AboutFred Taylor Expertise I will attempt to answer questions about American antique furniture, including construction details, style, period, manufacturers, care, repair and storage. I do not have any background in appliances, musical instruments, sewing machines, lighting and clocks and will not respond to quesions about those items.
Experience I ran an antique furniture restoration business for twenty years. I am a nationally syndicated columnist on the subject of antique furniture for such publications as Antique Week and New England Antiques Journal. I have produced one video on the subject of furniture identification and my book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available.I have also published articles in Antique Trader, Chicago Art Deco Society, Northeast Magazine, Victorian Decorating and Lifestyles, Professional Refinishing, Antiques and Art Around Florida and Antique Shoppe. You can visit my website at www.furnituredetective.com
Education/Credentials BSBA Finance, University of Florida, MBA Finance, University of Florida
Question Hello, I have a table that was my grandmothers, she gave it to me about 32yrs ago....I know nothing about this able. What I can tell you is the number 1431 are stamped in the wood on the underside.....If you go to this link this table style is identical to mine, except mine does not have the design on the end as in these pics....here is a link to the picutres. http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=4283995
Could you please tell me who made these tables, approx age and value?
Thanks
Cathi
Answer Cathi - Your table falls in the category of "novelty furniture." Many companies turned to the manufacture of small items to have something affordable to sell that people could buy in the Depression era of the 1930s. These items were called "novelties" and included things like magazine racks, hanging shelves, magazine and lamp tables and smoking stands. You can see a number of novelty items in the book "Furniture of the Depression Era" by Swedberg, Collector Books.
Novelty furniture was made a large number of manufacturers including Butler Specialties in Chicago and Ferguson Brothers in New Jersey. Since I haven't seen your table I can't say how old it is and what the value may be. The one on the site you sent was made in the 1940s and is correctly valued at about $35. I have a very similar table.
