| Antique chairs bring with them, through time, | | | | anyone who cares to know. The information is |
| stories of our past. Earlier generations, in | | | | just a point and click away! Pictures, |
| their wisdom, cared for and preserved the | | | | history, appraisals...anything you might need |
| history these chairs represent, the history | | | | to educate yourself about a particular piece. |
| they themselves were part of. Now we too can | | | | |
| enjoy and appreciate the proud traditions and | | | | Antiquing Your Home |
| skilled craftmanship that went into building | | | | |
| these chairs. We can remember and imagine the | | | | No one can deny, for charm and character, |
| tale of life they weave that brings warmth to | | | | antique chairs are the hand-down choice for a |
| our heart and sometimes a tear to our eye... | | | | room or an entire house. Exceptionally well |
| of special occasions - births, graduations, | | | | suited for single piece additions are chairs |
| weddings, and partings. | | | | from the Victorian Era. Well noted for its |
| | | | typically massive and elaborately designed |
| Antique chairs are the products of master | | | | furniture, its durability is evident in its |
| builders who loved their craft. The pride and | | | | size, construction and weight. Although |
| attention to detail that went into building | | | | fabric and woven fiber chairs are classic, |
| these treasures is evident. Ironically, it's | | | | wood is the preferred material. Wood is a |
| due to these long-forgotten ideals that we | | | | much more forgiving and durable material than |
| may enjoy and appreciate these remnants of a | | | | say paper wicker - a man-made fibrous |
| simpler, innocent time. | | | | material, rolled or twisted to look and |
| | | | behave like rope. |
| Come Out, Come Out Wherever You Are | | | | |
| | | | For the dining room, mission chairs bring |
| Antique chairs can be found almost anywhere. | | | | charm and style. They can be used at the |
| Your Grandmother probably still has her old | | | | dining table or placed off to the side and |
| kitchen set, stored in the attic, | | | | will take their place proudly with their |
| inappropriate for the current style of her | | | | backs held high. With a little care,these |
| modernized kitchen. Another place to look may | | | | chairs will last generations and need only to |
| be yard sales. People are often trying to | | | | be cleaned and occasionally polished. |
| clean out old stuff, many times antique | | | | |
| chairs, in order to make way for the new | | | | Is It Or Isn't It |
| stuff they eventually replace it with. | | | | |
| | | | Just visiting yard sales or answering ads in |
| Still another place and probably the easiest | | | | the local paper isn't a guarantee that the |
| is an ad in the local newspaper. Again, | | | | antique that's for sale is quite what you're |
| people sometimes just need the space and want | | | | looking for or is actually even antique. Even |
| to clear the clutter. Lots of times, real | | | | though duplication is impossible very close |
| bargains are there for the taking because | | | | replicas are more abundant than the antiques |
| these folks either don't know the value of | | | | they masquerade as. There are certain |
| the items they're parting with or can't be | | | | tell-tale signs for the would-be buyer to |
| bothered with the effort required to restore | | | | watch for. |
| it or just don't have the time. | | | | |
| | | | - If a seller has all the chairs of a |
| Sold - To The Man In The BMW! | | | | matching set, this should cause you to raise |
| | | | at least one eyebrow. I won't say it never |
| On the higher end, you can usually find | | | | happens but to find a complete matching set |
| quality pieces on auction in places like | | | | of a truly valuable antique is a rare event. |
| Sotheby's and Christie's Auction Houses. | | | | |
| They're famous for their 5, 6 and even 7 | | | | - Multiple items - like above but the seller |
| figure auctions selling off the wares of | | | | doesn't claim them to be a matching set. |
| their upscale clients. The owners of these | | | | |
| items usually do know the value of their | | | | - If the word antique or Victorian is |
| antiques. Personally, I'll stick to the yard | | | | overused in an ad...raise the other eyebrow. |
| sales and Grandmas attic! | | | | The seller may be trying to convince you (or |
| | | | himself) that he has authentic antique |
| Hello World! | | | | chairs. |
| | | | |
| Because of today's technology, chiefly the | | | | Armed with this information and your own |
| internet and specialty cable tv shows, | | | | research, you should have little trouble in |
| information about antique chairs and antiques | | | | your search for authentic and valuable |
| is abundant and available to practically | | | | antiques. |