The Antique Refinishing Myth
We've all heard the stories: An elderly couple finds a very nice highboy at a garage sale, but it has a bad finish.
They take the highboy to a refinisher who strips and refinishes it in a beautiful mahogany.
After the refinishing, the couple finds that what they have is a 200 year old Philadelphia Highboy that would have been worth $230,000 if they had just left it alone and not refinished it.
Because it was refinished, the value is only $23,000.
Hogwash.
I don't believe a word of it.
This scenario may happen occasionally, but it is extremely rare, because such furniture is extremely rare.
Stories like this one have gone viral on the internet to the point that everyone believes that "don't refinish antiques" is the truth.
Of course, Antiques Roadshow has perpetuated the myth.
Or have they? I regularly hear from clients that they "heard on Antiques Roadshow that refinishing antique furniture hurts its' value".
Did they really? In a letter to Professional Refinishing Magazine in June 2002, Peter Cook, Executive Producer of Antiques Roadshow, said this: "Well-conceived and well executed refinishing and restoration usually enhances the value of just about any piece of old furniture.
Exceptions are those rare (often museum-quality) pieces that have somehow survived in great original condition".
As a customer once said to me: "I don't care about its' value.
I want to use it now.
Broken and ugly is still broken and ugly, and if it doesn't look nice I won't have it in my home".
With Mr.
Cook's guidelines in mind, there are three questions we can ask to help us decide whether or not to refinish our antique furniture.
Let's start with question number one: is it really an antique? These days, words like antique, vintage, and heirloom are used interchangeably and often not very accurately.
In the US, an antique is technically an item that is over 100 years old and at least 80% original.
If you suspect that an item might be a rare, museum-quality piece, have it inspected by an expert.
If the item is not a rare, museum-quality piece, then it is a candidate for complete refinishing.
Question number two: is it valuable? Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's valuable.
In addition to being old, antiques can have both intrinsic (of the item) and extrinsic (outside the item) value.
Intrinsic value elements include condition, authenticity, quality, style and material.
Extrinsic value is a matter of rarity (supply) and demand for the item.
If an item is old but very common, it's likely not worth very much.
If an item is rare but made of cheap materials and in poor condition, it is likely not worth very much.
If an antique is rare, authentic, in good condition, and well made, it may be a valuable item.
Old, funky looking furniture does not have very much market appeal, so refinishing may actually make an item more valuable.
As Mr.
Cook said, "refinishing enhances the value of just about any piece of old furniture".
Our final question is: who is going to do the refinishing? Refer again to Mr.
Cook's statement: "well conceived and well executed refinishing".
Refinishing and restoring antique furniture is a skilled trade, not a do-it-yourself project.
The do-it-yourself supplies and materials available down at the Home Depot are completely inappropriate for restoring antiques.
The "instant refinishers" and polyurethane finishes, even when applied according to the directions, make the furniture look cheap and covered in plastic.
Sure, if you refinish the piece, the furniture may look better than it did.
But, a professional refinisher knows techniques to bring out the beauty of the wood in a way that an amateur never could.
Remember, you are looking for a refinishing job that is well conceived and well executed.
Should you refinish your antique furniture? Unless the antique in question is a rare, museum-quality piece, you can be comfortable that refinishing will enhance its' value, not destroy its' value.
They take the highboy to a refinisher who strips and refinishes it in a beautiful mahogany.
After the refinishing, the couple finds that what they have is a 200 year old Philadelphia Highboy that would have been worth $230,000 if they had just left it alone and not refinished it.
Because it was refinished, the value is only $23,000.
Hogwash.
I don't believe a word of it.
This scenario may happen occasionally, but it is extremely rare, because such furniture is extremely rare.
Stories like this one have gone viral on the internet to the point that everyone believes that "don't refinish antiques" is the truth.
Of course, Antiques Roadshow has perpetuated the myth.
Or have they? I regularly hear from clients that they "heard on Antiques Roadshow that refinishing antique furniture hurts its' value".
Did they really? In a letter to Professional Refinishing Magazine in June 2002, Peter Cook, Executive Producer of Antiques Roadshow, said this: "Well-conceived and well executed refinishing and restoration usually enhances the value of just about any piece of old furniture.
Exceptions are those rare (often museum-quality) pieces that have somehow survived in great original condition".
As a customer once said to me: "I don't care about its' value.
I want to use it now.
Broken and ugly is still broken and ugly, and if it doesn't look nice I won't have it in my home".
With Mr.
Cook's guidelines in mind, there are three questions we can ask to help us decide whether or not to refinish our antique furniture.
Let's start with question number one: is it really an antique? These days, words like antique, vintage, and heirloom are used interchangeably and often not very accurately.
In the US, an antique is technically an item that is over 100 years old and at least 80% original.
If you suspect that an item might be a rare, museum-quality piece, have it inspected by an expert.
If the item is not a rare, museum-quality piece, then it is a candidate for complete refinishing.
Question number two: is it valuable? Just because something is old, doesn't mean it's valuable.
In addition to being old, antiques can have both intrinsic (of the item) and extrinsic (outside the item) value.
Intrinsic value elements include condition, authenticity, quality, style and material.
Extrinsic value is a matter of rarity (supply) and demand for the item.
If an item is old but very common, it's likely not worth very much.
If an item is rare but made of cheap materials and in poor condition, it is likely not worth very much.
If an antique is rare, authentic, in good condition, and well made, it may be a valuable item.
Old, funky looking furniture does not have very much market appeal, so refinishing may actually make an item more valuable.
As Mr.
Cook said, "refinishing enhances the value of just about any piece of old furniture".
Our final question is: who is going to do the refinishing? Refer again to Mr.
Cook's statement: "well conceived and well executed refinishing".
Refinishing and restoring antique furniture is a skilled trade, not a do-it-yourself project.
The do-it-yourself supplies and materials available down at the Home Depot are completely inappropriate for restoring antiques.
The "instant refinishers" and polyurethane finishes, even when applied according to the directions, make the furniture look cheap and covered in plastic.
Sure, if you refinish the piece, the furniture may look better than it did.
But, a professional refinisher knows techniques to bring out the beauty of the wood in a way that an amateur never could.
Remember, you are looking for a refinishing job that is well conceived and well executed.
Should you refinish your antique furniture? Unless the antique in question is a rare, museum-quality piece, you can be comfortable that refinishing will enhance its' value, not destroy its' value.
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