What You Need to Know to Collect Antique Chairs

There are many different uses and applications of antique chairs. Many people all over the world are enjoying the countless benefits of having to own this unique kind or type of furniture. However, for one to be able to make the best use of antique chairs, one has to be able first to tell the difference between ordinary furniture and the real vintage chairs. The number of people who can tell the difference between fake antique furniture and the real kind are very little. For those who wish to be able to tell the difference, they need to be able to pay close attention to three very important factors.
Condition
The first of these three factors is the condition of the item that you are purchasing or collecting. Most people are under the impression that antique chairs or furniture should be old and battered. This leads to a glaring misconception and hence allows for scammers to sell off ordinary used furniture as antiquated pieces Antique does not translate into old or battered or used. Of course it might be used, but, in the majority of cases, it will not be battered. Do not base your perception on the awful condition of the furniture sets.
Rarity
Next up in the list of things that you need to pay close attention to whilst collecting antique furniture pieces is the rarity of the piece. As you might as well know that in the early times, furniture was made by very specific kinds of wood. Oak, mahogany and cherry are great examples of the finer pieces of furniture made in early times such as the 1700s. The finer pieces would be made out of these materials. Try to avoid pine in American furniture pieces as it is a very common type of furniture.
History
The combination of the two aforementioned factors can together make up quite the idea regarding antique chairs. However, if you a buyer or as a collector are not aware of the history of an item, then you will find yourself being easily fooled by those who know a lot more about the profession than you. One of the many things that also will help you in determining how ancient a piece is would be the cut of the wood. Machine cut wood has precise curves and edges whereas hand carved wood does not hold that great deal of precision.
The finish of the wood also helps in determining the age of the furniture. Lacquer and varnish finishes were only introduced after the mid-1800s, whereas, finishes made before that time period are usually shellac. If you can successfully tell the difference, which is a task easily mastered, then you can pick your pieces more carefully.