In judging the genuineness of old furniture, "patina" or surface is one of the most reliable guides, since age alone can impart the true colour and mellowness of surface. It is exactly comparable to the surface of an old painting. This mellowness of surface and softness of colour cannot be accurately described in words. The knowledge of them must come from the close and frequent study of genuine pieces, but once grasped, it can never be forgotten. Lastly, it is supposed that one will use common sense in judging furniture, as, for instance, in remembering always that artificial worm holes in wood, made by bird-shot, go straight in and have no turnings inside as have the worm-bored cavities.1

Quite apart from the methods of examining and judging old furniture and the chief points to keep in mind while so doing, we must consider the matters of hunting ground and price. The true antique hunter with a passion for "snooping around" will be "instant in season and out of season" on the trail of old furniture, poking into all sorts of possible and likely and impossible and unlikely places. We might add that the "finds," the rewards of this search, are usually met with in the impossible and unlikely places. These "unlikely places" are junk shops in small country towns, old farm houses and various other odd spots, such as smithies and mills that no one but a collector would ever think of looking into. But even there traps for the unwary are laid by the guileful faker, or else loutish half knowledge combined with a falsely exalted notion of values often blocks the way to a purchase at fair price.

The writers know of one instance in which a country junk dealer, of limited mental capacity and outlook, obstinately held a secretary at four times its highest possible value and refused to sell unless he got his figure. He is probably still holding it unless he has chanced to find a purchaser as big a fool as himself. What he knew was that the secretary was old and that people were paying high prices for old furniture.

1 And now come worm holes bored by augers with lead shanks that bend!

What he did not know, and could not be made to realise, was that the secretary, evidently made by an ignorant country carpenter, was inherently bad and clumsy in line, could never be anything but a brute and a lourdan in the furniture world and that its only merit lay in several pieces of good timber in its sides, which could not have redeemed its boorish ugliness of form, or made it an object of value, had it been as old as Methuselah.

Then, again, you may find that the tricky antique faker has set a bait in some remote farmhouse in the form of a specious reproduction, covered with ready-made marks of wear and tear, which he has subsidised the farmer's family, by a prospective "rake-off," to claim as an "old family piece" and sell to an inexperienced furniture enthusiast. The antique collector, therefore, must needs be eternally on the watch and keep his weather eye open, even when browsing about in the most apparently unsophisticated regions. There is, nevertheless, a stimulating pleasure and the glamour of adventure in doing this.

Of course, if one expects to pay higher prices, or to find exactly such and such a piece, there are reliable antique dealers in all large cities who can generally supply what is desired and whose word can be trusted. To be sure, one must count on paying a higher figure for this shift of responsibility. Besides antique dealers as a source of acquisition, there are the sales which take place from time to time. On such occasions, all manner of things are put up at auction, but oftentimes one finds there the gatherings made by small itinerant dealers, who go over unfrequented districts with fine-tooth-comb methods and not seldom bring in treasures as a result of their quest.

Even though not intending to buy, it is always helpful to attend these sales and watch the prices the different objects fetch. It will assist in giving you a broad and accurate idea of values for guidance when you may be a purchaser yourself. After having carefully scrutinised the goods to be offered at a sale and selected any article you may wish to have, it is usually advisable, unless you are an experienced auction bidder, to have some dealer whom you can rely upon do the bidding for you. It will prevent having the price unduly raised upon you by tricksters.

It is worth remembering that a collection of well chosen antiques is an excellent investment. You have, in the first place, the pleasure of collecting them and the satisfaction and enjoyment of their possession and, in the second, the assurance that they are constantly increasing in market value and if sold wisely will realise a great gain over the purchase price. Of course, when the commercial value is a strong consideration as well as the decorative merit, it is necessary to buy things that are in good condition or can be readily restored to good condition without resorting to extensive repairs.

This brings us to another point - the possibilities in mutilated or dilapidated pieces. Oftentimes one will find a bit of furniture whose foundation is excellent but on which the vicissitudes of years in the hands of ignorant or careless owners have wrought sad havoc. It may be battered and somewhat broken or it may have been altered and "improved" or modernised. For instance, in one case an exceedingly good chest of drawers had been despoiled of its original mounts, part of its cornice mouldings and its feet, for which latter very stupid and ugly feet had been substituted by a local carpenter. The body, however, was in good condition and the wood of excellent quality. It was a matter of small expense and but little trouble to restore this chest to its pristine state and the result fully justified the effort made. The same sort of thing can be done in thousands of cases, so always keep your eye open for possibilities and do not be discouraged by a dilapidated appearance, for a little intelligent restoration will work wonders.