Victorian Wicker Furniture

Victorian wicker furniture is as popular today as it was a century ago. The continuing fascination with Victorian furniture is probably due to the beauty of the pieces, as well as the craftsmanship. Well-made wicker furniture pieces have weathered a century, whereas many contemporary furniture items have not.

Finding Victorian Wicker Furniture

Authentic Victorian wicker is difficult to find, unless you know where to look. For those in the know, auctions and estate sales are the best places to find these items. Unfortunately, many sell for high prices, so they aren't for individuals on a limited budget. Places that sell antique wicker furniture include:

• Dovetail Antiques
• Wicker Fixer
• Marion Antique Shop
• That Wicker Guy
• Antique Wicker

What can the beginner collector do if they want antique Victorian wicker furniture, but they don't have an unlimited budget? The answer is simple: find a person locally that can repair wicker furniture or learn to repair the furniture yourself. If the repairs aren't all encompassing, the cost can be minimal. However, if you want to pay someone to re-do an entire piece or a large portion of it, the cost of repair can equal that of buying a mint piece of Victorian furniture.

Repairing Wicker Furniture

Many beautiful wicker furniture pieces are fine structurally, but they need a little work. The advantage to buying furniture that needs a little work is that the items can usually be purchased at affordable prices for the beginner collector.

Remember, before you decide to start investing in wicker furniture that needs repair, do a little research. Is there someone locally who can repair wicker or caning on the pieces that you will buy? Another option is learning to do simple repairs your self. Often your local community college or university will provide classes in beginning weaving and caning. A great way to learn basic weaving techniques is to start with a few baskets. The techniques used to make baskets are akin to learning how to make and repair beautiful wicker furniture pieces.

The do-it-yourselfer can also learn some basic repair techniques using books easily found in retail bookstores, local libraries and on the Internet. Favorites for beginner weavers, caners and wicker collectors include the following books:

• How to Buy and Repair Wicker Furniture by Thomas Duncan
• Wicker Furniture: A Guide to Restoring by Richard Saunders
• The Antique Hunter's Guide to American Furniture by Marvin D. Schwartz
• Victorian Furniture: Our American Heritage by Kathryn McNerney
• Wicker Design by Mary Whitesides

Reproduction Victorian Wicker Furniture

Another alternative to buying antique wicker furniture is to buy reproduction pieces. This is an affordable way to start a wicker furniture collection that you can pass down to the next generation. Many of the companies that make the reproduction furniture are the actual companies that made the original pieces a century ago. Most of these companies sell their furniture through retail stores and on the Internet. Online wicker companies include:

• Tinay Studio
• Tale Weavers
• Gloster Furniture
• Laneventure
• Simon-Marsh
• Wicker Warehouse
• Wicker Paradise

Conclusion

Collecting antique wicker furniture can be a fun and enjoyable hobby. Wicker pieces aren't limited to just chairs and tables. Other beautiful pieces include baskets, ferneries, mirror frames, bassinets, and many flower stands. Plan a road trip to visit your local antique stores, or spend a weekend at estate sales, and you're sure to find many types of wicker furniture for sale. Scout out the best prices by either looking at current price guides or by searching the Internet so that you'll have an idea of what certain pieces normally sell for.

Finally, buy antique furniture that you really love, especially if the item requires some repair. Remember, wicker pieces can be refinished or repainted in a variety of colors to suit your décor. Even reproduction furniture can be repainted to match any room, or outdoor patio design, that you have. The great news about wicker furniture is that with a minimal amount of effort, beautiful pieces will last generations.

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