January 21st, 2012 — Antique, Antiquities, Collectible, Furnishings, Furniture, Secretary Desk
When you’re shopping for antique desks, a secretary desk is just one of the many different styles of furniture you’ll find. There are standard desks, of course, elaborate (and now amazingly expensive) Wooten desks, old rolltop desks and variations on all of those. How do you tell the difference between these types of desks and secretary desks?
A secretary desk is distinctive from all these, even though it does have similarities to them all, because of the way the writing area is disguised when the desk is not in use. When the area is covered and the desk is closed, it’s closed off by a piece of flat wood that usually sit an angle when it’s closed. Sometimes this angle is as much as 45 degrees. The rolltop desk has the cover that actually rolls up into the desk, and the Wooten desk very rarely has a flat front, the front is usually curved, carved and very elaborate.
The size of a secretary desk can vary a great deal. The more modern reproductions or even less antique secretary desks tend to be smaller than the ones a hundred years old or more. Many of these desk are quite tall and very heavy. Newer ones might even be built in such a way that they can easily be taken apart, but antique desks were built solidly as a single piece of furniture meant to stay together for hundreds of years.
The hinged panel that hides the open area within the desk actually creates the actual writing surface. There are typically wide drawers on a secretary desk, and sometimes small drawers and small cubbies on the piece of furniture as well, to allow storage for a variety of different items. Older secretary desks might have a tall bookcase above the writing area or even a glassed-in bookcase or set of shelves. The top of these desks often look more like a china cabinet or a curio cabinet than anything belonging on a desk, and when the desk area is closed, it does often look like nothing more than a piece of display furniture.
Unlike a rolltop desk or other type of desk where the panel slides into the desk, everything must be removed from the writing area in order to close the desk, which makes the needs for the drawers and cubbies apparent. While a Wooten desk is similar to a secretary desk, a secretary desk has a more plain appearance. It will look more like a nice curio cabinet, china cabinet or even armoire or dresser on top, with drawers and the hidden work surface below.
Wooten desks are similar to these desks but they simply have a more fancy appearance—and typically sell for thousands of dollars. Secretary desks are the most prevalent type of antique desk available today, a type of desk once so popular it was commonly referred to as simply “a secretary.” You can find an antique secretary desk in antique shops, at flea markets and in online auctions like eBay.
Originally posted 2008-11-15 05:00:05. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 18th, 2012 — Antique, Antique School Table, Antiquities, Furniture
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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