My Antique Furniture Is Damaged. What Should I Do First?

DIRECT ANSWER:

If antique or potentially collectible furniture is damaged, document the condition, save every detached component and avoid irreversible cleaning, sanding, stripping or refinishing until the piece has been appropriately evaluated. Repairs and refinishing can affect originality and, in some cases, collector value.

THE FIRST REPAIR DECISION MAY BE:

DON'T TOUCH IT YET.

When a piece may be antique, collectible, historically significant or unusually valuable, aggressive repair can be more damaging than the original problem.

STEP 1: PHOTOGRAPH EVERYTHING

Photograph:

Front

Back

Sides

Underside

Interior

Labels

Marks

Signatures

Hardware

Damage

Broken pieces

STEP 2: SAVE EVERYTHING

Save:

Loose veneer

Broken wood

Hardware

Drawer parts

Molding

Decorative pieces

Labels

Even small components may matter.

STEP 3: DON'T STRIP IT YET

An old finish may contain information about:

Age

Construction

History

Previous work

Original appearance

Refinishing can sometimes affect collector value.

If monetary value is a concern, consider consulting an appropriately qualified appraiser before irreversible work.

STEP 4: DON'T OVERCLEAN IT

Avoid aggressive cleaning until you understand:

The finish

The surface

The material

The condition

Household cleaners can damage older surfaces.

STEP 5: DECIDE WHAT KIND OF VALUE MATTERS

Furniture can have several kinds of value:

Financial

Historical

Decorative

Functional

Sentimental

Family significance

Those values do not always point toward the same treatment.

RESTORATION AND COLLECTOR VALUE ARE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS

Lloyd's can discuss woodworking and restoration considerations.

Determining market or collector value is a different professional function.

Do not represent restoration as a guaranteed way to increase value.