Antique furniture and reproductions education and training is useful for many professionals in the home furnishings, interior decoration and art valuation industries. Distinguishing between genuine antique furniture and reproductions can mean the difference in a dealer's or appraiser's income and credibility. On the positive side, mastering the techniques of reproducing antique furniture in popular styles can be lucrative for a craftsperson or interior designer, and can provide the hobbyist with the satisfaction of acquiring diverse furniture making and woodworking skills.

Depending on your need for or interest in antique furniture and reproductions education and training, there are a variety of options to explore.

1. Use books and plans to educate yourself in techniques for reproducing antique furniture in popular styles.

2. Study with master furniture builders to acquire hands-on training in antique furniture reproduction.

3. Become certified in personal property appraisal techniques to distinguish between antique furniture and reproductions.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Teach yourself to create antique reproductions using manuals and plans

If you have good basic building skills, you can get your antique furniture and reproductions education and training from the many books available through art and woodworking publishers.

I recommend: Dover Publications, a leading art publisher, carries instruction books for antique furniture reproduction in a number of popular styles; Making Antique Furniture Reproductions includes patterns for pieces in the style of Sheraton and Chippendale, among others, and Making Authentic Shaker Furniture teaches techniques for reproducing antiques in this simple, functional tradition. Order In the Craftsman Style from Rockler Woodworking and Hardware.

Acquire hands-on training in reproducing antiques

If you're serious about antique furniture reproduction, you'll want to learn from the finest craftspeople. Whatever style of furniture you're interested in, there is education available in reproducing antique examples, often using historically appropriate tools and techniques.

I recommend: The School of Woodworking at the Center for Essential Education offers 6-day and longer courses in crafting antique furniture reproductions such as a Craftsman chair or a Sellers table, using only hand tools. Northern New Mexico College has established an entire department devoted to reviving the art of Spanish Colonial Furniture Making.

Get certification in appraising antique furniture and reproductions

Whether you are a dealer or an interior decorator, you can benefit from education that will help you distinguish between true antique furniture and reproductions. You can parlay your training into a second career by becoming a certified appraiser of personal property.

I recommend: The International Society of Appraisers offers a number of courses toward certification, including Appraisal of Antiques. Through Appraisal Course Associates, you can take a 6-day core course in Appraising Personal Property, or a 15-hour Personal Property Appraiser seminar. Both are based on the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Local antique furniture retailers often offer classes and seminars on antique furniture and reproductions that can add to your education.

Antique furniture can be expensive, so many dealers are beginning to sell or create beautifully made antique reproductions. Many of these reproductions are difficult to tell from the originals, so customers who couldn't afford expensive antiques are happy to find quality reproductions at prices they can afford. There are also kits available so that you can create reproductions and sell them to those who want the look of antique furniture without having to pay a lot of money.

Here are some things to consider if you're thinking of selling antique furniture reproductions:

1. Get your business listed with online lists of antique furniture and reproductions sellers.

2. Consider antique furniture and reproductions wholesalers to purchase items for your store.

3. Save money by purchasing kits to create your own antique furniture reproductions that you can sell.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get customer attention by joining online lists of antique retailers

After you've done some research and decided what kind of reproduction antiques you want to sell, the next step is to find ways to let other dealers and customers know where you are. One great way is to get yourself listed with antique retailer searches online where customers around the world can easily find you.

I recommend: Get your business listed at A to Z Antiques so that customers can easily find your business by clicking on a map for a list of antique furniture retailers in each area. Join The Art and Antique Dealers League of America to get your business listed and receive membership benefits, such as an item and dealer search and listings of events and shows.

Purchase antique reproduction furniture wholesale

Become acquainted with businesses that specialize in selling antique reproductions at wholesale prices. Some of these businesses sell exclusively to other dealers, while some are also open to the public.

I recommend: Visit River Forks Imports to find beautiful reproduction antiques sold wholesale. This site only sells their wholesale furniture to furniture owners and antique dealers. Bali Exports sells high-quality antique reproduction furniture wholesale in American, French, English and Asian styles. It also creates custom furniture if you have clients who have special requests.

Use antique furniture reproduction kits to create your own beautiful antique reproduction pieces

Instead of purchasing reproductions to sell, you can try reproducing antiques yourself to sell by buying reproduction furniture kits. There are many kits available in various styles so that you can create your own reproduction antique furniture.

I recommend: Go to Bartley Classic Reproductions to a buy a high-quality antique furniture reproduction kit at a reasonable price. Van Dyke's Restorers sells a quality reproduction furniture kit designed to fit any budget. You can easily create everything from bookcases to cabinets and curios in many styles.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Visit antique shows and stores to see what things cost. This is a great way for you to learn about antique furniture and reproductions and also to decide how much you're willing to spend for them.
• •  As a dealer, you have an ethical responsibility to make clear to your customers the difference between genuine antique furniture and reproductions. Make sure to provide clear labeling and provenance, and to reflect the difference in pricing.

Antique furniture is a great investment. Whether you're a collector, you enjoy finding antique masterpieces and reselling them, or simply want to decorate your office with beautiful pieces, you need to know what to look for so you are sure to get your money's worth. There are vast quantities of furniture styles, pieces and embellishments that have obscure names. This guide will help you understand a few of them.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Highboy

A highboy is a very tall chest of drawers that consists of two separate pieces that fit together. It often has a decorative broken pediment crown on top.

I recommend: The Art and Antique Emporium describes the history of the highboy and what made it so popular back in the 18th century.

Chiffonier

A chiffonier is a practical piece of furniture used for extra storage. The original translation of the word means 'rag catcher.' It usually consists of one or two drawers or cabinets and a shelf.

I recommend: The Antiques Bible further explains the origins and uses for the chiffonier.

Klismos chair

A small ancient Greek chair design, with legs that curve or splay -- usually in opposite directions -- a curved back rail and a concave, narrow back rest. While none of the original Greek chairs exist, there are still reproductions of this chair being made.

I recommend: House Beautiful has a feature article and slide show devoted to this increasingly popular chair design.

Hoosier cabinet

Used predominately in the early 1900s, the Hoosier cabinet was a convenient kitchen work space. It is best known for its features, such as cabinets, drawers, pull-out work areas for extra counter space, storage bins, pan racks and even a bread drawer.

I recommend: Visit Amish Peddler for more information on this classic piece of furniture.

Chaise

A chaise, also known as a chaise lounge or chaise longue (French for 'long chair'), is a long chair made somewhat like a couch with a back and arm rest on only one side, typically for one person to recline in.

I recommend: Visit Chaise Lounges for more information on this type of furniture.

Marquetry

Marquetry is a decorative furniture embellishment consisting of wood inlays in an intricate pattern, usually applied to a veneer surface and different in color than the original furniture piece.

I recommend: Inlay provides a detailed explanation of marquetry. For more antique furniture key terms, visit Buffalo Architecture and History or Welton USA.