Expert: Kirk Ryan - 1/8/2008

Question
I have a dining room table that was given to me by a family member. The table looks old. It has a leaf on each end of the table. You pull on the leaf then it comes out then you lift up a bit then push it back to lock it in place. the table has one on each end. It has 5 regular chairs and a chair w/arms. How do I know if it is worth getting it redone.

Answer
   There are still tables like that being made, so I would guess its not too old. If the table is in good shape, it may be worth refinishing. To give you an idea, sometimes it costs around $500 dollars or so to refinish a nice dining table. But it can cost anywhere from $1000 to $5000 to get a new dining table of the same type/value. The higher price being solid wood. Do you know if the table is solid wood?
   If the chairs are solid wood, generally the same rule applies. If they just need re-upholstering thats not bad. Some dining chairs that I have in my store are as much as $700 per chair. I have people re-upholster all the time, because usually its only around $100-150 per chair to do.
   Feel free to email me pictures if you like.
my email  -->   Jackal4215@hotmail.com

If you have pictures, I may be able to tell you the wood, or even the brand, and maybe I can help you more.