Linda C; My niece in Colorado bought a table and chairs from an estate and asked me tell them if they made a good buy. Maybe similar to the question the OP asked about the value of their furniture. I'll tell you what I did so you can learn something and it might be useful to you in the furture. I ask my niece if there was a manufacturers name on the bottom of the table. She found one and told me the name. I googled the name and lo and behold, there were about ten sites that were selling and buying this particular furniture. I found the year it was made and the price the furniture was selling for. This was not a well known factory. I believe this is the information the OP was asking for. Apparently you have never done this, so you might try it some time. I believe this might be better than a guess; or not Someone

The two 'master' chairs are indeed from a different set. (But I LOVE them. They are sooooo sturdy and comfortable - everyone wants to sit in them! and they have great character) I also think they're made of mahogany, not walnut like the other chairs. But the cane back chairs have carving on the legs that is identical to the feet of the sideboards. All upholstery has been replaced multiple times from looking at the underside of the chairs - I also suspect the caning is not original, but it is doubled and is very heavy grade caning. Sideboards have carved mouldings identical to the mouldings around the edge of the table. *shrugs* Even if the chairs are from a later time, they match well with it. Don't suppose anyone has any ideas on the actual age and origin of the larger pieces? I've looked all over the internet, and I've had one person from Europe suggest they're from the 1930's, 40's, or 50's and made in America, which I have to disagree with. American pieces made during the great depression era aren't large, they aren't heavy, and typically don't have the nice veneer work on them. People simply couldn't afford that sort of furniture at that time. I have several pieces from that era, they're pretty common in this part of the U.S. 1940's ushered in WWII; the ability to manufacture pretty furniture was eclipsed by building airplanes and war machines. 1950's pieces don't tend to have the thick cuts of wood for a carcass - the table top alone is just over an inch thick, same for the tops of the sideboards. They also didn't typically use mortise and tenon construction for things like mouldings around the edges of furniture. I have yet to see any American furniture from any of those decades that have wooden knobs. They usually have brass or brass plated pulls. European pieces tend to have brass hinges; the sideboards I have do have brass hinges, whereas American furniture has iron or steel. I guess I'm just going through process of elimination now. LOL The style is so eclectic, yet not as awkward and top-heavy as Victorian pieces, that I'm led to believe it might be late (very late) Edwardian - which would put it being made in the mid to late 1900's, possibly even early 20's. One other clue to its possible age: It has a servants bell underneath at the area that would be occupied by someone sitting immediately to the left of the head of the table. It was an electric buzzer type thing, with a shred of the original sheathing left around what remains of the cord and it is a woven fabric. Actual copper of the cord looks dangerously thin - as in not up to modern electric standards. The buzzer appeared to be made of Bakelite, but also appears to be added later as I removed it and the wood beneath is lighter, but not by much. It is held on with flat head screws. It came with three leaves, and it will expand just enough for the three of them. The wood has shrunk so they don't fit tightly against one another, you can see right through to the floor in some places, but the moulding still meets at the edges. It has dowels/pegs on the underside of the frame to 'stop' the table at the correct length. I haven't measured it with all three of the leaves yet, but I do know I'll have to have a table cloth that's 70x120, if not larger. Also! The leaves do not have a metal tab system to lock them into place! Or the dowel and tabs like you see on modern pieces! It has carved wooden, half circle 'tongues' which are about a quarter inch thick. They insert into companion slots carved into the next leaf. They must be inserted in order or they don't fit together at all. Each leaf is marked for order of insertion with a scratched roman numeral: I, II, and III. I believe the veneer to be of walnut, as does the antiques dealer/appraiser friend of ours that looked it over this last weekend. He has been in the business for 30 years, and he's never seen anything like them himself. All he could do is confirm they're quality pieces and were a good investment. :-) I have not inspected the underside of the stretcher as it is just too heavy to flip onto its side.

I was recently given a dining room set that was left in a home purchased. We do not have any information on it, other than what is painted on the bottom of the table top. There is a silver plate on the base of the dining room table that says "Silver Radio" and has an oval like cut out. It does not seem to mount to anything, and we do not know the purpose of it. Also, on the bottom of the table top it has "Paoli Furniture Co., 561 Jiranek" I have attached a pic of the base of the table & have more pics of different pieces. The chairs are in horrible shape & I will need to find other ones to use. Any information that anyone may be able to give me would be GREATLY appreciated.

I spoke with Rocky today. The furniture is in New Port Richey, FL...not too far from us. He's a long time amateur antique furniture collector and is selling this because he's getting another set. He says this is in a room they never go into and they do not eat in there. I forgot to ask if it's ever been refinished, I suppose it has for it to look so good. The table could extend to seat the 12 chairs but the leaves are missing. It would be easy to have someone make leaves to fit and to stain them to match if you used old walnut wood. He sounds very nice; very knowledgeable and invited me to come look even if I didn't buy. He says the drive would be worth it just to see the pieces in person. I can't go today, but maybe next weekend. Any takers??