Antique furniture appraiser blowing smoke.

[Brian37]

I think I was calling it the wrong thing. I think this style is called a "secretary desk".

Mine looks more like this. Pull out arms so that the leaf folds down to create the desk. Mine has a bookshelf above but no glass cabinet. Below are two heavy doors you open with a top and bottom shelf. But the cubby hole concept behind the fold out is the same concept as in this video. like I said, the top bookshelf separates for moving. But mine dark stained very heavy wood much bigger and stands like I said with the bookshelf on top over 6ft, maybe 6ft 5in. 

This video shows a very plane looking one. Mine has carving on the doors and sides. Iron fixtures too. 

https://vimeo.com/37216939

[Godscreated]

I think I was calling it the wrong thing. I think this style is called a "secretary desk".

Mine looks more like this. Pull out arms so that the leaf folds down to create the desk. Mine has a bookshelf above but no glass cabinet. Below are two heavy doors you open with a top and bottom shelf. But the cubby hole concept behind the fold out is the same concept as in this video. like I said, the top bookshelf separates for moving. But mine dark stained very heavy wood much bigger and stands like I said with the bookshelf on top over 6ft, maybe 6ft 5in. 

This video shows a very plane looking one. Mine has carving on the doors and sides. Iron fixtures too. 

https://vimeo.com/37216939

When you first described it that was what I assumed it was, still doesn't mean it's worth a fortune. It depends on the age and from which shop it came from. Are the carvings applied, many are. Also the kind of carvings will add to the value if they are not applied. Going to antique stores probably want help, the more valuable pieces make their way to auctions unless the store is run and furnished by a quality appraiser. Like I said I hope you have very valuable pieces, I'm saying these things so you want be disappointed if they are not. The most valuable piece I have came from my grandparents and it's somewhere in the area of 100 years old at the very least. I can say this because it's made from American Chestnut that has no worm holes, pre-blight. It is a primitive piece which means it wasn't constructed with all the desirable wood joints that the fancy furniture has, but this style is highly desirable, even though it's a simply constructed sideboard. I wouldn't let it go for any amount of money, it's all I have from my grandparents beside the memories. All my other antiques I purchased at auctions and have only a dollar value for me, it's what I bought them for, someone give me what they're worth and their gone.

GC

[Joods]

Hey Brian -

I get it that you're venting on here, but there's also been a lot of helpful advice regarding furniture. I'm willing to bet that if you remove half of the hate from your posts, you'd see that people are actually being nice.

Furniture selling is a tough market and even, as others have said, if you think something is worth xxx, you'd need to find a buyer willing to pay xxx. If you can't, then you've set your price point higher than what the piece is going to sell for. Regardless of the age or condition, if there's not enough interest so that people are competing for the furniture, then you'll end up either keeping it, or selling it for whatever the highest bidder is willing to part with their money for.

At the end of the day, it's not your opinion that counts. It's what that piece is worth to buyers. It won't sell if your expectations exceed that.

[Brian37]

Hey Brian -

I get it that you're venting on here, but there's also been a lot of helpful advice regarding furniture. I'm willing to bet that if you remove half of the hate from your posts, you'd see that people are actually being nice.

Furniture selling is a tough market and even, as others have said, if you think something is worth xxx, you'd need to find a buyer willing to pay xxx. If you can't, then you've set your price point higher than what the piece is going to sell for. Regardless of the age or condition, if there's not enough interest so that people are competing for the furniture, then you'll end up either keeping it, or selling it for whatever the highest bidder is willing to part with their money for.

At the end of the day, it's not your opinion that counts. It's what that piece is worth to buyers. It won't sell if your expectations exceed that.

Holy crap. No hate going on. We are not talking about Nazis or the KKK. I think you are confusing my blunt disagreement with hate. Not my baggage.

All I was saying is that it is worth more than some would suggest. I have done some research and no, I am not going to give it away for nothing. No I don't know what I will end up getting, but I won't be taken advantage of.

[popeyespappy]

Once again I'm not trying to say your stuff isn't worth more than these are. I'n just giving some examples of the kinds of pieces you will be competing with for the smallish group of consumers looking for this type of thing.

Vintage Tiger Maple Bonnet Top Drop Front Secretary Desk Bookcase - $400


Vintage-mahogany-secretary-desk-fold-down-by-W-A-Hathaway-$375

Vintage Jasper Solid Mahogany Secretary Desk DBL Serpentine Ball & Claw Foot - $299

Vintage Secretary Desk Ball Claw Feet - $195

Unfortunately most of us don't inherit an 18th century Townsend-Goddard.



If you can find it the Fine Wood Working article about Allen Breed's reproduction of that particular desk is interesting reading. Among other things it points out that even the techniques of the old masters can be improved on.

[Foxaèr]

Just woke up, didn't read it properly.

Will quote below.

---

What was absurd is he was trying to tell me I could only get 75 to 100 each. 

Well, he is an appraiser.

[Brian37]

Once again I'm not trying to say your stuff isn't worth more than these are. I'n just giving some examples of the kinds of pieces you will be competing with for the smallish group of consumers looking for this type of thing.

Vintage Tiger Maple Bonnet Top Drop Front Secretary Desk Bookcase - $400


Vintage-mahogany-secretary-desk-fold-down-by-W-A-Hathaway-$375

Vintage Jasper Solid Mahogany Secretary Desk DBL Serpentine Ball & Claw Foot - $299

Vintage Secretary Desk Ball Claw Feet - $195

Unfortunately most of us don't inherit an 18th century Townsend-Goddard.



If you can find it the Fine Wood Working article about Allen Breed's reproduction of that particular desk is interesting reading. Among other things it points out that even the techniques of the old masters can be improved on.

I am not disagreeing with this. I looked up plenty. I think you are assuming that will happen every time. I am sure the seller in this case simply didn't care. I do.

[popeyespappy]

I am sure the seller in this case simply didn't care. I do.

At least some of those pieces are for sale by commercial sellers. They make their living selling stuff so I highly doubt they don't care what it sells for. I do however think your "I do" comment is at the heart of what myself and others have been trying to say in this thread though. How much you care doesn't really factor into the real market value of the pieces you would like to sell. How much your potential buyers care does.

Could your appraiser be trying to fuck you? Possibly, but it is also possible he is giving you a honest assessment of what he believes the pieces are worth. Probably a wholesale price as opposed to a retail price.

[Godscreated]

Once again I'm not trying to say your stuff isn't worth more than these are. I'n just giving some examples of the kinds of pieces you will be competing with for the smallish group of consumers looking for this type of thing.

Vintage Tiger Maple Bonnet Top Drop Front Secretary Desk Bookcase - $400


Vintage-mahogany-secretary-desk-fold-down-by-W-A-Hathaway-$375

Vintage Jasper Solid Mahogany Secretary Desk DBL Serpentine Ball & Claw Foot - $299

Vintage Secretary Desk Ball Claw Feet - $195

Unfortunately most of us don't inherit an 18th century Townsend-Goddard.



If you can find it the Fine Wood Working article about Allen Breed's reproduction of that particular desk is interesting reading. Among other things it points out that even the techniques of the old masters can be improved on.

 I disagree, the old masters were required to build things within 1/132." tolerances that are hardly possible with machinery, unless you want to count CNC's, I do not. Hand work is always more accurate than machine work, there are many tricks that the old masters and today's masters use to build such beautiful pieces. Someone back a year or so ago was wanting something challenging to do and I suggested a simple piece built with a bit of a challenge to it. No rulers are allowed to build the piece. The piece I suggested was a table.

GC

[Anomalocaris]

Once again I'm not trying to say your stuff isn't worth more than these are. I'n just giving some examples of the kinds of pieces you will be competing with for the smallish group of consumers looking for this type of thing.

Vintage Tiger Maple Bonnet Top Drop Front Secretary Desk Bookcase - $400


Vintage-mahogany-secretary-desk-fold-down-by-W-A-Hathaway-$375

Vintage Jasper Solid Mahogany Secretary Desk DBL Serpentine Ball & Claw Foot - $299

Vintage Secretary Desk Ball Claw Feet - $195

Unfortunately most of us don't inherit an 18th century Townsend-Goddard.



If you can find it the Fine Wood Working article about Allen Breed's reproduction of that particular desk is interesting reading. Among other things it points out that even the techniques of the old masters can be improved on.

 I disagree, the old masters were required to build things within 1/132." tolerances that are hardly possible with machinery, unless you want to count CNC's, I do not. Hand work is always more accurate than machine work, there are many tricks that the old masters and today's masters use to build such beautiful pieces. Someone back a year or so ago was wanting something challenging to do and I suggested a simple piece built with a bit of a challenge to it. No rulers are allowed to build the piece. The piece I suggested was a table.

GC

Maybe not hand machinery, but manufacturing machine tools without any CNC routinely achieve tolerances much finer than 1/132, which is only about 0.2mm. The trouble seems to be no one seems to think it worthwhile to mass produce wooden furniture with that level of precision.