Before closets became widespread, wardrobes were used to store clothes.
Before and since C.S. Lewis' characters walked through a magical wardrobe and into a world full of witches and lions and mythical creatures, people have been fascinated with wardrobes. Whether your wardrobes sit in a spare room or not, if they look old, you have an understandable interest in finding out whether they are antiques and if so, how valuable they may be. There are a few simple steps you can take before contacting a professional appraiser to find out more about your antique wardrobes. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Run your fingers gently along the back edges of your wardrobes. Feel for sharp corners and joints as these may indicate that your wardrobes are newly constructed as opposed to antiques which tend to have worn, soft corners and joints.
2. Gently lift the upholstery off of one of the chair rails. Look for multiple small nail holes which indicate that the wardrobes have been reupholstered more than once. Understand that reupholstering is a sign of an antique piece of furniture.
3. Use a flash light and magnifying glass to look carefully along the back, bottom, legs and inside back of the wardrobes for a labels or small metal plate identifying the maker of each wardrobe. Common wardrobe makers include Autorobe, Belber, Biedermeier, William Crockett & Co. and Duguid Brothers. Examine the label for a manufacturer name, location and date to gather information about who made your wardrobes and when and where they were made.
4. Examine the wood in your wardrobes with a flashlight for distinctive curved patterns created by circular saws. If you find them, you can reasonably assume that your wardrobes were made after 1840 when circular saws were widely used to create furniture.
5. Examine the mirror glass in the wardrobes. Understand that up until 1800, glass was imported to America. Old, antique glass from before 1800 is thin, only about 1/8-inch thick, has waves and is grayish in color. If your mirror glass looks like this, your wardrobes may have been produced before 1800 and are therefore antiques. Since antiques are generally anything that is 100 years old or older, your wardrobes may still be antiques, even if your mirror glass was made between 1800 and 1900. They likely won't be as valuable as the older pieces, however.
6. Look for innate carving, patina finish and the overall condition of each wardrobe to determine which pieces, if any, are worth paying a professional appraiser to declare a value for the wardrobes.
Tags: your wardrobes, have been, mirror glass, along back, before 1800, circular saws, corners joints