They just don't make it like the used to. Nowadays, anything you get is made of laminated compressed sawdust or chipboard. Slowly but surely I'm replacing all of the compressed sawdust furniture that I had been using throughout college and graduate school. I quickly found that for mere pennies on the dollar of the cost of a new piece of furniture, and still less than a new piece of compressed sawdust, that I could buy an antique piece of furniture in need of minor repair. If you're willing to put in a few weeks worth of work, for mere pennies on the dollar you can have a nice piece of furniture that's made of real wood and will be worth lots more than what you paid for it. If taken care of, antique furniture will appreciate in value over the years.

This is a ca. 1920s walnut tallboy dresser that seriously needed refinishing. Some of the drawer rails in the interior were replaced, four drawer bottoms replaced, the drawer stops replaced, the top lightly sanded to remove some water marks, the piece was refinished, and the hardware replaced. The keyhole escutcheons are original.

This is a ribbon mahogany dresser that dates to the 1920s or early 1930s. I obtained it from my wife's great aunt's estate. It was wobbling, the back was out of it, it was painted a very ugly brown, and had mismatched hardware. I was pleasantly surprised to find mahogany under that ugly paint. The paint was removed, the back replaced, three drawer bottoms replaced, the drawer stops replaced, a board placed across the back to hold the sides in their proper shape, the piece refinished, and most of the hardware replaced. The knobs on the two top half-drawers are original, as are the keyhole escutcheons.

A mission style desk that I paid $25 for. When I got it, the top was seriously marred and covered with splatters of white paint, and the finish was crackled Some of the slats from the front were missing. I stripped and sanded the top, refinished the entire desk, and moved some of the slats from the back of the desk that matched the missing pieces in the front. It's not a Stickley (as far as I can tell), but it's SOLID quarter-sawn oak, and a quality piece of furniture. It's now my wife's computer desk.

A mahogany drop-front secretary from the 1920s. I use this as my "bill-paying" desk. The lid, top, and drawer fronts are solid mahogany, with mahogany veneers on the inside and the sides. The frame below is poplar, stained to match. All this piece needed was a good thorough cleaning and a little touch up on some nicks and scratches, and she was as good as new.