As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, November 2007 

Q. We are a antique dealership and we just realized a china cabinet we have for sale is a Stickley. The mark on the back looks like it is branded or imprinted on and says "Stickley". It has a tombstone/horseshoe mark above the signature with some writing in it that we can't make out. Any clues to whether it is Gustav, L & JG etc., would be greatly appreciated.

A. On the face of it apparently you have a piece with Gustav's mark. The tombstone/horseshoe is a joiner's compass. The writing you can't read probably says "Als ik kan" meaning "As well as I can" which was his motto. This branded mark was used from 1912 to 1915. A very similar mark was used by Gustav Stickley in 1902-1903 but it was red decal. For more information about Gustav and all his brothers and allt heir companies check out "American Cabinetmakers, Marked American Furniture 1640 - 1940" by William C. Ketchum, Jr., Crown and "Grand Rapids Furniture - The Story of America's Furniture City" by Christian Carron, published by The Public Museum of Grand Rapids. You can also visit the modern Stickley website at http://www.stickley.com which has a good history of the family. 

Q. Can you tell me if you are in the business of assessing a value to furniture and can it be done by photograph? I have several items I am needing to either sell or insure that I need advice about. One is a six piece hand pegged maple bedroom set, one is a carved oak love seat and one is a mahogany chest of drawers with a butler top drawer and a middle desk drawer with leather insert and spindle rails. I inherited these pieces and many more in the early 70's and all are pieces that were specifically made for my family.

I would appreciate knowing what you charge for such information and whether or not you can make an assessment by photo and phone. Thank you.

A. While I do occasionally quote a price or a range of values for an article which I have seen, I do not do appraisals. I merely compare items, which have sold recently or are for sale or I consult a reliable price guide if I can find one that has a comparable item. While I place very little credence in most price guides that "cover the world" I have greater faith in the ones that concentrate on a particular type of item, period or style, especially when they are included as part of recent book on the subject. This usually means recent research has been done on the subject and the values are relatively fresh.

However, a price guide is just that, a rough guide and while it is a place to start, to "get in the ball park" if you are just curious, it is not the place to stop if you intend to sell or insure a serious piece of work. For those purposes you need an appraisal by a licensed appraiser who belongs to one of the national appraisal associations.

Then you have to decide what type of appraisal you really need. Appraisals fall into two broad categories, "fair market value" and "replacement value".

A fair market value appraisal tells you what you might reasonably expect to receive for the item from a reputable dealer of like merchandise or what you might realize, before expenses, commissions, premiums etc., if the item were to be sold at a fair public auction of like items.  Fair market value is essentially a "selling" appraisal and represents what amounts to a wholesale value of the item. The IRS, in valuing gifts to charity, uses fair market value appraisals and unless otherwise noted these are the values used by insurance companies when settling claims.

On rare occasions insurance policies call for replacement values which require another type of appraisal. This kind of appraisal sets the price which would have to be paid for the item if it were purchased retail from a merchant or gallery in an arm's length transaction.

In the appraisal market you generally get what you pay for. A "free" appraisal usually is worth about what it costs. You can get electronic appraisals from several sources on the Internet starting at around $25 for basic service and going up from there for more details or you can hire a licensed appraiser, the most expensive of the choices.

 It just depends on what is at stake. It doesn't make sense to pay several hundred dollars for a well researched, well written appraisal for a $500 sideboard. That's why you start with a reliable price guide - just to found out which game you are in. 

Q. I am trying to duplicate some fretwork patterns from an antique bookcase to use in restoring a similar piece. I am using 1/4in mahogany faced plywood. Since I am not a dedicated woodworker I don't have a scroll saw or band saw, just a reciprocating hand held jigsaw. The problem is that the saw blade tends to tear the veneer on the upstroke as it cuts. I can't trace the pattern on the back because it is too rough. I even tried covering the face with masking tape and tracing on to that, then cutting, hoping that would cut down on the tearing. It helped slightly but not enough. Any other suggestions? Thanks.

A. The answer is a laminate blade or "formica" blade available at your local hardware store. It has the teeth reversed and cuts on the downstroke allowing you to work from the face of the material. Be sure to clean the bottom of your saw well and rub some wax paper on the shoe to help it slide along the material and not scar it. Good luck.

Visit Fred's website at www.furnituredetective.com. Fred Taylor's new book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423. Fred and Gail Taylor's video, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE", ($29.95 includes S & H) is also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377, fax (352) 563-2916, or e-mail fmtaylor@aol.com.