The Love of Antique Furniture

Why are there so many antique furniture lovers? There are many reasons. For some, the craftsmanship and beauty is what draws them to pieces from ages past. Others enjoy the historical significance of collecting furniture from long ago. Still others may think of buying old furniture as an investment that could pay off in the future. No matter why you choose to enter the world of antiques, you are sure to find plenty of fulfillment shopping for and purchasing beautiful pieces of furniture.

Being different from other types of collectibles, furniture is normally collected according to time frame rather than particular item. For example, no one wants to have just tables or just chairs from different time periods. The most popular way of collecting furniture from ages past is to choose your favorite time period and look for items from that period. There are plenty of different periods from which you can choose. For example, the Queen Anne period dates back to 1702-1714 and is characterized by delicate lines, excellent balance and a lack of excessive adornment. This is in contrast to the later Louis XV period which features gilding and intricate scrollwork.

In addition to time period, you may find that you have a particular building material you are most fond of. Most antiques are crafted from wood, although there are many different types of wood that you may come across. Rosewood is one such wood that was popular in Victorian times for many different types of furniture. Walnut was commonly used in the 17th and 18th centuries. Beech was used from the 17th to 19th centuries as a popular wood for framing and for furniture that was to be painted. Once you know how to recognize different woods and their patinas, you will be more adept in spotting fakes.

On the subject of fakes, this is something that anyone wanting to collect antique furniture needs to know about. Unfortunately, there are reproductions that are sold as the real thing to unassuming customers. Sometimes, the seller is not even aware that the piece they are selling is not a real antique. Before you go shopping, it's a good idea to do some reading and research about the time period of furniture you are in the market for. By understanding the characteristics that define real antiques as well as fakes, you can often distinguish a real antique from a reproduction.

Copyright 2007 Janice J. Sterling - All Rights Reserved

Antique Beds, Antique Furniture, Four Poster Beds - Leonards


American Antique Malls News:
Tacoma Bad Luck Bandit Arrested, Charged - NewsOXY

NewsOXY

Tacoma Bad Luck Bandit Arrested, Charged
NewsOXY
"He was also in possession of several necklaces stolen from the Antique Mall - and is suspected of stealing a beaded Native American ceremonial garment .
Bad Luck Bandit Strikes OutOverTheLimit.info (blog)
Wenatchee Police Arrests Bad Luck BanditThaindian.com
'Bad Luck Bandit' Arrested For Allegedly Perpetrating A BurglaryThaindian.com

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DAILY CALENDAR - Port Huron Times Herald

DAILY CALENDAR
Port Huron Times Herald
Sponsor: Antique Mall of St. Clair. 1 pm St. Clair Farmers Market, to 7 pm Cooking demonstrations by local restaurants at 5:30 pm Riverview Plaza, .

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Our pick of Best Bets for July 30 - August 5 - Cape Cod Times

Our pick of Best Bets for July 30 - August 5
Cape Cod Times
. an antique and vintage quilt exhibit, a merchant mall with more than 25 vendors, quilt appraisals, lectures and demonstrations, and more. .

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Community Calendar - Skokie Review

Community Calendar
Skokie Review
11 at Lincolnwood Town Center, 3333 W. Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, in the mall parking lot. Explore a fire truck, police car, dump truck and more. .

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Bay City antique mall helps Tall Ship Celebration patrons record their visit - MLive.com

MLive.com

Bay City antique mall helps Tall Ship Celebration patrons record their visit
MLive.com
The Tall Ship Celebration brings in people from all over the world and the Americana Company Antique Mall has the maps to prove it. .

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Calendar of Events, updated July 28, 2010 - Mount Shasta Herald

Calendar of Events, updated July 28, 2010
Mount Shasta Herald
Antique logging equipment demos, wood carving demos, melodrama performance, street fair, home and business tour, classic car show, antique tractor show, .

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Lake County Calendar - Lake Villa Review

Lake County Calendar
Lake Villa Review
5 at The Painted Penguin at Westfield's Hawthorn Mall (upper level between Sears and JC Penney's). The event consists of painting a ceramic figure and .

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Outings: The Historic Shinn House and Gardens
The wooden Victorian style Shinn House dates to the 1850s and showcases four generations of Shinn family artifacts and early Alameda County rural life. Beyond the rose arbor on the right a two-story water tower rises...


Smithsonian honors Philadelphia hat-maker - Philadelphia Inquirer

Smithsonian honors Philadelphia hat-maker
Philadelphia Inquirer
Tuesday, two of the museum's curators attended a ceremony honoring Reeves and announced that 30 hats and several pieces of antique furniture from Mae's .

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