WHAT’S IT WORTH?

Q:I inherited an antique loveseat from my grandmother that has turned legs and casters. Please tell me about it, including its value. -- T.D.

Answer: It is an Eastlake-style sofa manufactured around 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 copied his designs.

This loveseat or small sofa needs to be reupholstered, which is problematic because of the high cost of restoration. Exceptions are upholstered furniture made by very well-known makers, such as Herter Brothers of New York.

This loveseat is typical of the mass-produced Eastlake pieces sold between 1875 and 1890, much of it by mail order. It would retail for about $100.

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

Answer: The sideboard and server were manufactured during the late 1920s or early 1930s. 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 around $700.

Have a question about an antique or collectible? Send e-mail to with a digital image, or send a complete description with a clear photograph to Jay Moore, Flair Department, Richmond Times-Dispatch, P.O. Box 85333, Richmond, VA 23293. Photographs will not be returned. The large volume of mail may mean a delay in publishing answers.