Buying Antique Furniture (Dining Tables)

Antique dining tables are amongst the most soughtlong and has the benefit of retaining its original leaves.
after antiques. That should be no surprise, after all,The quality of the table is superb and totally original
most people need a dining table. I will be dealing withthroughout. It dates from 1820.
formal antique dining tables, there will be a futureRealistic prices for antique mahogany dining tables
articles on country farmhouse tables. The mostvary greatly. Key points in pricing are: originality,
expensive design of antique dining tables are thoselength, width, period, timber quality and colour. As a
dating from the 1760s through to the early 1800s,general rule the earlier the antique dining table, the
which sit on rows of pillars. There are normallybetter the timber is likely to be. Tables that still have
between two and four pillars in length. The pillarsall their original leaves are rare and much more
support additional leaves in the table, the more pillarsvaluable, than those with with replacement leaves.
the longer the length and desirability of the table. AnThe width of the table is important, where people
example would be an antique twin pillar 1790s table.are sitting opposite each other, there should be
This would have a fixed leaf on each pedestal andadequate room in the centre of the table. Look for
with the support of lopers and clips could take antables 48 inches or more in depth. A antique dining
additional drop in leaf. The maximum length of a tabletable that is 42 inches deep would be worth less than
like this would be approx 8 feet in length. I had anhalf that of an identical table that was 48 inches
antique Georgian table of this type last year and solddeep. The length is also important, with tables that sit
it immediately.10 or more people very sought after. Rough price
The quality of timber at this period is generally veryguide: Georgian pillar tables - £7,500 -
good. With the addition of more pillars these type of£100,000 plus depending on the number of
tables, can extend upto 20 feet in length. Thepillars/leaves and originality of table. Georgian pull-out
antique dining tables more commonly seen today aretables - £5,000- £50,000 depending on
extending dining tables, normally in mahogany. Thelength and condition Victorian pull-out and wind out
earlier antique Georgian and Victorian dining tables hadtables - £3000-£20,000 again depending
pull-out mechanisms. These are relatively simple, wereon length and condition. With all the price examples
the extends by pulling either end to allow moreabove, please be aware that exceptional timber,
leaves to be used. Later Victorian antique diningdetailing, or provenance, can make any piece of
tables had wind out mechanisms, which allowedantique furniture, worth dramatically more. This is a
antique Victorian dining tables to be opened, by thebig subject that I will return to in a later article, but
use of a winding handle. I have recently purchased afor an overview of the subject it may provide the
Georgian Antique mahogany dining table, with pull-outprospective purchaser with some guidance.
mechanism. The table is a good length at 112 inches