Do you think that contemporary furniture is too pompous and lacks the kind of personality that artisans from earlier eras could always add to their works? For collectors of antique furniture, life may be a never-ending quest for fulfilment at several auction houses. Those with an eye for quality might find fantastic discounts. That eye also requires a high level of aptitude. There is no comparison between purchasing antique furniture at furniture auctions and visiting your preferred neighbourhood antique shop. While you are free to assess an item’s quality carefully wherever you are, the question of how much you should anticipate to spend doesn’t arise until the bidding really starts. Making judgments on the moment about what you should spend for that chest of drawers you have your eye on requires you to be very swift.
Utilize the pre-auction examination to the fullest, carefully scrutinise every item of antique furniture you think would be of interest, and make a mental note of how high you’re ready to bid. You will need to make quick selections when the item you want is really up for sale. However, inspecting antique furniture is not as easy as it may seem. When analysing antique furniture, it’s important to keep in mind that natural wood treated using traditional methods (as opposed to wood finished using modern methods) sometimes has flaws and minor dings. These are character-defining defects in antique furniture and shouldn’t be viewed as a deal-breaker in any manner. However, a piece with so many significant faults that it must be refinished might cause concern. Refinished antiques become less valuable.
When deciding how high you may raise a piece of furniture, there are construction quality considerations to make. Any piece of antique furniture with legs is susceptible to becoming looser over time. However, designs that make the legs an extension of the furniture itself are less prone to cause this. The legs should not be screwed on.
Many antique auctions simply sell the headboards and footboards of beds; there are never any bed rails in between.
These should be avoided since it will be difficult to acquire lovely wooden rails that fit the design of the bed.
Finally, make sure to look for termite damage when purchasing case goods (furniture like cupboards, bookshelves, and the like). This might not be as obvious as it first appears. Check the edges of drawers for anything that resembles sawdust. If you see any, it means that someone is attempting to conceal the possibility of damage that might reduce value. Whatever you do, make sure to maintain your composure and use common sense. Making the perfect choice at an auction doesn’t need a lot of specialised expertise. It only requires a strong gut feeling.
