Antique Pine Cupboard

To be considered an antique a piece of furniture must be at leas one hundred and fifty years old or older. But some will debate that. Fine antique dealers agree with the one hundred and fifty years, general antique dealers, and yes there is a difference, will claim that a piece of furniture can be fifty years or older. The debate will probably go on for many years.

If you happen to come across and antique pine cupboard, buy it. It is well worth the investment. Be sure though it is an antique. Many will tell you it is and it is nothing but a reproduction. You can tell if it is an antique by a few things to look for. Check for any pegs or holes that might be a bit offset. These holes or pegs indicate it was hung on a wall. An antique pine cupboard was light enough to hang. Smaller sized cupboards with maybe one or two drawers on top are a good indication it is an antique. Many an antique pine cupboard held linen or herbs smell the inside, there just might be a lingering odor of the herbs or lavender.

Look at the structure of the antique pine cupboard, inside and out, if you see machine cut pieces of wood it is not an antique. This type of joinery wasn’t done until the eighteen sixties. The joints of the antique pine cupboard will have dovetailed joints and will probably be offset. If you see these it was probably made before eighteen sixty. If the cupboard looks perfect in all aspects, it is not an antique. Mass produced ‘antiques’ today can be made to look old and beat up.

The finish on an antique pine cupboard is a good give away as being authentic. They were coated with shellac, as it was the only clear surface finish at the time. After the eighteen sixties, lacquer and varnish were developed and painted on the cupboards. If the piece is extremely old it may just have oil wax or milk paint on it.

If you can check if the antique pine cupboard has shellac or varnish. Most antique dealers will not allow you to do this, but if you can manage it, do it. Just find a small area of the piece and dab a small amount of denatured alcohol in it; if the finish dissolves, it is shellac. If it is painted, test it with ammonia, some of the very old pieces will be painted with milk paint and it can only be removed with the ammonia.

One will be surprised at the prices for an antique pine cupboard, depending on the size, the details and the age you’re looking at maybe five to six hundred dollars. If you are lucky enough to find one buy it by all means. It is worth the price and you will have a piece of Americana in your home. Any type of antique furniture in your home will add a bit of elegance to a space that will shine.