Determining the authenticity of antique furniture is a challenging and antiquated (pun not intended) process. Fortunately, there are tons of resources to make sure the piece you end up with is 100 percent real.
Let’s say for months you have been looking for the perfect piece of antique Scandinavian furniture to complete your bedroom. You’ve searched stores, catalogues and thousands of sites online. Then while you were on a quick ski getaway in Denver, Co., you came across a store entirely dedicated to Scandinavian Antiques. You become immediately taken by the antique Danish Armoire with detailed edging from 1860. Now comes the tricky part, the price and finding out if the piece is real. The store is listing the piece at $1,585, which seems like a relatively good deal. But who’s to say that the piece is authentic, and it’s hard to do price comparison-shopping when your item is from the 19th Century.
Some antique stores will have their entire inventory appraised ahead of time, which is easy as long as they provide the documentation. A great resource for research on determining a piece’s authenticity is the Association of Online Appraisers. The Association has helpful tips and general guidelines for determining authenticity of antique furniture. Appraisers can typically determine if a piece is genuine by the examining the date associated with it. Using the Danish Armoire as an example, appraisers would have a general idea of what furniture from this time period looks like and if it drastically deviates from that style, you would know it’s a fake. They would also be able to give a very educated guess based on whether or not the item has a brand associated with it as well.
Believe it or not, a good sign that your piece is 100 percent authentic is if it has flaws. Of course, no prospective furniture owner wants to purchase a thousand-dollar piece with holes, but some simple wear and tear from age is usually a sign that the item is legit. Search for faint water and plant marks, light scuffs and if any of the boards of the piece are slightly separated. If everything looks clean and perfectly smooth, chances are that your piece is much newer than advertised.
No matter what your desired furniture piece might look like, the shipping and packing of the item is as important as the purchase itself. Whatever it is you are looking for, stop by Navis Pack and Ship to ensure that your item gets to its desired destination safely.
Image: Flickr
By Steve Goble, VP of Marketing Communications for Navis Pack & Ship. When he's not spilling packing and shipping secrets, he's spending time with his family at a San Diego Padres or Chargers game. Connect with Steve on Google+ and LinkedIn.
