Would you like to know if the antique you just saw is as old as you think it is? Here are some ways to find out:

1. Patina

An old table will have a really nice, and rich looking finish. A lot of polishing and wearing will lead to patina. Look under a table. On the older ones, the wood will look much different when comparing to the wood on the top. The wood on the under will look more light because it hasn't been used or polished.

2. Handmade

When looking at handmade furniture, look for some uneven edges and unevenness along the furniture. If it is so, it is a clear indication that it's truly handmade. Furniture made by machine will have carving which is precise. A set of chairs can easily be found out. If the carving and everything else is exactly the same across all the chairs, it's definitely machine-made, and may not be really old.

3. Veneer

Check out the thickness of the veneers on the wood. Veneer has been used on wooden furniture for ages, but the veneer used in olden days was thicker than veneer in modern days, and it used to be glued onto the wood. New manufacturing ways enable more-thin cuts for veneers. Mod veneers are usually stuck onto a particleboard or the base-woods.

4. Signature

Try to find the signature of the maker. The new, mass produced furniture are generally signed by the craftsman who designed it. The signature will enable you to estimate the date during which it was designed and enable you to put a value on it.

5. Mortise - and - tenon construction

Look out for the way in which it was made. Mortise and tenon is a method whereby 2 pieces of wood are sawed like a jigsaw puzzle to be put in place sans the nails or the glue. This method was used to put together the furniture. The use of this production method means that excellent craftsmanship has been at work and gives you a way of identifying a true antique.

6. Locks

Look for the name of the maker on the locks which are fitted onto the furniture. These will help you to find out the age of the furniture and its value.

7. Dovetail Joints

A construction method which was used to compile drawers, blanket boxes, etc, it is also somewhat similar to the mortise and tenon. Dovetail which are made by hand are generally quite big and not even. However, machine made ones are thin and even.

8. Nails

Furniture which was manufactured in the 17th and 18th venture generally made use of square pegs. Nails forged by hand are also a sign of an antique. You can distinguish hand-forged nails because they generally are not even in size/shape. If you see furniture with a Philips screw, you should realize that the furniture is not as old as you may think.