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Page 26 The Antique Shoppe July, 2019
GREATER ORLANDO Questions &

Kissimmee • Oviedo • Winter Park • Orlando Common Sense Answers

KISSIMMEE WINTER PARK with Fred Taylor
1. Lanier’s 5. Orange Tree Antique Mall
2. Echoes of Yesterday 6. Gingers Antique Mall I’ve heard before that the value of “old” wooden furniture is partly
Q. determined by the existence of the original finish along with all it’s
flaws and that refinishing an antique greatly reduces its value even while
OVIEDO ORLANDO improving its appearance. Is that true? I purchased a dresser from a local
3. The Coop 7. OAE Inc. “junk” shop for my daughter. The vendor said that it was red oak and it has
4. Oviedo Antique Mall some stains on the top from spills that left white rings and some deterioration
of the original finish with scratches and wear marks on the edges where the
finish is gone and light wood shows through. I’ve checked it out and it appears
that at least one of the drawers has been repaired or replaced since the inside
GINGER'S does not match the others and the decorative trim on the front isn’t mitered
ANTIQUE correctly. There should be a small gap in the trim where the drawers meet and
this one touches on both sides. The stain looks like red oak but I don’t know
MALL how to identify the wood itself to know whether it’s really oak or something
“Tin To Tiffany” Historic Downtown Marketplace else stained like red oak. Even though this guy said that it was an antique
108 Broadway
2695 W. Fairbanks Ave. in the Old McCrory’s Building dresser, I’m thinking that it’s just old, maybe from the late 50’s or 60’s, but
Winter Park, FL 32789 Kissimmee, FL I’m not sure how to tell the difference. Digital camera is DOA at present so I
can’t send a picture. What things can I look for to try to determine whether
407-933-5679 it has any real antique value? It’s a nice piece of furniture that I got at a good
(One block West of I-4 at Fairbanks)
Antiques & Collectibles price so, antique or not, I’m happy with it. I just don’t know whether I should
Orientals - Imari - Mud Men Antiques, Collectibles & Accessories
Heisey - Cut Glass - Candelabras for the Home & Garden refinish it or throw on a dresser scarf and leave it alone. My gut says to go for
it since it’s not part of a set.
Serving the Orlando area for Over 30 Years Family owned and operated for 20 years
Wed-Sat 11am-5pm or by appt. • Closed June-Oct. I also have a mahogany bedroom suite from the 1920’s (with pewter
OPEN: Mon-Sat 10-5
407-740-8775 6 Laniersantiques.com 1 medallions inserted in two drawers with the manufacturer’s logo) where
the finish has substantially darkened and an old upright piano where the
black/dirty finish has been rubbed off in spots and shows promising wood
underneath but I’m afraid to strip any of it, especially the bedroom set, for
fear of destroying the value. Any thoughts? Thanks. Becky.
Becky – In order to preserve the value of an antique, first the piece
3 A. actually has to be an antique, whatever that means, and second it has
4 to have some value to start with. Unfortunately some antiques “experts” have
Geneva poisoned the public mind on the subject of original finishes. I have written a
number of articles on the subject and there is not room here to go into it all
but it seems like too many people are afraid to make needed repairs or finish
5 fixes because of the value question.

6 Red oak is a species of the oak tree (Quercus Erythrobalanus) that isn’t
really red. It’s just slightly more colorful (actually browner) than its cousin
white oak, Quercus Alba. If light wood shows where the finish is gone then
the finish is what has the real red in it, not the wood. It still may be “red oak”
when it’s stripped and refinished but it won’t naturally be red. The use of
red oak in furniture is primarily a 20 century thing in American furniture
th
and mostly the second half of the 20 century. Since the dresser already has
th
a serious drawer problem and if it is made of red oak then a) any original
antique value is gone with the drawer problem and b) its not an antique
7 anyway. Go for the refinish. You can only improve the piece.
Generally the same is true with your bedroom set and piano. They both
are 20 century mass produced items and in a current degraded condition
th
(finish wise) they have no particular value except perhaps to you if they are
family pieces. However, since you can’t send me any photos and you didn’t
mention the brand name of either the piano or the bedroom set I suggest
you seek the opinion of a local dealer or auctioneer. However, there are very,
very few bedroom sets or pianos from the early part of the 20 century where
th
value is not only preserved but actually enhanced by good restoration work.
Continued >
Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or email them
2 1 to me at info@furnituredetective.com
Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com and check out the downloadable “Common Sense
Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book “HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE” is now available for
$18.95 plus $3.00 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River,
FL 34423
Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE”, ($17.00 + $3.00 S&H)
are also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377 (9AM-4PM Eastern, M-F
only), fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com. All items are also available directly from the
website, www.furnituredetective.com