Our Blog - Read up on antique furniture!
Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on April 19, 2011
Most people love antiques. They're green, they're unique, they combine utility with art—they interrupt the dull monotony of everyday living simply by asserting themselves in space. Unique configurations. Unique materials. Distinct expressions of artisanal mastery. And for us, that's what it's really all about: working alongside the limits of beauty five days a week. A large part of this experience involves cultivating a taste for the business as well as for the beautiful pieces that we move in and out on a daily basis. But if you're on the outside looking in, it can often seem difficult to recognize quality when you see it, so to help, we've put together a list of some of our favorite pieces and explained why each piece made the list.
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Tags: bookcase, chest, marquetry, sideboard, sofa
3 comments.
Posted by Chris under Furniture Resources on April 16, 2011
We get this question all the time: "Can you tell me how much my _______ is worth?" Most of the time we have to say no because that's not our expertise. While we can tell you the style and probable origin, your best bet is always to go with a professional appraiser. (We actually discussed this issue in a previous post: How to Determine the Value of Your Antique Furniture.)
Well, we're happy to say that we know of a very good appraiser with a scholarly knowledge of antiques. John Werry at Rare Victorian provides an excellent and thorough appraisal service for just $40! Good luck out there!
Tags: appraisal, tips
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on April 12, 2011
Photo: AP
As most people have heard, the British Royal Family (and many people across the globe) are preparing for a happy celebration in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage ceremony on April 29. Of course, the newlyweds will no doubt receive a number of lovely and interesting gifts—but we would also wager that at least one or two pieces of fine furniture will be among them.
Why? Simple. Furniture and weddings have a long and colorful history together. Going back many centuries, it has been an English tradition (especially among the affluent) to offer specially commissioned furniture as wedding gifts. Usually these pieces feature some type of engraving or plaque featuring a pair of initials or names, or even a dedicatory poem. The styles and means of dedications vary quite widely; sometimes, the plaque simply says (for example), "For the marriage of John and Martha Smith." Other times, the piece contains carved motifs that suggest a marriage dedication without exactly making it explicit—thus illustrating the poetic side of traditional English furniture.
For example, we once found a Victorian oak sideboard that contained, among other things, a pair of images, one of a man and one of a woman:
We can't be certain, but each figure is holding a small cylindrical object to its chest, suggesting that they may be holding scrolls of paper. Perhaps they are wedding vows? We can be certain, however, that the two figures are shown in traditional, ceremonial poses.
We sometimes find carvings that are more explicit, such as this carved panel from another Victorian sideboard, which appears to depict a man proposing to a woman (note the small object that he is proffering to her):
On a different note entirely, we recently came across a Samuel Wright grandfather clock engraved with a poem entitled "The Happy Marriage," by Sir Edward Moore. Ironically, the speaker of the poem describes his habit of extramarital entanglements and his wife's benign reaction to them as a component of their (un)happy marriage. So it isn't certain whether the clock was originally commissioned as a wedding piece, but it's certainly interesting to think about! Here's the clock in question:
We can also verify that giving furniture as a wedding gift is still a common practice: we've had a few commissions made ourselves! Whether William and Kate will have a piece commissioned, however, is another story entirely. In any case, we suspect that they already possess the finest furniture in England. After all, the world still refers to period furniture by the names of English monarchs (Georgian, Queen Anne, Victorian, etc.). Perhaps William and Kate will be the new William and Mary? Time will tell.
Tags: wedding, prince william, kate middleton, royal family
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Posted by Chris under Company News on April 10, 2011
We have a saying in the antiques industry: "Better late than never." OK, so maybe that's not ours but we like to claim it. Last month, we had a container just full of beautiful antiques, so here is a brief selection.
Tags: container, arrivals, chesterfield, table
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on April 08, 2011
When we recently acquired this Samuel Wright grandfather clock, we were in for a fun surprise. The text on the door is an excerpt from Edward Moore's poem, "The Happy Marriage." Ironically, the speaker of the poem describes his habit of extramarital entanglements and his wife's benign reaction to them as a component of their (un)happy marriage. You wouldn't think that you'd want such a poem inscribed on the door of your grandfather clock; after 250 years, however, it has a certain charm, doesn't it? A mediocre poem from a similarly mediocre and obscure poet inscribed on the door of a superb clock crafted by a master of his trade. I'd have to say that the irony of the postmodern clock outpaces Moore's original! Here is the text of his poem:
How blest has my time been! what joys have I known,
Since wedlock's soft bondage made Jessy my own!
So joyful my heart is, so easy my chain,
That freedom is tasteless, and roving a pain.
Through walks grown with woodbines, as often we stray,
Around us our boys and girls frolic and play:
How pleasing their sport is! the wanton ones see,
And borrow their looks from my Jessy and me.
To try her sweet temper, ofttimes am I seen,
In revels all day with the nymphs on the green:
Though painful my absence, my doubts she beguiles,
And meets me at night with complacence and smiles.
What though on her cheeks the rose loses its hue,
Her wit and good humor bloom all the year through;
Time still, as he flies, adds increase to her truth,
And gives to her mind what he steals from her youth.
Ye shepherds so gay, who make love to ensnare,
And cheat, with false vows, the too credulous fair;
In search of true pleasure, how vainly you roam!
To hold it for life, you must find it at home.
Tags: edward moore, samuel wright, grandfather clock
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Posted by Chris under Industry News on April 05, 2011
It's that time again! The South's most magnificent, fantabulous, beautiful antique market is back, and we'll be there. The show will last from Thursday, April 7 - Sunday, April 10. Come see Peter in the South building, spaces H9-H10.
Tags: scott antique market, show
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on March 29, 2011
Ever wonder why nice antiques are so hard to come by? People do all kinds of less-than-bright things to keep it that way, so to help you spot the problem before it starts, we've put together a list of what not to do...
1. Paint them.
2. Buy them at the "antiques" store.
3. Use them for beer pong.
4. Let your grandkids party in the antiques room.
5. Let your cat help with the restoration.
6. Attempt to move antique furniture without knowing how.
7. Forget where you put them (outside?!).
Tags: humor
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Resources on March 19, 2011
This is a question that we get fairly often. Selling furniture—and especially antiques—can be a very simple process, provided that you know what you're doing and you have the resources to do it. If not, then what is often a pleasant learning experience can turn into a frustrating push to dump unwanted furniture. To help, we've put together a few useful tips that should help avoid this problem.
1. Know the value of your piece. Luckily, we've already written an article on just this subject: How to Determine the Value of Your Antique Furniture.
2. Be patient. We have 15,000 square feet and it's absolutely full of furniture: we can afford to wait if it means getting a fair price on our antiques. Individuals, however, usually don't have the luxury of constantly moving furniture in and out, so it can sometimes feel like an eternity. Depending on the uniqueness, beauty, and price of your piece, it could take several months to sell it...which brings me to my next point.
3. Value and price are never the same thing. For one thing, value is relative: before the recent market crash, antiques were selling at slightly higher prices than they do now, because people expect a deal when times are tough. So even if you do all of the right things and get your antique(s) appraised, you probably won't sell them at the maximum possible value. This is why market research is so important to the selling process: if your piece is just a few hundred dollars lower than the average, you are substantially increasing your odds of selling the piece in a reasonable period of time. But since you determine what is "reasonable," that means striking a balance between how long you want to wait and how much money you want for your piece.
4. Take great pictures and write a great description. In our experience, pictures make a huge impact on whether someone decides to buy or not—especially over the Internet, where a picture is often the only thing the customer has to go on. Likewise, a detailed description of the piece—including, if applicable, history, wear, special features, etc.—can go a long way towards telling the customer that you care about the sale and you know what you're talking about. This is another reason why research is so important, and it's also another of countless examples of the old adage, "Practice makes perfect."
5. Diversify! This is a lot like saying, "Location, location, location." List your piece in as many places as possible: Ebay, Craigslist, GoAntiques, whatever it takes. Of course, dealers have a much wider range of venues to sell their furniture, but that shouldn't keep you from occupying enough marketplaces to make the sale happen. Many of these venues and platforms require listing fees, so this is another example of balance: if you expect to get a lot of money for your antique(s), then you might not mind at all whether you're paying $10/month to maintain your listings. If your piece is cheap, though, you may want to consider minimizing where possible so that you don't wind up selling at a loss.
6. Think about shipping: this is always a big plus, as it opens up new markets. You may not be able to ship yourself, but you can always call blanket wrap delivery companies—which, although expensive, still provide essential services. Ever see a gorgeous antique on Ebay that sells for $150 and doesn't have shipping? That's why. Again, this is one of those issues of balance, but on average, you will fetch a higher price for your piece if you can make it available to the most people possible.
7. Enjoy yourself! Selling furniture is definitely a learning process, but the world of antiques—especially online—is constantly evolving and there is always more to do and more to sell. Good luck out there!
Tags: selling, tips, online furniture
1 comment.
Posted by Chris under Furniture Resources on March 12, 2011
Whether you are looking to sell a recently inherited antique, or whether you'd just like to know how much your furniture is worth, it is always important to know the value of antique furniture. However, acquiring that knowledge can often be the most frustrating part of selling or inheriting furniture, but knowing how to determine value and, more importantly, knowing what value actually is, makes all the difference.
Value is of course relative to market trends, taste, region, time period, who is buying and selling, etc. Still, there remain three general types of value that more or less apply to every circumstance. Under ideal conditions, the retail value describes the highest possible amount that a piece of furniture can sell for—but antiques seldom sell at their maximum value. For dealers, antiques sell most often somewhere between their retail and wholesale value, which is the amount that dealers and designers typically pay one another. Finally, the "quick sale" value describes the lowest possible value that a piece could sell for in a small amount of time while simultaneously maximizing the seller's gains. For instance, if the wholesale value of, say, a particular mahogany bookcase is $500, then the quick sale value might fall somewhere around $300-350. This is the amount that you could expect to receive if you sold this hypothetical bookcase to a dealer or if you lent it on consignment.
If you are serious about selling your furniture and you know it's worth a pretty penny, then we suggest contacting a certified appraiser in your area. Appraisers are the best option for determining the value of your piece, and in addition to offering detailed information about the age, origin, and unique features of your piece, they usually provide the three values described above. However, appraisers also usually cost several hundred dollars, which may not be an option for everyone. Still, if you're confident that you have in your possession furniture of significant value, getting an appraisal is certainly something that you should do as soon as possible. As an added bonus, insurance adjusters often require these appraisals, so if you get one done, make sure that you keep your records in a safe place.
Luckily, there are a number of other ways to determine the value of your antique if you don't want to hire an appraiser. We recommend searching the Internet for similar pieces: try looking on Ebay, GoAntiques, and Ruby Lane. This is often the best way to determine the going market value of your antique—but be sure to pay attention to the seller and, if applicable, their reputation. For instance, someone who has, say, an 800 positive feedback rating on Ebay (or a Top-Rated Seller) will probably have a better idea of the value of their furniture than someone with only a 1 or 2 rating.
We also recommend trying sites like worthpoint.com and auctionwally.com, where you might be able to find an appraisal for your antique in their archives.
Finally, you can try showing your antiques—or pictures of them—to dealers. This approach meets with wildly varying degrees of success, since many dealers will not provide this type of assistance free of charge, while others are happy to share their knowledge. Even so, keep in mind that it is nearly impossible to accurately determine the age, period, origin, or value of a piece without seeing it in person.
We hope that we've answered some of your concerns about evaluating your antique furniture—but as always, if there's more that you'd like to know, please feel free to leave a comment below!
Tags: selling, tips
2 comments.
Posted by Chris under Company News on March 09, 2011
It's that time again: the best monthly antique show in the South is back. We just got a new shipment of beautiful antiques, so we've got plenty of cool stuff at the show! Come see Peter in the South Building, spaces H9-H10.
Tags: Scott Antique Market, show
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