Take a walk through some of the online furniture sites in order to
help to train yourself to know various styles and to recognize antiques
in any setting. It's relatively easy to know if an antiques store has
antique furniture cabinets. That's what is supposed to be there and
chances are there won't be many reproduction pieces.
The
real trick will be to spot that at the garage or home auction or the
yard sale where someone is simply trying to get rid of grandma's ancient
furniture in order to bring in something a bit more modern and
interesting.
The designs of antique furniture cabinets will vary
according to the period in which they were made. Likewise, the materials
will quite likely be unique and not often seen. The Oaks, Cherry, Pine
or Mahogany woods that you're going to find in antiques are simply not
found in the new furniture of today in most cases. Even the most costly
modern furniture will have a great deal of veneer as opposed to a lot of
solid woods.
Although it is sometimes hard to determine if the
piece is a real one, you can learn a bit more by studying books and
online sites which will help you to find out more about the various
styles and the pieces that might be associated with them. The various
time spans, such as Pre-Victorian, Victorian, Early American, American,
English, or European will all have their own specific finish, their own
styles.
Each item may also have a maker's mark that you can find
if you know where to look. Some will be beneath the chairs and in
various places. While many won't have those marks, some will give you
good clues about the time period and the place that the item was made.
