Kittinger Furniture Company has had many incredible associations over the years. Of course, since President Nixon, most of the fine furniture in the White House has come from Kittinger Furniture.
Learn more about this prestigious furniture company by watching this video:
Kittinger Furniture, Is it Valuable?
Kittinger Furniture commands a good resale value. However, not all Kittinger Furniture is worth thousands of dollars.
Indeed, certain collections by Kittinger Company have a very high resale value. On the other hand, some very old or undesirable collections can sell for pennies on the dollar.
So, if you have vintage pieces made by this Buffalo, New York Company, read on to learn more!
Kittinger Furniture Price Guide
Kittinger Furniture can be ranked in different ways. Of course, the most expensive items include furniture from certain collections.
Regarding the most valuable Kittinger items on the market today, here is our ranking of the most expensive Kittinger collections
- Colonial Williamsburg Collection made by Kittinger Company.
- Historic Newport Collection by Kittinger .
- Old Dominion Line by Kittinger and Biggs Furniture.
- Independence Hall Collection produced by Kittinger Company.
Colonial Williamsburg CW Kittinger Furniture
Colonial Williamsburg CW Kittinger Furniture is by far the priciest and most desirable collection that Kittinger made. Of course, the company held the license with Colonial Williamsburg for several decades and was the first to be associated with the old Virginia town.
John D. Rockefeller made Colonial Williamsburg a historical and educational destination in the 1930s, preserving it for future generations. At the time, Kittinger had the honor of making the beautiful reproduction furniture available for the shops at Colonial Williamsburg. Indeed, each piece of furniture is an exact replica of a period antique.
Furniture made in this collection includes a special marking inside the drawer. The marks include the Kittinger Name, and the abbreviation “C.W.” to stand for Colonial Williamsburg. Additionally, each special piece has a model and serial number.
This way, you can check on the number and read about the design. As mentioned, each design harkens back to an important museum piece. Many times, the Kittinger craftsmen employed the original hand tools to create the piece. They used fine furniture making techniques to achieve a traditional look. Often, each piece took weeks to create.
Historic Newport Collection
The Historic Newport Collection was based on another Historic preservation area in the United States, this time in Rhode Island.
After their successful collaboration with Williamsburg, Kittinger had the honor of being associated with the Newport, Rhode Island mansions.
As another important port city, Newport has preserved several important Colonial historical sites for touring. Additionally, Newport became a very important place in the 18th and 19th centuries when several mansions were built by prominent families like the Vanderbilts. Of course, these magnificent mansions were beautifully furnished and quite lavish.
Thus, Kittinger Company’s association and partnership with Historic Newport has great appeal. Obviously, most of these pieces have a refined and elegant 18th century design. Traditionally, you can find Historic Newport sofas, chairs, chests and secretary desks from the line.
Headlining the Historic Newport Collection are important pieces by two famous cabinetmakers, John Goddard and John Townsend. A beautiful Goddard chest features a lovely blockfront design in the drawers. Often, these chests have an exquisite shell carving as well.
Similarly, John Townsend chests have shell carvings and lovely serpentine fronts. Many of the original chests by John Townsend and John Goddard sit in the Met, or in the lovely museums in Newport.
These fine pieces have an incredible look and show outstanding quality. The original 18th century originals feature imported mahogany wood. Also, they have lovely hand forged hardware. These features appear in Kittinger Newport pieces as well.
Kittinger Old Dominion Furniture
Kittinger Old Dominion Furniture also included several historically-designed items. Old Dominion adapted the designs of early Virginia furniture after Kittinger acquired Biggs Furniture.
So, Kittinger basically commissioned Biggs to create adaptations of early Virginian designs. Old Dominion Furniture has an elegance that is similar to their CW line.
Kittinger Old Dominion has a lovely look and traditionally can sell for a decent price on the second hand furniture market.
Is Kittinger Furniture Still in Business?
Yes, Kittinger Furniture currently is still in business (2021). However, in the 1990s, Kittinger Company was forced to close and changed hands a few times. So, some may be confused as to whether Kittinger Company is still producing furniture.
Yes, Kittinger still makes furniture out of their Buffalo, New York manufacturing centers. Today, however, you cannot buy Colonial Williamsburg Furniture made by Kittinger because other companies now have the exclusive license with Williamsburg.
How Old is Kittinger Furniture?
Kittinger Furniture started in 1866 and is one of the oldest furniture makers in the United States. Yes some pieces are already considered antique Kittinger furniture. Over the years, we have discovered that early pieces of Kittinger Furniture do not command the same dollar as other collections mentioned above.
Sadly, old Kittinger items in Jacobean or William and Mary Style, while beautiful and well-made, do not have the same value as Colonial Williamsburg furniture.
Indeed, old Kittinger pieces can sometimes sell for relatively low prices today. A carved Jacobean sideboard may only be worth about $1200. A CW Kittinger sideboard no doubt will cost double that price.
That said, early pieces by Kittinger may go up in value in coming years. After all, these early Kittinger Jacobean pieces show incredible quality. Also, these styles of furniture have a lovely look!
Fine Furniture from Buffalo, New York
Today, many collectors seek out items from these esteemed collections by Kittinger. If you love traditional furniture and antiques, vintage Kittinger may suit you quite nicely. Of course, if you purchase gently used items, you can save a bit of money. However, expect that fine items from the Colonial Williamsburg collection to still involve a hefty investment.