Expert: Eileen Cronk - 5/15/2005

Question
Is there any value to a ~60 year old bird eye maple table, chairs and china cabinet?


Answer
Hi Vernon
Nice to hear from you.
Sorry this is late but our phones were down.
Although your table is not an antique being only 60 years old, if it is truly birds eye maple, it would certainly be worth something.
Vernon, once you have seen real birds eye maple you will never forget it. Its full of small round things they call eyes.
The eye is actually a fault in the growing process of the maple tree and is rarely found. We harvest maple trees from our property on occassion, and never once have we had this birds eye occur.
I would  suspect this set of yours will be veneer if its truly birds eye maple.
Veneer is a very thin skin of birds eye maple over another wood.(certainly nothing wrong with that either)
Also I have never seen. chairs made of birds eye maple, but that does not mean they don't exist :-)
I would be very interested in seeing some pictures if thats possible.
Contact me the same way and I will send my email addy.
Regards
Eileen