What’s It Worth Fact:
Many popular furniture styles, such as Mid-Century Modern, are reproduced in the modern market today. If you are looking to collect or determine the authenticity of Mid-Century Modern furniture, pay attention to details such as quality and finish. Original Mid-Century Modern furniture was constructed using dowels, not staples and glue.
Furniture that is appraised often falls under the category of antique furniture, if it is generally more than 100 years old. However, there are many other styles of furniture that are not considered antique that have value and are sought after by collectors. Furniture movements, such as the Early American Style (1600-1700) and the Arts and Crafts Style (1880-1910) fall under the antique category, but more modern movements, such as Mid-Century Modern (1933-1965) and Minimalist Style (1960s-present) are widely sought after and have value. So don’t discount that sofa, even though it comes from the 1970s!
Tips on submitting furniture appraisals:
- Does it come in a set? If so, please include descriptions and images of the whole set. Furniture sets tend to have more value than individual pieces.
- Look at the construction. Authentic period furniture was primarily constructed with high-quality materials.
- Please be sure to include photos of any markings, inside drawers and cabinets, photos that show the construction (joints, drawer fronts etc), and anything else you think may be pertinent. Better to include too many photos than not enough!
Meet our appraisers:
Click here to meet our furniture specialists Robin, Lisa and Laura!