Could anyone advise me on where I could get a valuation for an antique Welsh dresser, please?
Wales?
Antiques Roadshow? (not easily transported)
More realistically, I suggest contact local auction houses and antiques dealers - and several not just one: not all dealers are honest about value, particularly if they sense the seller has no idea. With auction houses you need to find one that does do specialist antique furniture sales, which may get a better custom base than general household sales.
Yep, thatās it, donāt want to go in naively without a clue. Wondered if thereās an online source that could be recommended.
My local auction house will provide a valuation from photographs. If itās got any provenance, thatās useful/helpful information.
Iād search out your local auctioneers website. You maybe able to browse past auction results. That will give you a starting figure.
In general thereās not a big demand for old furniture especially if it is big or dark. My local auction house has lots of Victorian and Edwardian furniture and prices are woeful considering that they are well made and real wood to boot. I picked up a little Georgian chest-of-drawers last year for Ā£25.
As @Innocent_Bystander says try to identify what might be thought of as the āCounty Auctioneersā. My local one has a fortnightly Town & Country sale. Theyāre great.
Various companies collate auction sales results but they are usually subscription only.
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Unlike other items of furniture that has a unique style, I donāt believe the Welsh dresser ever had a company, brand or house of makers behind the design to lay claim to anything more valuable than one made by a competent craftsman with excellent carpentry skills.
you need to be clear on the purpose for the valuation - eg auction houses will give an idea of what an item might sell for at their auction - as others have said you want an auctioneer that sells the same type of item regularly. An insurance valuation - what it would cost to replace the item - would be substantially higher. 18th century welsh oak dressers are still highly collectable if in fine condition - look at ginger (ludlow) website for examples
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Another way is to look to try to buy one, not just on eBay, and see what you can find.
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There is a website called vinterior which specialises in high end vintage furniture, it acts as a front-end to dealers across the world. Searching there for Welsh dresser will give you a feeling for prices. Note that vinterior tends to be at the high end of retail pricing, so donāt expect to get that much.
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Thereās a website called Worthpoint, that has a data base of prices paid at auction. I think they do a free trial.
Or, look on Easylive or Saleroom website for current Welsh dresserās which usuall show estimates.
Or, select an auction house on easylife and search past auctions for actaul selling prices. See Below for a couple of auction house past sales.
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Thanks all for the really helpful replies, so very helpful.
To put this into context, this is from my mother in lawās estate, having sadly passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly last month. Iām trying to sort out a couple of the more substantial items, while the family is dealing with everything else and a local āhouse clearance specialistā had offered to ātake it off our handsā for Ā£25. Somewhat peeved, I invited the chap to go forth and multiply and am determined not see it go for a pittance.
Thanks all, very much appreciate your advice.
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