Buying Tips

My First and Foremost Piece of Advice to Any Collector of Antique Furniture is to Never Strip That Old Finish Off!   The original finish on an antique is part of its valued charm....a lovely old patina (finish) develops over decades of polishing that can never be replaced and once removed may reduce its value by up to 50%. This is not to say that you may not clean or restore an old finish (in the antique trade known as "restoration");  this is sometimes recommended to remove decades of dirt, white rings, spots, burns and scratches that detract from the...

Do you want to Collect Vintage and Antique Silver? For The Best "Buys", Look for Sterling Pieces that Date From The First Quarter of the 20th Century & Earlier and 19th & Early 20th-Century Silver Plate from the Best Silversmiths/Companies.  There are Three Major Categories of Collectible Silver; Namely - Sterling, Silverplate, and Sheffield Plate.    Always look for a maker's mark (hallmark) on old silver; these marks can be found in the form of a hallmark (usually indicating English or Continental origin) or a maker' s or company name. Although hallmarks are a good indicator of age and authenticity, be...

The Legs and Feet of Furniture are One of The Best-Identifying Factors for Furniture Styles.   The earliest feet were either plain (being an extension of the style) or were large "balls". Later, the growth of the styles of feet used on furniture was based on the imitation of the feet of quadrupeds, birds and even "dragons". Caveat: the fact that an item of furniture has one of the styles of foot/leg shown below does not indicate it is from that period as these styles have seen frequent revivals over the centuries and often times these revival pieces were of...

Images From - Wallace Nutting's Furniture Treasury Vols I & II; To Learn More about Furniture Styles I Recommend This Book.   Chippendale - 18th C. The examples below were commonly used by Thomas Chippendale; they were more common to England than the US. The two styles shown in row one middle and far-right are usually referred to as "Chinese" Chippendale. Note: this leg is always vertical and of even size, there is no taper to this style of a leg (see Hepplewhite, Sheraton).   Sheraton Examples below belong to Sheraton style furniture; reeded variations can often be found as...

What is Bronze? What is Cold Cast or Bonded Bronze? How Do I Know If My Sculpture is Bronze? Why is My Sculpture Changing Color and What Should I Do About It? How Should I Care for My Bronze Sculpture? Should I Repair or Restore My Sculpture? My Sculpture has Been Damaged and I Want to Have It Restored, What Kind of Results Can I Expect and How Do I Proceed? Click here to Read - Frequently Asked Questions About Bronze Artwork.