AMERICA HAS fallen in love with the past. We’ve emerged from the age of Formica table tops to an era of renewed appreciation of real wood and the charm of “country chic.” Of course, even the most avid furniture refinisher can reluctantly confess to understanding why manufacturers began to laminate kitchen tables in the first place: All it takes to mar the beautiful hand-rubbed finish on an antique oak table is one wet glass. But a little lemon oil can often right the damage, and no hard-core antique buff would ever trade the imperfections of a valued piece for the smarmy sleekness of plastic.
Because “antiquing” has become such a fashionable pastime, dusty bargains in cluttered roadside shops are a bit harder to find. In a well-heeled metropolitan area such as Dallas, antiques are displayed already refinished and attractively set off by beautiful handicrafts, which have also enjoyed a recent revival of interest. But there are still some wonderful shops in which an experienced antique lover can spy a find and a beginner can have a great time poking about. Even if you can’t tell a reproduction from the real thing, there are some easy-to-remember guidelines that can keep you from making that first foray into antique buying an unmitigated disaster.
According to John Walker, owner of Architectural Heritage in Piano and an expert on English and American antiques, almost any piece more than 100 years old formerly was considered a good investment. But now, because of inflation, you really have to be knowledgeable (or just plain lucky) to find a piece whose value you can be sure will increase enough to qualify it as an investment. Walker suggests that people interested in buying antiques should do so for the pleasure of finding a particular item they want rather than for any expectation of making money on it in the future.
Sometimes, Walker says, a fad can make a certain item “overpopular,” such as the ubiquitous milk tins, which sold for more than $100 a few years ago. The problem with milk tins was simple: They were cute and people liked them. But they were also still being manufactured regularly in Wisconsin and England. Therefore, a never-ending supply existed, which, in effect, flooded the market and made the tins worthless from an investment point of view-although they were still attractive and useful for decorative purposes.
Walker says that some of the most popular antique furniture in America today is English. Clean, simple lines make these tables, dressers and chairs consistently appealing. But this style is so plentiful here that purchases of this kind may not increase in value.
Walker also warns antique hunters about the mystique of pine. He says that most pine antiques found in America today actually are shipped from England or Scandinavia; some pieces may not really be antiques themselves, but simply are assembled from old pine remnants garnered from demolished buildings or from salvaged pine furniture. As Walker says: “You may find yourself with old wood, but not necessarily an old piece.”
Walker warns the novice against buying Victorian furniture (especially American) in Texas because most of it will have been shipped in from somewhere else and the price will be jacked up accordingly. The exceptions, however, are pieces sold at an estate sale, at which excellent reasonably priced antiques may be found because the audience may not be sophisticated enough to know a find when they see it.
Walker also urges the beginner to avoid the temptation of “period pieces” unless he doesn’t have to worry about money at all. The prices for legitimate period antiques are astronomical , and there is the added task of confirming that the piece is authentic. Walker tells of a museum that wanted to put together an exhibit of period furniture: Museum officials went to several private collectors to inspect their best pieces for the show. Among the supposedly fabulous collections, the museum curators couldn’t find one authentic period piece. Virtually all the items were high-quality reproductions.
Walker says that it’s always wise to stick to classic styles: Even an excellent reproduction of a certain classic style can be worth more than a less-popular style of an authentic antique.
Walker believes that a prospective buyer should concentrate on affordable antiques, and when he finds a piece he truly likes, he shouldn’t be embarrassed about examining it
ior flaws. Once me piece has been checked out, the buyer should add on to the asking price the amount of time and money it will take him to refinish the piece, then ask himself if it’s still worth the price.
Handmade cabinetry was phased out by machine-made furniture around 1840, Walker says, and one of the simplest ways to spot a handmade antique made before 1840 is to check the dovetails inside a drawer. When machines are used to cut dovetails, the dovetails are identical and are larger than those carved by hand. If the dovetails on a piece are very tiny, it’s a safe bet that the piece is a legitimate antique made before 1840.
Antiques and good secondhand furniture are more than just instant nostalgia. For budget-conscious shoppers who don’t want to sacrifice quality and style, buying inexpensive used furniture and antiques is a good way to furnish a house without spending a fortune. Today’s decorating style is eclectic, and mixing woods and periods is encouraged rather than criticized (it’s no longer fashionable to buy suites of look-alike bedroom or living-room furniture). Fabrics and upholsteries are often used to tie a room together where once a regiment of matched dressers, nightstands and headboards were de rigueur.
NOW THAT you know what to look for, here’s a list of places in which antiques and used furniture are offered in the Far North Dallas area.
Morgan Sweeton Collection, Galleria, Suite 1600. 387-8352. The Morgan Sweeton Collection specializes in fine English antiques, ranging from the very formal to more casual country oak. Bert A. Huff, president of the company, makes biannual buying trips to England to select quality antiques for the store. The shop is owned by a four-member partnership consisting of Huff and his daughter, Lecie, plus Diana Reagan and her father, Weldon S. Guest. Reagan says, “We buy the pieces where the old finish has achieved the patina of age that makes an antique truly valuable as well as beautiful.” The collection includes sideboards, English dressers, chests, grandfather clocks (called tall-case clocks in England) and buffets.
The owners say they are always happy to oblige a client by searching for a particular item, and they have an excellent network of contacts in the business. They say they soon hope to include French and Italian antiques in their collection as well.
Joe Small Auctioneers, Gardenbrook Drive (two blocks south of Belt Line, off Webbs Chapel). 241-1912. Joe Small Auctioneers is not only great antiquing, it’s a great time. An auction is held every Friday and Monday evening at 7 o’clock, featuring a container (antique lingo for a trailer load) of antiques from England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales. The public as well as private dealers are welcome, and there is even absentee bidding (in which an interested customer gives the owners a sealed envelope with his bid for a certain item, and an auction representative bids on it by proxy).
Joe Small Auctioneers is housed in an 18,000-square-foot warehouse, and its volume of business is upwards of $3 million a year. Sales vary greatly from container to container, but there is always a good mix, according to owner Joe Small. The public is also welcome to browse through the merchandise all day on Mondays and Fridays, but Small believes that everyone should experience his auctions for the sheer fun of it.
The Album Interiors, 5344 Belt Line (in Ad-dison Town Hall Square). 239-8818. Album Interiors had been in business for more than two years when it was sold to new owner Bea Bender, who specializes in “the old, the new and the one-of-a-kind.” Bender carries English, Austrian, French and primitive an-tiques-“everything from armoires to side tables”, she says-but she also sells a variety of giftware, both antique and new. Anything new (such as Castor-Cooper stemware and hollo-ware) is signed by the artist.
The store doesn’t offer refinished antique furniture because Bender purchases pieces “in as perfect condition as it is possible for an antique to be,” she says. Before the new management took over, prices at The Album were known to be on the steep side, but Bender says that she hopes to maintain the high quality of merchandise with a price range that is within the reach of a greater number of potential buyers. The Album also offers a full-service interior design studio.
Cumberland House Antiques, Route 121 at Preston Road. 1-377-9182. Cumberland House is the perfect spot to look for English and American antiques, both Victorian and primitive. Owner Angela Galloway has a carefully selected and attractively arranged collection of dressers, armoires, tables, chairs and sofas, as well as extensive collections of china. Some china sets are nearly complete and include fine English china such as Minton and Royal Doul-ton and hand-painted Bavarian.
Galloway prides herself on being able to meet her clients’ special requests (she once found a wedding gown from the Thirties in excellent condition for a client). A rope bed converted to a bench, a baker’s tray (on which eight loaves can be baked simultaneously) and a child’s desk and chair are a few of the charming items we spotted. The furniture is in fine condition and reasonably priced. Galloway also makes cloth dolls with hand-painted faces as well as handmade clothing.
Howard Green Antiques, 15289 Addison Road, Addison. 239-1610. In addition to European and American furniture built before 1890, Howard Green Antiques offers a nice selection of art nouveau and art deco armoires, wash-stands, hall trees, desserts, tables and chairs. A number of antique accessories-lamps, brass and copper accents, baskets-can also be found here. Owned and operated by Howard Green and his wife, Judy, the store specializes in the repair, refinishing and restoration of an-tique furniture. Green, a skilled cabinet-maker in his own right who works in the old-time tra-dition of furniture building, also offers these finely crafted pieces.Painted Parson Antiques, 1300 S. Broadway, Carrollton (one block south of downtown square). 242-3113. Owner Kitty Staes wanted an unusual name for her shop and found the term “painted parson,” which an antique dic-tionary defines as “a sign that points the way.”She decided that people would be more likely to remember “painted parson” than other more-familiar names. In addition to some antique “settles,” armoires and benches, Staes has an excellent selection of stoneware, baskets and crockery, as well as such popular items as pantry and dough boxes, spice racks and butter crocks. She even has a “pie safe” (a cupboard used for baked goods) and an assortment of quilts and coverlets.
Architectural Heritage, 1606 Avenue K, Piano. 424-3102. This is John Walker’s shop, and it is impressive. His forte is custom woodwork handcrafted from carved English oak salvaged from churches and houses. In addition to antique furniture, Walker also offers a wonderful collection of mantelpieces and English and American stained glass.
Country Sonshine, 1933 Preston at FM 544, Piano. 596-0903. Though Country Sonshine is a bit expensive, its selection of American, English and French antiques is not only varied and unusual but also beautifully displayed. Ar-moires, small secretaries, dining tables and chairs, bedsteads and antique silver can all be found here, as well as some traditional country items and primitives. Restoration, when necessary, is done in a studio on the premises.
The Magnolia House, 1206 14th St., Piano.423-3822. This is the real thing-an old, dustyhouse filled with every conceivable form ofjunk and some wonderful treasures, too. Justbecause a tray of old wood type is covering thebureau top doesn’t mean that the bureau itselfmight not be a real find. This is a fun place topoke about, and there are some nice pieces tobe found.
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