Real antique wood furniture will be very valuable soon

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Nyiah

The point is that no matter how beautiful or functional the piece is it will ways be worth $50.
Therefore painting them will always happen.

No way, a painted piece is worth less.
Patina has value. Of course there are pieces all levels of the price spectrum and in almost all
cases the painted piece is worth less than the antique piece that has been left original.

a reply to: Nyiah

For some reason you seem to think I'm attacking you or your viewpoint.
I was only commenting on the topic of people painting "nice" antiques.
They dollar value is so low that painted antiques sell for more money than original.

a reply to: JAGStorm

The value depends on what piece of furniture you are talking about.
Dressers and vanities are a dime a dozen.

I'm sure location matters too.
Here in rural Indiana is bound to be different than more urban areas.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Nyiah

The dresser is a perfect example of what I was saying.
It's worth $50...... maybe

Or maybe $1000. I have a very similar one that has been appraised over $700. Turns out it was made in the 18th century.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd be happy to sell you something from here in France. There is an abundance of original old real wood furniture here.

Cheap! but you pay the postage.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Why not get a Jimmy Buffett? Then you can have a cheeseburger in Paradise while you're wasted away again in Margaritaville come Monday.

I like Antiques, always have. I like to match pieces with contemporary. I'm not a all-in Victorian Dollhouse gal.
I do like the item to be close to original. If it's painted over, I'll strip it back, if it is still the natural wood, I'll clean it up and polish it if needed.

I would prefer the glass and chrome minimalist look but alas my adobe hacienda is filled with old old furniture from both my partners and my own parents and grand parents stuff. Very nice but not my style.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Nyiah

The dresser is a perfect example of what I was saying.
It's worth $50...... maybe

Or maybe $1000. I have a very similar one that has been appraised over $700. Turns out it was made in the 18th century.

Pics or it didn't happen, gramps.

a reply to: JAGStorm

This painting old or new crappy dressers thing has been going on for years. At least, my mom has been doing it for years. She painted my childhood dresser a light blue, after it had previously been painted a cream color. Originally it was a light colored unfinished not very solid wood. She paints everything when she wants a decor change. Wicker chairs on the porch? Paint them (spray paint!) deep blue and BAM your porch gets a new look! Oh, having a party with decorations in purple and gold? BAM- paint those wicker chairs gold (spray paint!) and get some purple throw rugs and now even your porch adheres to the party theme.

My mom is precious and I would never want her to know I'm making fun of her. But she got the idea from somewhere, years ago, so it must have been a thing for a while. The pictures you posted as examples look a lot like stuff at my folks' place. 😂

Good thread, I'm enjoying the responses.

originally posted by: zazzafrazz
I'm not a all-in Victorian Dollhouse gal.

That makes one of us.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

LOL you totally are!

a reply to: zazzafrazz


Yup, I've posted the pics to prove it.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

You're house is an elegant old dame.

a reply to: zazzafrazz


Thanks, momma. Glad you like it.

originally posted by: KansasGirl

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: Nyiah

The dresser is a perfect example of what I was saying.
It's worth $50...... maybe

Or maybe $1000. I have a very similar one that has been appraised over $700. Turns out it was made in the 18th century.

Pics or it didn't happen, gramps.

"Gramps"? Why did you feel compelled to say that? The fact is I don't respect you enough to go to the trouble to show you. You couldn't tell from a picture anyway. It looks like a typical dresser. I was as surprised as anyone over the appraisal. It's not going anywhere, but the point is that you shouldn't take someone's Internet appraisal of "$50" as anything definitive. As far as painting goes, people are ignorant. Painting bird's eye or tiger maple ought to be a crime, but hey! If it belongs to them, they can do what they want. The wood is not going anywhere either, so perhaps someone with more sense will come along some day and restore it.

originally posted by: nerbot
a reply to: JAGStorm

I'd be happy to sell you something from here in France. There is an abundance of original old real wood furniture here.

Cheap! but you pay the postage.

My parents have a house full of furniture from Germany, France and Belgium. They are constructed to last a lifetime.
I've actually thought about going on an antique shopping trip there. The only problem is sometimes export duties/taxes can be crazy or add a lot of pain to the process.

I've been eyeballing a lot of German crystal chandeliers, I'd like to go see them in person though. A lot is lost via photos on the internet.

a reply to: JAGStorm

OH MY GAAAAAWWWWWD! YES YES YES YES!


I can't stand when someone paints old wood and calls it "refurbished." I'm like no the word you're looking for is RUINED!

I see this all over where I live and I find many nice pieces of old wood furniture. I myself sand and re-stain or leave as is! I had a client at work give me a really cool sheet music cabinet from the 1920s. It had a few scratches but I wasn't about to do anything to it! It even has a working old key. I have seen similar ones online painted and decals added. Oh how it made me cringe!

I am slowly starting my own business. I will restore old pieces not paint them! I found my coffee table in the garbage. It is solid wood. I took the legs off and sanded the entire thing by hand then I re-stained it. It's perfect! It's probably from around the 1940s. I love the style from that time and prior.


I watch Facebook market and CRINGE at the beautiful pieces of wood people paint. I have even messaged a few to ask what they were thinking, of course they did not reply!



My favorite old piece I have is my 1913 White Furniture company dresser/mirror. I was told it's African Mahogany and something else. It's scratched on the top and some places on the sides but it's perfect the way it is! I always say the marks are its character. I found it at a thrift shop and I paid less than $100!

IDK if anyone has posted this yet but it is easier than ever to restore antique wood, especially if painted recently with modern paints (especially with latex). As long as they didn't put some caustic primer on it (which not many people do and especially not on antiques) which deteriorates the outer surface of the wood to allow the primer to stick easier, then most paints can be removed fairly easily with a few techniques - heat being one of the best solutions. You can strip paint off with a heat gun and it will come of in long strips like peeling a strip of rubber and it almost never leaves any trace behind except in maybe in cracks or corners.