Learning about vintage furniture gives you a window into the past. Vintage Furniture is a vast and fascinating subject. Anyone who likes the artistry or quality of old furniture tends to want to learn more about a particular brand, style or type.
But when you want to learn about vintage furniture, what are the best resources and approaches?
What Makes Furniture Vintage?
Firstly, the word “vintage” is a general term that many people use. However, most professional dealers assert that vintage furniture is at least 10 years old. So, vintage furniture typically ranges in age from 10 to 99 years old.
On the other hand, antique furniture refers to furniture that has at least 100 years of age.
Books on Vintage Furniture
Books offer great information regarding vintage furniture of certain eras. Some authors focus on a particular style or time period of furniture. Obviously, these niche books offer great in depth knowledge if you wish to study in detail particular periods.
In fact, there have been many books written about Mid Century Modern Furniture, for instance.
However, most books about furniture tend to cover antique periods. However, if you really have an interest in 20th century furniture, you can still start there.
After all, many prominent brands of the 20th century reproduced or adapted traditional designs. For instance, Ethan Allen Furniture had a very long standing popular line of Early American Style Furniture.
Of course, you will find drastic differences between an old original Colonial piece of furniture and a reproduction. That said, many of the stylistic choices these vintage furniture brands made reflected old craftsmanship and designs. So, you can certainly learn quite a bit about furniture design and structure by reading up on these subjects.
Websites About Vintage Furniture Brands
Obviously, vintagefurnitureguide.com offers a lot of information regarding furniture made in the 20th century. This site includes history of different brands of furniture and what made them special.
Also, it includes collection names and photos from popular lines of vintage furniture. Additionally, the site makes use of old furniture catalogs, which can really help drill down the history of certain pieces.
The website also has helpful information when it comes to assessing the value of vintage furniture. The webpage includes selling data of different pieces of vintage furniture. Of course, this sales data helps people find what their own vintage desk, vintage dresser or vintage chair may be worth on the market today.
Learning about Vintage Furniture by Shopping
Certainly, you can gain knowledge and appreciation for vintage furniture by reading websites, watching videos and reading books.
However, one of the best ways to learn about vintage furniture requires hands-on effort.
One of my early mentors, an owner of an antique mall, told me, “This is a ‘Touch and Feel’ business.” What she meant is that antique and vintage furniture has to be dealt with in an in person setting. Photos and screens can help. However, if you want to become an expert, you have to touch and feel.
You can immerse yourself in the subject by going to vintage furniture stores regularly. These can include antique malls, thrift stores and vintage furniture stores.
While there, try to notice what items you really like. Often, we can start developing a taste for a certain type of furniture in these stores. For instance, you might start noticing you take a liking to art deco furniture. Or, you may notice you are drawn to solid mahogany furniture.
By investing time into noticing the nuances of vintage furniture, you probably start to realize the diversity of furniture styles. From elegantly carved French Provincial furniture to sleek Mid Century Modern Furniture, 20th century furniture can run the gamut.
Sometimes the store owner will have specialty knowledge about the pieces they offer. If you can ask questions regarding the age and style of the furniture, you can make a mental note of the terms they use. Then, you can do further research on this furniture terminology.
However, at lower end thrift stores and consignment shops, you may not be able to glean any specialty knowledge from the storekeeper. Since many of these types of thrift shops stock with donations, and price to sell, the storekeepers may not have specialty knowledge about the inventory. So, you may be better off going to antique malls and vintage stores to really gain knowledge.
Learning about Vintage Furniture: What is Quality Furniture?
Additionally, you most likely start understanding the differences in quality available in the market today. This is essential when learning about vintage furniture. With a hands-on approach, you can most likely touch and feel the items at these stores. Take note of the woods, materials and construction of different items.
(Of course, you need to be mindful that this is someone’s merchandise, so please do not slam drawers, or doors and always ask before sitting on any vintage sofa or chair!)
With that caveat out of the way, there are some really basic ways of telling if a piece of vintage furniture is Good Quality.
Quality Furniture will:
- Feel heavy, sturdy and sit evenly on the floor. Of course, you need to double check that it sits on a level surface.
- It will function easily. Table leaves will fit properly. Drawers will slide easily and smoothly. Doors close completely and do not sag.
- Be made of fine woods. The best furniture woods include: Mahogany, Walnut, Maple, Birch, and Cherry. Solid Wood Furniture is often considered the best. However, if the furniture has veneers that are in good shape, this can demonstrate superior quality as well.
- Show pin and mortise and dovetail joints.
Additionally, the best quality furniture
- Will have a deep rich finish that enhances the natural qualities of the wood.
- Typically has thick, solid brass hardware. (Or nice quality chrome or nickel if it is more modern).
- An Overall pleasing design. Now, I know that sounds subjective, but a pleasing design generally has good balance to the eye. Typically, the best furniture from the 20th century reproduces classic proportions of antiques.
Now that you have done a little furniture shop snooping, I have a few final tips regarding your vintage furniture education.
Attend Auctions and Estate Sales
If you want a fast paced and fun furniture learning environment, I recommend going to estate sales and auction houses.
Auctioneers typically have a vast knowledge of furniture brands. You can also see what vintage furniture pieces sell for on the auction block. Undoubtedly, you will hear specific terms and language related to the furniture trade.
Obviously, you can also watch and attend furniture auctions from the sideline before you feel comfortable in purchasing. Most often, these types of estate sales and auctions have free entry and are open to the public.
Some large auction houses sell upwards of 3000 lots of furniture in an afternoon. So, these large liquidation events will present a great opportunity for you to get your feet wet with many different types of furniture. No doubt, learning about vintage furniture at one of these sales will propel you forwards in your education.
If you intend to go into business for yourself as a vintage furniture flipper, you definitely should learn to love estate sales. Obviously, because most of the time the furniture and large items must be moved that day, you can end up paying a low wholesale price on furniture at an estate sale or auction.
However, even if you have a more casual interest in vintage furniture, you no doubt will enjoy the experience of auctions and estate sales.
Talk to Your Elders
If you know someone who has a great collection of furniture or antiques, you should certainly approach them for their advice.
Typically, collectors have a story for every piece they owned, and no doubt will not be shy in explaining what they liked about a piece. Both women and men tend to be proud of their homes, so don’t forget to ask both your grandmother and grandfather about their most prized furniture. Especially if they collected furniture over a lifetime, your elders can help you as you are learning about vintage furniture over the years.
You never know, you may learn more from your own family than any furniture expert out there!
How did you first become interested in vintage furniture? Do you have other tips to share?