Buying antique furniture is an experience in itself. However, most people are ignorant about what to look for in an antique piece of furniture to make sure it is a genuine one.

This article by Sarika Kabra some of the finer aspects of identifying Antique furniture.

If you are not sure what you are about to buy, better defer your shopping plans, until you can find more out about the product, than going ahead with the gamble of making an uninformed choice!

This article aims at educating you about all you need to know before buying antique furniture. These tips will help you make a better choice, with regards to what you are looking for in antique furniture. it will also provide you with some useful insights to avert a possible scam.

Since antiques are high in demand. They also command a higher price. And due to lack of proper understanding about antique furniture, many scam artists find it easy to dupe people by selling cheap fakes in the name of antiques.

To save yourself from embarrassment, the first obvious step is to make sure that the piece of furniture on offer is actually ‘antique’. A true antique item is at least 100 years old. Now, how to make sure that what you are buying is actually, in fact, an antique?

Take a good look at the furniture by taking it outside the closed interiors. The first sign to observe in true antique furniture is the non-uniformity in its dimensions. This is so due to the fact that wood shrinks as it ages by up to 1/8 inch per foot.

The finer aspects in wooden antique furniture may seem missing. If every nook and corner, length, breadth and width of the furniture seems perfect, this is the first sign that something is not right with the antique.

If you are told that a particular antique furniture item is of Amish made furniture, make sure it is genuine. Typically, Amish furniture is made of 3-pieces. These are joined together by different techniques but the number of sub-pieces is always small. If it is genuine Amish handcrafted furniture, it will show its class by the bulkier weight and fine craftsmanship.

Before buying the antique furniture, make sure that it has not lost its sturdiness with age. If the furniture is not too light and delicate, you can easily test the sturdiness by sitting on it or shaking it lightly. You can also look out for cracks and cuts by running your hand smoothly all over the furniture surface.

A typically old piece of furniture item will appear discolored in certain places. Some kinds of natural wear and tear at the corners will be evident on close inspection. This is due to exposure, over the years, to environmental and other hazards. But the damage should look natural. For instance, the corner blocks should be the same color as surrounding wood. Any variation is a sign that the nature of wood used in a single piece of furniture item is different.

Any kind of hardware used on the antique furniture must be original. The knobs, sliders, screws and bolts can be easily checked by careful assessment of the wood behind these attachments. Any sign of plugged holes means that the hardware has been tampered with.

The next thing is to ask the dealer for necessary warranties and guaranties. Ask all other relevant questions you may have in mind before buying any piece of furniture. For instance, the nature and frequency of repairs undertaken on the furniture, the best price for the furniture etc.

Always seek a second opinion before buying antique furniture and educate yourself with some useful literature on antique furniture.

By Sarika Kabra