How do you know furniture is “high-quality?”
Is an older piece of furniture automatically more valuable than a newer piece?
Is machine-made furniture low-quality?
Antique furniture varies widely in craftsmanship, materials, and construction, so you have to consider multiple factors when you determine the quality of your furniture.
Understanding how to identify high-quality antique furniture can help you:
determine whether restoration or preservation is worthwhile
avoid investing in low-quality pieces that are not meant to last
decide what to do with inherited pieces from a loved one’s estate
At Mumford Restoration, we evaluate antique furniture every day and help clients decide whether their pieces are worth restoring.
Above: This mid-century Broyhill Brasilia cabinet is considered high quality for its design, construction, and wood choice.
How Can You Tell if Antique Furniture Is High Quality?
High-quality antique furniture is defined by construction, materials, and craftsmanship, not just age or appearance.
Key indicators can include:
strong, traditional joinery
solid wood construction or high-quality veneer
evidence of hand craftsmanship
These indicators reflect how the furniture was constructed and how well it may perform over time.
A piece does not need to meet every criterion, but the more of these characteristics it has, the higher its quality is likely to be.
Above: Antique furniture craftsmanship is often high-quality, which has helped it last for centuries and makes it easier to repair than most modern furniture.
Is High-Quality Furniture Valuable?
High-quality furniture can be valuable.
But then, why do you often find high-quality antique furniture for free on the curb?
Value reflects trends in the market, not the quality of the piece itself.
Antique value can rise or fall based on interior design trends, popular colors (think of light woods vs dark woods), and even what TV shows are popular at the moment!
That’s why modern, cheaply made medium-density fiberboard (MDF) furniture frequently sells for a comparatively high cost on trendy home furnishing sites. Meanwhile, a solid mahogany antique table might fetch only $20 on Facebook Marketplace.
Above: Eastlake tables like this one are beautifully made and feature lovely, high-quality woods such as walnut and mahogany. However, Eastlake furniture is plentiful and is not in fashion right now, so you can usually buy them for under $100.
What Type of Joinery Indicates Quality Furniture?
Traditional joinery is an indicator of quality furniture.
Look for:
dovetail joints in drawers (especially uneven dovetails, which means they’re hand-cut)
mortise-and-tenon joints in frames and structural elements
tight, well-fitted connections without gaps
Slight variations in the joinery are actually a sign of craftsmanship rather than carelessness or imperfection. Variation can mean that a piece of furniture (or a particular element of the piece) is hand-made.
By contrast, lower-quality furniture may rely on:
staples
nails
glue-only construction
These methods make the construction process faster, but the furniture will be less durable.
Above: An example of dovetail joinery on a newly refinished piece of antique furniture.
Does Veneer Mean an Antique is Low-Quality or Cheap?
No! Veneer can actually be an indicator of high-quality furniture.
Many beautifully made antiques use expensive veneer over solid wood.
Bernard Mumford explains, “During the 19th century and earlier, materials were vastly expensive and labor was cheap. Materials could cost a week’s pay! So, when choosing materials, craftsmen (or the people who commissioned pieces of furniture) basically said, ‘I want to use the best of the best materials, but I want to use them frugally.’”
In fact, fine veneer was often used to showcase rare, decorative woods and create intricate patterns.
The key is the quality of the veneer.
High-quality veneer:
is thick and well-adhered
may include desirable woods such as flame mahogany, burled walnut, rosewood, zebrawood, bird’s eye maple, and Karelian birch
Low-quality veneer:
is thin and easily damaged
may peel or bubble easily
Above: This antique buffet features a flame-mahogany veneer. Flame mahogany was an expensive material, so you'll find it on fine, high-quality antiques.
Does Weight Indicate Quality in Antique Furniture?
Weight can be a helpful clue, but it is not definitive.
A well-designed piece may be lighter but still expertly constructed!
Heavier furniture may indicate dense hardwood construction, but weight alone does not guarantee quality.
Remember, MDF furniture is heavy, yet it’s made from wood chips glued together. It can hardly be considered “quality” in spite of its weight!
Above: MDF is essentially wood particles held together by glue. It's cheap for the furniture manufacturer, but it's a bad deal for you!
What Materials Indicate High-Quality Antique Furniture?
Material selection plays a major role in quality.
Common high-quality woods include:
mahogany
walnut
cherry
oak
rosewood
These woods were valued for:
durability
workability
appearance
Above: This antique dresser is made of walnut, a high-quality wood that continues to feature in fine furniture.
Do Maker’s Marks or Provenance Matter?
Yes, a maker’s mark can indicate that an antique came from a highly-regarded cabinet maker or manufacturer.
However, a maker’s mark is not the only indicator of quality.
Many high-quality antiques were produced by skilled, but unknown craftsmen.
A lack of a maker’s mark does not mean a piece is low quality. It simply means an evaluator has to look more closely at clues in the piece’s construction and materials.
You should consult a reputable appraiser to authenticate the maker’s mark. Unfortunately, forgers have often copied the designs of well-known cabinet makers and passed them off as originals.
High quality furniture made by known makers or workshops may have greater market value if:
the maker is well-known
the piece is part of a highly desired style or movement
few pieces were produced in this style or by this maker
Above: This is a label for Henkel-Harris, a modern maker of very high quality furniture. You'll often find maker's marks on the back of furniture or on the back or inside of drawers.
Is All High-Quality Antique Furniture Valuable?
No. Antique furniture varies widely in value and does not always command a high price.
Some antique furniture (particularly Victorian-era furniture) was made in large quantities and remains widely available today.
For example, many Eastlake-style pieces are beautiful and well-made but not especially rare.
Monetary value depends on:
rarity
craftsmanship
condition
desirability in today’s market
High quality can contribute to a piece of furniture’s market value, but quality alone does not guarantee value.
Above: A look at an Eastlake settee's beautiful carvings.
How Does Condition Affect Quality and Value?
Condition is often critical.
Even a high-quality piece can lose value if it has:
severe structural damage
missing elements
extensive finish loss
However, antique furniture does not have to be pristine in order to have value. Some signs of age (such as wear, patina, or minor imperfections) are expected and even desirable in antiques.
Furniture valuation is complicated, so it can be hard to decide if wear is a big disadvantage!
We always recommend consulting a reputable antique appraiser. They have spent decades studying antiques and know what elements and qualities to look for. An appraiser can determine whether the piece is:
structurally sound
valuable because of its obvious wear
preservable without excessive intervention
restorable, if necessary
Above: Mumford cleaned this antique frame, but did not restore it. We were careful to preserve the original material, which is often valuable for historic pieces.
How Does Quality Affect Restoration Decisions?
An antique’s quality is one factor in making the right restoration decision.
Higher-quality pieces are more likely to benefit from:
structural repair
preservation of original materials
careful restoration when necessary
Lower-quality pieces may not justify the cost of extensive restoration, especially if they have a lower market value.
If a piece is a sentimental family heirloom, then the only value that matters is your heirloom’s value to you.
There may be countless 1940s-era footlockers out there, but there is only one trunk that belonged to Grandpa when he fought in WWII. It’s part of your family history and it belonged to someone you loved. That makes it one-of-a-kind.
Value doesn’t have to translate into a dollar sign; it can be something far more intangible.
Above: Antique trunks like this one are often cherished family heirlooms from families of service members & world travelers.
When Should You Have Antique Furniture Professionally Evaluated?
If you have questions about a potentially valuable antique, don’t leave anything to chance. Call an appraiser or a professional furniture restorer.
Professional evaluation is recommended when:
you are considering restoration
the piece may be valuable or collectible
structural issues are present
you are unsure of materials or construction
the furniture is highly sentimental
If you are less concerned about the market value of an antique, and simply want to repair, restore, or preserve a beloved antique or heirloom, then you should contact a restorer.
An experienced furniture restorer can assess:
joinery and structure
materials and finishes
past repairs or alterations
They will discuss the state and history of your furniture with you and recommend the most appropriate course of action.
Above: Repairs and restoration can include repairs, refinishing, replicating lost elements, or in this MCM chair's case, fresh upholstery.
Professional Furniture Evaluation in Raleigh, NC
At Mumford Restoration in Raleigh, NC, we regularly evaluate antique and modern furniture to determine quality, condition, and restoration potential.
Our goal is to help clients decide how to best preserve or restore their furniture without unnecessary intervention.
If you are unsure whether your furniture is high quality or how it should be treated, we can help you make an informed decision.
Call us at 919-510-6310 or submit photos through our online form to discuss your piece.