How is the value of antique furniture determined?

Aside from its age and authenticity, one of the most important factors to consider is the furniture's condition. Because furniture serves both an ornamental and a functional purpose, most pieces needed to be repaired or re-upholstered over centuries of use. Preservation with respect for original materials usually indicates a higher value. Another very important consideration is the quality of the piece. How fine is the work and how rare would it have been for the time period in which it was created? As a final step, we can often identify the workshop or master who created a piece of furniture. Some are more in demand than others.

‍

We often help our customers to find the value of their antique furniture. Here are a few antique furniture appraisals we have done:

‍

‍

‍

What do experts look for in antique furniture?

The first thing we look at when we appraise antique furniture is the style and material used. This is to assign a date to the piece. We also look for defects. For example, we often see that a piece of period furniture has a nice front, but that there are a lot of mistakes on the reverse side, which faces the wall. We ask ourselves questions like: are the drawers properly constructed, or is there hardware, like screws, present which is not period-appropriate? Then, of course, we have a look at the overall condition to see if the piece was used. In certain instances, this can point to a forgery or marriage (later combination of original and newer parts). For example, no polished areas under the drawer would be a clue that the furniture, or at least parts of the furniture, are not original.

Is antique furniture valuable?

The world's most expensive piece of antique furniture was sold in 2004 for the massive sum of $36.7 million. The ornate piece is known as the Badminton Cabinet and is inlaid with precious stones. It was sold by the 3rd Duke of Beaufort's descendants and now resides in the Liechtenstein Museum. The second-highest price was paid in 2009 when Christie's auctioned a leather and wood "Dragon's Chair" for approximately $26.6 million. The chair was designed by Eileen Gray and once owned by Yves St. Laurent, underlining the impact provenance can have on the value of antique furniture. Though not every piece is going to fetch an eight-figure price - and, in fact, most don't - there is certainly a demand for high-quality pieces with interesting history.

What antique furniture is currently selling?

Antique furniture is one of the segments of the art market which fell in price in the last years. Currently, the market is focused on high-class pieces or pieces which are directly connected to a known person or provenance. Reproductions from the second half of the 19th century have flooded the market and are of such high quality that they can easily be confused for an original. However, their value is usually significantly lower, so it's important to know whether you have an original or a reproduction if you want to know the value of your antique furniture.

How easy is it to appraise antique furniture online?

Antique furniture is one of the more straightforward items that we appraise. By providing a thorough description and some detailed images of your piece, our experts can provide a reliable online appraisal within 48 hours. Because antique furniture can be extremely heavy and difficult to transport, an online appraisal from Mearto makes it easier to know the value of your antique furniture without having to move it or pay for an appraiser to visit your home.