To determine the age of your antique furniture, note the materials that were used in its manufacturing. Expert antique collectors generally check the type of wood and metal that was applied to a piece in determining the era where it came from. Furniture that is made from oak was usually manufactured before the 1700s.

Make sure to search for labels, stamps, or manufacturing tags that can tell when and where a piece was made. Furniture companies and makers often listed their names, locations, and year of production This information can be found on the inside of drawers, the backs of bureaus, and on the lower edges of pieces.