If youre buying antique furniture, you will want to know how the piece is held together. You should be looking for signs of quality craftsmanship. Open any drawers and check the sides for dovetail joints. If you cant see any then that suggests the piece is held together by the modern technique of nails and glue.

How can you tell the quality of antique furniture?

Tell-tale signs that a piece still has its original finish is if the piece looks purple or black in color. It may also have a crazed surface, or slightly cracked varnish. Think of a surface that almost looks like a tiny alligators skin with crackles—thats what crazing looks like, says Holter.