings is often a time consuming mission.
Antique and second-hand shops are wonderful places to maximize
your furniture budget. Most antique furniture pre-1900 through
the 1940’s holds its value once purchased and kept in good
to excellent condition. This is not true of new furniture, unless
it is extremely high-quality (which is typically more costly than
a fine antique piece).
When you are ready to shop for your furniture,
ask yourself the following: What do I want to pay? What style
and color do I want? What is the maximum size that will fit the
space? How will the piece get to its location? Allow yourself
some flexibility and keep an open mind, this may lead to finding
a piece that you just love when you see it. Pack up a tape measure
and a note pad and hit the road.
When you are drawn to a piece and are considering
buying it, inspect it carefully. Pull out the drawers and check
the drawer joints (dovetail joints are very strong), the drawer
bottoms and the inside structure. Look at the back. It should coordinate
with the rest of the piece in age. Determine if the hardware fits
your style or if it can be easily changed. If everything passes
your inspection, speak with the sales person about it and agree
on the price and discuss delivery or lay-away options.
There are many ways to determine the price of an
item in a shop. However, the best way is to compare prices in several
shops. They are typically within the same price range. Items in
good to excellent condition with all original parts and hardware
are the most valuable. Prices start to go down from there. Different
regions have different prices. Its all about what is available,
what is hot, what is rare or what is just really cool.
If your needs are very specific, it may be best
to begin shopping by phoning the shops and asking if they have
pieces that are what you want. Some shops will keep a database
of requests and will call the customer when matching items arrive.
If you are creative, handy, and have some spare
time, search for items that are in need of repair or painting.
This is an excellent way to maximize you budget. Painting a piece
of furniture with a fresh coat of paint to coordinate with your
décor will give it renewed life. It is a great way to recycle,
save money and get just the right match for your personal style. |
Steve
Burgess Visual Arts
