Are you looking for antique sideboards to buy? If yes, then you need to find out the era from which it comes. The best way to determine it to look at the style. In each of the historical eras, the furniture was imprinted with certain features that single it out. The purpose of verification is to determine if indeed you are dealing with an antique. If you can, take the sideboard to an antique appraiser, who knows the different furniture styles throughout history. Where that’s impossible, get a guide and do the appraisal yourself.

Here is how to check for genuine antique sideboards:

1. Look for Identifying Marks
 

Every antique sideboard has unique identifying marks which tell whether it is genuine or not. Usually, the furniture was made with a buffet, which is the lower portion that was used to serve food. A sideboard, on the other hand, was used to display plates. For the unique identifying marks, look under the sideboard or on the back. In those early days, it was common for dates and company names to be engraved, inked, etched or burned in those sections. Once you know the dates, cities, and company names, you will be able to know the era when the sideboard was made.

2. Type of Construction
 

It is important to look at the type of wood joinery used when making the furniture. In the early days, furniture makers rarely used screws. The first time screws were used was in the 1700s. That was followed by nails, groove, and tongue construction. If you get antique sideboards without screws, then they must have been produced before the 1600s. That simple fact is enough to mark it out as genuine.

3. Photograph the Sideboard

Don’t be in a rush to pay for an antique sideboard. After photographing it, compare with some of the items appearing on online antique stores and auctions. Does it look like the real deal? Alternatively, compare with items in live auctions and antique stores. Check out for finer details such as carvings, knobs, drawer pulls, and hinges. In most cases, you will know genuine antique sideboards when you see them. Using these simple details, it will be easy to know the era when the item was made.

4. Check Antique Furniture Guides

There are several antique furniture guides which you can check out to see if the details in your photographs are genuine. In the guide, check for details such as the wood from which the furniture piece is made. Once you know the type of wood used, the era from which the furniture comes will become very apparent. For instance, Queen Anne Style antique sideboards were mainly made from maple, mahogany, cherry, and walnut. So, look at books for information on different furniture styles.

5. Visit Stores Selling Antiques

You are not restricted to just one antique store. Pay a visit to similar businesses and compare the wood color, carving style, wood weight, and leg style. If you find furniture with dark wood, it is likely to be from the Jacobean period, which is between 1603 and 1625.

Good luck on your quest for genuine antique sideboards. When you find what you are looking for, buy it!