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How Much Are These Chairs And Loveseats Worth?

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By JAY MOORE

Tribune correspondent

Published: January 25, 2009

I inherited a number of antique loveseats and chairs from my grandmother, including one that has turned legs and casters. Please tell me about it, including its value.

T.D.

Tampa

It's an Eastlake-style sofa manufactured about 1880. It probably was part of a suite that included several side chairs and an armchair. It appears to be made of oak and originally was stained to duplicate walnut.

Charles Locke Eastlake was an English furniture designer who published the book "Hints on Household Taste" in 1868. The book hit our shores in 1872. Many American furniture makers quickly plagiarized his designs.

This loveseat or small sofa needs to be reupholstered. This is problematic because of the high cost of restoration, although pieces by very well-known makers, such as Herter Brothers of New York, are a bit more affordable.

Your piece is typical of the mass-produced Eastlake pieces sold from 1875 to 1890, much of it by mail order. It would retail for about $100.

I would like to know more about my buffet and small server that were given to my mother in the 1950s. She was told that they are more than 100 years old. They have been refinished.

S.S.

Zephyrhills

The sideboard and server were manufactured during the late 1920s or early '30s. The pieces may have been part of a dining room suite that included a table, chairs and china cabinet.

They probably are made of plywood, solids and veneers, which are typical of this period of American manufactured furniture. Pieces like this often are referred to as Depression-era furniture.

The two pieces would retail for about $700.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear, high-resolution digital image in .jpg format to baylife@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (not compu

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