Furniture schools, clocks, pewter, glass, maritime material, textiles, painted furniture, and town-level attribution.
- Describe the object without assuming identity.
- Record measurements, materials, construction, marks, surface, condition, and alterations.
- Separate what is observed from what is reported.
- Compare documented examples with matching details.
- State attribution and date at the strength the evidence supports.
Regional attribution is cumulative
No single wood, foot shape, motif, or family story proves a region. Strong attribution combines form, construction, materials, decoration, maker networks, and documentation.
Physical evidence to record
Local Evidence
City directories, probate inventories, newspapers, account books, museum databases, labels, and family photographs can narrow a place claim.
Condition and change
Separate age from condition. A genuinely old object may be heavily altered; a clean object may retain strong originality. List repairs, replaced parts, refinishing, reupholstery, inpainting, fills, cracks, losses, mounting, trimming, drilling, and cleaning.
Value research
Use matched completed sales where available. Compare identity, period, maker or region, dimensions, material, originality, condition, provenance, completeness, sale date, venue, buyer premium, and shipping obligations. Do not average unlike objects.
Compare current collector listings
Use listings to study construction, dimensions, maker marks, regional details, repairs, provenance claims, and market supply. Asking prices are research leads, not completed-sale evidence.
Search eBay collector listings