How to Identify an Old Chest of Drawers

Open one of the drawers and examine the construction of the piece. Older chests of drawers were made with dovetail or tongue-and-groove construction, where the sides of the drawers are cut to fit together. More recent dressers feature drawers where the sides are glued together.

Look for signs that the piece was made by hand, such as tool marks. Small dents, nicks and other marks may be signs that the piece was made by hand, with woodworking tools. This usually indicates that the piece dates back to 1860 or earlier, prior to the manufacturing age.

Stand back from the piece and look at it for the overall design. Older pieces made before the manufacturing age aren’t perfectly symmetrical. Check for any repeated decorations or carvings on the chest that aren’t exactly the same, as would happen if it were machine-produced.

Check the condition of the piece. Older pieces show clear signs of age, including cracking of the wood, fading of the original color or stain and warping, especially in the drawers, which causes problems with sliding the drawers out. These problems are all caused by the wood shrinking and changing shape as it ages.

Turn the piece over and examine the bottom of the chest of drawers for a paper label or stamp. Look at the back side of the chest of drawers and inside all the drawers. A label or stamp often contains the name of the company that made the chest of drawers and, in some cases, lists the year or city of manufacture. If the piece was handmade, there may be some indication such as initials or a name on the piece.