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Hey guys, new to the forum. I found this piece at a thrift shop, and I was wondering:
-How old it was
-How much it's worth now and restored
-Best way to restore: how to clean up the metal bits and what kind of finish you guys recommend on the wood

 

Hi and welcome.Pleasant looking. Like a TV cabinet? Not old at all.Mass produced decorative reproduction. Normally the quality of wood used is not very good on these (like stained pine) Restored? Doesn’t seem to be alot wrong with it. Just maybe a little cosmetic and touch-up work. So there won’t be a big value difference between the current state and ‘restored’. Still nice thrift store find (and at a good price I assume) There’s alot of this type of thing around (and popular) Still let’s hear what the other members say (I might be completely wrong)

 

JMHO. Chinese cabinet, perhaps of a marriage set.

 

Welcome Art.

It is Chinese or Korean. Always attractive pieces, but many were made over the last few decades, so....
Can we see the construction, the back?

 

Interior looks relatively recent with the shelf and drawers. I agree with Boland that it was built that way.

 

Hey guys, my girlfriend works at the thrift store, so we actually got it free, since they couldn't figure out how to unlock it, lol.

It appears to have been re- finished; as there are some pretty noticeable drips in the coating.... also, the finish is rather cracked on the top, leading me to believe its' got some age to it... my assumption.

 

yes....agree with some age....and hard wear !
the back looks like pine....

 

Do y'all think I should refinish it?

 

If you want to, have at! I might even sand it down and paint it that red or reddish orange color that shows up on Chinese lacquer furniture sometimes. It looks like a TV cabinet and not all that old - 1980s or so.

 

Picture 2 - isn’t the whole thing shorter than a chair seat? I thought large jewellery box...

Agree on date. It looks like stuff (nice stuff) you could get in Chinatown herein the 80s.

 

It could well be 1980s. Looks like someone kept it in damp conditions.

Of course it is yours to do with as you please. But I wouldn't paint it red, because you would turn it into something it isn't. Red is an auspicious colour in China, that is why it is often used on wedding armoires. But there is no indication that your cabinet is associated with weddings, besides, it is too small to be an armoire.
I like the type of veneer it has, but couldn't advise you on how to repair it.

 

nope. time, material, poisonous color dust etc. not worth it.
furthermore the padlock should symbolise a fish, which is not discerible and gives it away as cheap Chinese and not Korean.

 

I was reading about Veneer and it cracks like that when not properly glued to the heart of the wood. It is very hard to glue venner successfully.

 

On the other hand, if it's here in the USA (where dumb Americans don't know any better) we paint things that color just because it looks good. I see similar pieces in black too. Sells like hotcakes locally. This one looks more like it held a television than jewelry.

 

More for crowns (several) than regular jewellery, I think.

 

Problems to have.... several crowns to find house room for. The Queen has a whole former castle/former prison for hers.

 

That would work for me.

 

I need to ask her if she wants to off-load a few! Make some space.

 

Would you mind posting an example of the red you are recommending?

 

For me is like a dull or matt redish-brown almost. But overall it gives like a faded red look (gives some character) This photo is probably not very clear (bad lighting) Anyway I usually see these chinese things in this colour or similar.