Every week a multi-thousand-euro piece narrowly escapes the Recypark. Here are the 10 signals we systematically check during every appraisal in Brussels.
1. Joinery: hand-cut dovetails
Pull out the drawer and turn it over. Irregular, chisel-cut dovetails point to pre-1860. Perfectly regular dovetails indicate post-1880 industrial production.
2. Screws: three major eras
- No screws → pegged joints → pre-1800
- Forged screws, irregular slot, domed head → 1800-1870
- Perfectly cylindrical machine screws → post-1870
3. Woods
Cuban mahogany, Rio rosewood, tulipwood, burr elm, walnut burr, bird's-eye maple — these are the woods that drive auction prices. Waxed 'black' oak is common and rarely valuable.
4. Veneers
Thin (< 1 mm), irregular veneer on a softwood carcass = typical 18th–19th century. Thick regular veneers of 1.5–2 mm are modern.
5. Patina
A deep, uniform patina with consistent wear is almost impossible to fake. Be wary of 'antiques' with overly sharp wear marks — often artificially aged.
ℹ️ The consistent wear rule
On a genuine antique, wear corresponds to usage logic: table edges, legs, drawer pulls. On an artificially aged replica, wear marks are often random or symmetrical.
6. Signatures and labels
Photograph everything inside drawers or under seats. Jansen, Ruhlmann, Majorelle, Leleu can multiply value by 10 to 100.
7–10. Bronze, styles, low-value pieces & the photo rule
Hand-chased bronze (alternating matte and polished, fine chasing) is a strong marker. Most sought-after 2026 styles: Art Deco (1920-1940), Scandinavian design (1950-1970), Belgian brutalism (De Coene, Van Der Meeren).
💡 The 3-photo rule
Photo 1: full overview at 2 metres. Photo 2: upturned open drawer (joinery). Photo 3: any label, stamp or inscription. These 3 photos are sufficient in 80% of cases for a remote estimate.
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We estimate your furniture and objects with no commitment. If the value warrants a visit, we'll propose one.