Antiques Considered - August 15, 2012
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- Published on Tuesday, 14 August 2012 21:01
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This week a writer from Boston, Mass. has asked via e-mail about this oak chest that is part of an estate he is settling. He has been offered $100 for it, and asks whether that is a fair price.
This chest, or as some would call it, dresser, is a good example of its period and genre. It dates from the turn of the twentieth century, and is factory-made. The lines are good, and the finish appears to be original. The mirror is beveled, and the feet, not shown in this photograph, are cabriole in shape. The façade with five drawers is serpentine, and the piece still has its original wooden pulls. The ends are paneled.
Oak pieces of this type are not bringing the prices they did a few years ago; in that regard they are mirroring trends in the general economy. This piece is quite useful for storage of clothes, and does not need refinishing, thereby making it more valuable than similar ones. The drawer fronts are veneered, and I assume they do not require re-gluing. It is worth more than the $100 offer.
A retail price would be $325, and a wholesale price to a dealer would be $200. I suggest looking on the back to see if a factory label still is present, or if any shipping labels have survived, also whether a painted stencil indicates the name of the company that made the chest. Here in the Northern Neck, similar pieces with their original Baltimore steamship labels bring significantly more than ones without any shipping documentation.
Regardless of the period, regional antiques bring higher prices in their own areas. In this case, a Boston or other New England label, either of manufacture or of shipping, could enhance its value in New England, whereas such evidence might not change the value in another section of the country.
Happy Antiquing! Lisa and Henry Hull operate Commonwealth Antiques and Appraisals, Inc., at 5150 Jesse DuPont Hwy., P. O. Box 35, Wicomico Church VA 22570.
