First of all...50 or 60 years old doesn't qualify as antique...not even hardly vintage...but into the era where some things were made with softer woods...the sort of stuff where if you write on it without a pad under your paper you will leave marks.
And you have no idea what kind of finish he put on when he redid them. Could have been lacquer which is quick and easy and not long wearing.
A picture speaks 1000 words.
Linda C

geesh, sorry Linda C for the miss re categorization of furniture, the pieces are not current and from 50-60 years ago are old hence my use of antique and they were purchased from a local "antique" shop........if I'm using a definition that doesn't align with yours, my apologies but it would seem irrelevant to the question...what is germane to me is the appearance of the scratches that weren't previously visible.

Pix would help. But as lindac says, it could have just been a quick coat of spray lacquer, or even RAF, and not really "refinishing".

You could try a tinted wax.

I'm guessing he used something like Restore a Finish, which is discussed a lot on here. It's great for a quick fix up, but will wear off after a bit. I'll bet you can get that as-purchased finish back with another(easy) application. Look it up on the search here for lots of posts... with pics, too.
p.s linda is very knowledgeable re antiques, and don't think she was being snooty with you. Dating a piece can be most germane to the question of how to repair a finish...so ease up there up, girl:>)

thanks very much, just spoke with the shop owner and that is in fact what he used.....planning a second application this weekend to bring it back to the appearance it had...thanks for all your help :)

I also am taken by surprise when browsing CL and see "antique" used when they mean "vintage" or even "retro" (can you *ever* see something from the 1970's being an "antique" - even in 2075? I just can't.). I'm just now accepting 1920's stuff as "antique"...

learned a lot about antiques from all of you! spoke to the owner and in fact the pieces are from 1925-30 so older than I thought but still not antique! I have a tinted lacquer that I'm confident will make the difference.

If you use tinted lacquer...if you chip it or any area gets extra wear, that area will look light.
The pieces your mother had likely were good quality antiques refinished with varnish or a rubbed oil finish.
The issue I was taking with your describing pieces from maybe 1960 as antique is they are not made the same way "real antique" furniture is and will likely show wear quickly.
But if you wanted furniture to look new, why look at an "antiques" shop.
Linda C

A piece isn't considered a antique until it is at least a hundred years old.
And I like the original finish and as Linda C. can tell you, is worth way more especially if it is in good condition.

Jane

Annac :) I hope the touch up to the restore does the trick for your pieces! I want to appologize for the board and say that I hope that this forum does not go the way of the antique forum, where short, snotty answers are commonly found by so called experts, answers which are often wrong. There are many who do it and it's off putting to anyone who really loves antiques or old pieces.

FYI the defination of antique is over 100 years old, but the defination of vintage is actually a wine term and means specific to a year or period. So you could have a vintage 1920's piece, meaning it's from somewhere in that time frame, or you could have a vintage 1970's piece, which means your pieces are probaby "vintage" something (sounds like the 20's right?) Anyhoo, most dealers won't get their panties in a wad if you use the wrong term :)

The term vintage was somewhat hijacked by the antique industry and is sometimes used for an item between 50 and 100 years old, but it's not used correctly (don't even get me started on the use of "collactible and/or rare" by the industry).

The original finish is only as valuable as the piece it's applied to. A cheap factory piece from the 20's could be worth more left alone, or more painted, it depends on the style of the piece and the paint job. Some finishes are delicate and the piece, if not a Renoir, can be worth more on the open market refinished than it would be left alone. My dining room set is a great example of that. It's not common, but it's not rare, basically it's a nice antique dining room set, but the finish on it turns white if so much as a drop of water enters the room. The finish has gotten unstable to the point of the top of any of the pieces being unusable for serving not to mention eating on the table. Refinishing it in a finish that looks exactly the same as the old finish will increase it's value if I want to sell it.

So you never know :) But again, I hope you find the finish again and enjoy the pieces until they are officially "antique" LOL

annasmom...no worries on the terminology...we were all once novices, even in our realm of expertise. Igloochic's description of terms is a good guide and easy to remember.

I am NOT an expert on finishes, so won't even try to answer your question, but I have stripped and finished a few vintage pieces in my day, but these are not items I expect to sell and make a profit from...they were just pieces I liked and enjoyed working on them. When it came to my Dad's desk, I had it refinished by experts as it is my most cherished possession and it looks awesome. What is vintage today and taken care of properly over time will eventually be an antique. I am eclectic in decor with antiques, vintage, reproduction and contemporary...I just go with what I like...luckily this kind of mix-matched decor is more acceptable than it used to be...LOL.

There are tons of books on refinishing and antique shops usually provide newsletters and flyers of local artisans who can be very helpful and networking with these folks and here on the board can help you understand how to take care of your furniture. Hang in there and research before you make any changes to your purchases.

I hope no one took offense at my musings on the use of the words "antique", "vintage", etc. I just can't (don't want to!) think about something my age or younger being an antique!

(BTW, you can get antique plates for your car once it's 25 yrs old, so definition varies with item I guess).