Furniture Scratches - 1Earth Antiques and Appraisals Magazine

Dear 1Earth Antiques,
I saw some 18th century American furniture for a great price in a store last week. The only problem is, there're some cracks and a few minor scratches. How important are these flaws? They're not too bad now, but will they affect the value of the chair in the future?

— J. F.

Dear J.F,
You're asking about the furniture's condition. The short answer is: If you like the furniture and it's not going to break...go for it. Certainly don't buy it if it's structurally unsound. You don't want your chairs collapsing underneath you!

But let's say it's safe. A good rule of thumb: If the condition bothers you, it will probably bother others. You might have a problem selling it. In fact, that's probably why the price is so good now.

American furniture collectors are usually pretty darn picky when it comes to condition. There's very little American furniture out there, so they like it raw -- in its original form. It's almost bad to refurbish. With European furniture, there's much more to choose from, so condition matters less than with the American furniture you're thinking of buying.