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About Antique Furniture
Antique and vintage furniture is the collecting area that's been least impacted by the online world. Because except at the high end, the market is still largely local due to shipping costs. That said, the market is huge and can be confusing - there are as many different types of furniture as there are tastes and styles and eras.
For a long time, collectors in the U.S. focused on traditional 19th Century furniture categories and styles, like Queen Anne, Chippendale; Federal Style, Colonial Revival, and the many styles that fall under the rubric of Victorian (Gothic Revival, Rococo Revival, Renaissance Revival, Eastlake). Much of this furniture has been heavily influenced by European (e.g. French) and British styles...
In recent decades, modern 20th century styles have gained prominence in the world of antique and vintage furniture, including Arts and Crafts (e.g. Mission Oak Style), Art Deco, and increasingly, Mid-Century Modern (e.g. Eames, Heywood Wakefield, Danish, etc.).
As with any collecting category, quality is key with antique and vintage furniture. Look for undamaged pieces which have been well cared for, with original finishes, hardware, and patina if possible. Try to understand the piece's history and provenance, and ascertain its maker and originality (mass-produced reproductions have been made of almost every style and piece).
Finally, as any furniture collector will tell you, buy only what you really like, because furniture styles go in and out, and values fluctuate up and down accordingly.
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Upcoming Events
- In the Service of The Buddha: Tibetan Furniture from the Hayward Family Collection
Mar 27–Apr 3. Los Angeles, CA. - The Artistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs
Jan 30–Apr 25. Pittsburgh, PA. - Brandywine River Museum 39th Annual Antiques Show
May 29–31. Chadds Ford, PA.
Interviews & Articles
An Interview With Victorian Furniture Collector John Werry
How did I get started collecting Victorian Furniture? Antiques is in my genes, my mother's family were longtime ant… [more]
An Interview With American Furniture Collector Chuck LaChiusa
About 11 years ago, my wife and I went on some architectural tours. We joined the organization that sponsored the t… [more]
An Interview With Eames Collector and Mid Century Design Aficionado Steve Cabella
As a teenager, I collected everything from vintage bicycles to Coca-Cola to Victorian stuff. Once I realized some o… [more]
The Grace of Queen Anne Furniture
Whole books, and many of them, have been written about American furniture of various periods and special localities… [more]
The Sandersons and Salem Furniture
Part I: For at least thirty years students of American craftsmanship have realized that a large quantity of fine… [more]
Chester County Cabinetmakers
The scope covered by the work of Chester County, Pa., cabinetmakers was literally from the cradle to the coffin. Th… [more]
Birch, the Forgotten Wood of Cabinetmakers
Many qualities have gone into the making of the much discussed "American way" but one of the greatest seems to have… [more]
George Washington and His Presidential Furniture
"Great rejoicing in New York on the arrival of General Washington. Previous to his coming, Uncle Walter's house in … [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Buffalo Architecture and History
Chuck LaChiusa's wonderful guide to the architecture and history of Buffalo, NY, also happens to host an impressive… [read review or visit site]
Rare Victorian
John Werry's in-depth blog on rare Victorian Furniture, with detailed, informative and often humorous posts on doze… [read review or visit site]
Chipstone
This beautiful site showcases the collection of Stanley and Polly Stone of Fox Point, Wisconsin, consisting of earl… [read review or visit site]
EamesCollector.com
Steven Cabella's personal homage to Charles and Ray Eames. This site is as clean and visually appealing as the Eame… [read review or visit site]
Kentucky Online Arts Resource
This huge online database from the Speed Art Museum is a rich trove of beautiful photos and reference information o… [read review or visit site]
Index of American Design
The Index of American Design project (1935-1942) was an effort to catalog American decorative arts objects from the… [read review or visit site]
LACMA Arts and Crafts
This microsite from the LA County Museum of Art provides a good overview of the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe … [read review or visit site]
Modernism
An overview by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts of the design movements between 1880 and 1940 that comprised Moder… [read review or visit site]
Herman Miller Consortium Collection
This website showcases several hundred pieces of furniture, held by thirteen museums, that were designed for Herman… [read review or visit site]
Work of Charles and Ray Eames
This Library of Congress microsite is an overview of the postwar modern design work of Charles (1907-78) and Ray (1… [read review or visit site]
George Hunzinger Furniture
Scott Geyer's blog on the innovative Victorian furniture designs of George Jacob Hunzinger, who began manufacturing… [read review or visit site]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
Other Great Reference Sites: Furniture
- The Victoria and Albert Furniture Collection
- Eames Office
- U.S. State Department Diplomatic Receptions Rooms
- Wadsworth Atheneum
Are we missing one? Tell us.
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Recent News: Furniture
Source: Google News
Book recalls author's 1930s childhood
Atlanta Journal Constitution, March 21stThe 1850s two-story has double porches, four bedrooms, seven fireplaces, a backyard well and plenty of room for Benedict's collection of antique furniture...Read more
Consignment shops offer cheap chic in tough times
Asbury Park Press, March 21stbrethren - thrift stores - have been around for generations selling everything from clothing and accessories to antique furniture and knickknacks...Read more
Poetic Home's New Classifieds Features Vintage Furniture and Library Card ...
PR.com (press release), March 21stAficionados of library card catalogs, mid-century modern furniture, repurposed furniture, and vintage typewriters find their fix at Poetic Home's...Read more
Collective Art & Antique Furniture Exhibition by Inspire
Gozo News, March 20thThe annual Collective Art Exhibition and Antique Furniture Exhibition organised by Inspire (The Eden and Razzett Foundation) in Victoria,...Read more
Auction benefits abused children
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, March 20thBy Star-Bulletin staff A furniture auction begins today and continues next weekend to benefit the Children's Alliance of Hawaii and its program supporting...Read more
The ABCs of B&Bs
FOXNews, March 15th
By Paul Eisenberg If your idea of a bed and breakfast experience involves antique furniture, creaky floors, and sharing bathrooms and meals with strangers,...Read more
In Pictures: 'Michael Jackson Memorabilia Auction'
Monsters and Critics.com, March 14th
The furniture collection is expected to fetch well over 1 million USD (0.73 million euros). EPA/PHOTO COURTESY OF COLOMBOSTILE / HO EDITORIAL USE ONLY/NO...Read more
Furniture collection to aid those in emergency housing
Canton Repository, March 4thBy Anonymous The Malone University Pioneer football team, the YWCA Emergency Shelter program and area moving companies have teamed up to collect furniture...Read more