It depends on your local market ... check Craigslist and some antique stores. Cleaning is easy: Clean it carefully ... Dust it, then use mild soap and water on a soft cloth to remove water-soluble crud. Then shift to mineral spirits and 0000 steel wool, cleaning gently to get the oil-based hand grime and such off. Stop and evaluate. Often that's all you need to do, or you find that the top needs finish removal and a new coat of something. If you have a flaky, scaly finish, that's probably old wax buildup. Remove it with a blend of lacquer thinner and denatured alcohol (I use 50/50). Apply liberally to a small area, let it soften a few moments, then gently rub off the crud with the steel wool. Repeat until clean. Do this outside, with gloves because the fumes are vile and flammable.

I bought a ceramic piece a few years ago, because I just loved how it looked. On the inside there was a stamp/signature and I am just curious if anyone could help me figure out the name of the company/artist. Can anyone identify the maker of this? Or at least a relative time period in which you think it was made? I do not know enough about ceramic/sculpture antiques, so I was hoping to start here. -Thank you.

I THINK they are victorian parlor chairs, but I am not an antique buff. I need some resources, info and some kind of direction. I have a pair of ornate chairs which I have always loved but never had the room for so they sat in the basement and moved with me everywhere I went. I think they have the original light green/blue velvet seats and backs but they are worn and a little sun damaged. One of the arm rests is broken off, and the back has a terrible break in that same chair, but all of the breaks fit together and no chips or pieces are missing. I have had them for about 30 years. They were my grandmotherÂs chairs, but I donÂt know if she inherited them or if she bought them somewhere along the way. I just need to know if they should be junked, sold as-is or if they are worth trying to restore and I donÂt have any local resources to help me. I have uploaded the photos onto a web page for you to get a better idea of them. http://www.jsuits.com/chairs.htm Thanks for your help! Here is a link that might be useful: Link to Chair Photos

It's a bureau form with a "dressing slide" under the top. It's kind of Queen Anne with the simple plinth and feet, but the brasses are more of a Chippendale "willow" style as opposed to simpler "batwing" like I would think of on Queen Anne. I don't think it is supposed to be a particular reproduction, just a revival piece. The front of the case looks like mahogany, I don't know about the drawers. The flecking or spotting is intentional and the lighter finish seems typically 1950s-60s.