When it comes to antique furniture, it is always advisable to leave everything to the professional, even the shallow scratches, as any repair done to a collectible antique piece of furniture can actually decrease its value, especially if it entails stripping of the finish and sanding the piece down. For all those who are in possession of what looks to be an antique piece of furniture, but are not sure whether it has any value, other than a sentimental one, it is recommended to look for a couple of telltale signs of age. First would be to search for some markings or tags left by the manufacturer. If there aren’t any, the next step would be to look for the inconsistent widths between the threads once the screws have been partially unscrewed. If the piece of furniture in question is a chest of drawers, or a desk with drawers, one look at the drawer’s joints will tell a lot. A sure sign of age is dovetail joints found on the drawers.