Antiques -> Furniture -> Tables, Stands

If you’re looking for antique furniture like an antique school table or desk, one great place to find these items is estate auctions.  While you can find antique furniture in online auctions like eBay, you need to be very savvy about the purchases you make–just because something looks antique doesn’t mean it is. There are entire stores where you can purchase antique reproductions, after all, and own something brand new that looks like it was crafted 100 years ago.  So those auctions that claim to be for antique furniture and antique school desks should be able to offer more than just the claim of “antique” to prove that the item really is an authentic antique.

Your reasons for wanting to find an antique school table have much to do with how you should go about purchasing one.  If it’s merely the look you’re after, a certain style or type of manufacture, then you might decide to buy a reproduction.  Reproduction antiques are less expensive and have an appearance very similar to the originals they’re modeled after.  If it’s a sentimental quest because you remember how something looked or felt, or because maybe a grandparent or older relative had one that has become lost and you’d like to have that same piece, consider purchasing a reproduction.

But if you’re set on a real antique school table, then you’re going to need to do some homework.  You can probably walk into most antique stores today and find something to suit you, but if you’d rather pay less than the antique store price and enjoy the hunt for a piece that speaks to you personally rather than just purchasing what happens to be available in the store, then you need to shop around for some time before purchasing so that you can do a price check.

Visit many antique stores to get a feel of the average cost of an antique school table.  While some stores might not have one, you’re sure to find at least a few.  And even if they’re not exactly the item you’re looking for they should be similar in price to the one you’re hoping to find.  This will help you know how much cost you’ll probably look at when you find the piece you want.

It will also help you become more familiar with the look of an authentic antique school table.  Sometimes during estate auctions or even in online auctions, you’ll see piece for sale that looks antique but you’re not sure, and it seems the seller really doesn’t know that much background about the piece.  That doesn’t necessarily mean the seller or auctioneer is trying to cheat you by passing off something too new as an antique.  Often, the history of antique pieces, especially antique furniture, becomes muddied through the years. 

Become familiar with the look, and you might spot an antique school table when no one else recognizes the treasure. Beware of refinished furniture unless the purchase is purely sentimental. Refinishing often completely destroys the antique value of the item.

Photo Credits: gabyu

Originally posted 2008-10-21 14:00:34. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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