Featured antique/Vintage Brown Furniture

No it is pathetic here. I think part of the problem is that there is a pretty good supply of 19th and 18th century furniture here, both because a lot was made here and never left, plus antiques used to be popular here with a lot of collectors in the area. When these people need to sell, there is a severe mismatch between supply and demand. Only the very best stuff is wanted by the dealers/auctioneers that come into their homes before they liquidate the rest to estate-cleanout/thrifts. Case in point: there are three 18th/19th century slant-lid desks at a local thrift, two (one walnut, one mahogany) with replaced brasses and one solid mahogany with original brasses but legs worn down severely. I finally bought the one with original brasses for $10 because they were going to send it to a dumpster and I figured the brasses could be easily salvaged. I'm letting it sit around for now because the idea of scrapping it just pains me. But I'm running out of room!!

On the other hand, there is enough college and high-tech here that there are young people moving into the area and setting up homes and apartments so real estate is quite expensive. But the vast majority of young people (20's/30's) want mid-century modern, not antiques. A Danish teak desk, sure - but they won't even look at an 18th/19th century slant-lid desk.

 

Well, to be fair, slant lid desks have kinda lost function over the years so their prices have gone way down everywhere.

 

Sure, but $10 for a solid mahogany desk made circa 1800? And that was just one example - chairs, tables, chests, sofas, you name it have similar problems. I'm no longer surprised to find an early 19th C. period Windsor for $20 or less. Not that I would sell one for that, so I just hold onto what I have. There just isn't a market as far as I can see.

 

Good point, the lumber is worth more than the piece!

 

(sigh) Yep. Old brown furniture would be worth more as wood than as furniture.

 

But, OTOH, as a collector, I am not complaining! My problem is, the furniture i want does not seem to fall into this depression category!
It's ALWAYS thousands!

 

Poor J.C........strapped even at the bottom of a depression market!

 

Yep! I keep telling myself it would be a lot more expensive without the depression so, i got THAT goin for me!

 

Agree completely. Danish walnut or teak will sell faster here as well.