Here are some tips for evaluating antiques. With an old table, the leaves will often have a different appearance than the tabletop. This is because the tabletop has gone through decades of cleaning, polishing and exposure to the sun's UV rays.
Antique hunters relish the changed appearance, called the patina.
They feel that the furniture's new color is richer and more mellow and beautiful. Tampering with this aged affect will, in almost all cases, reduce the value of the table. Through the early 19th century, there were no mass production factories knocking out identical pieces of furniture. Each piece was shaped with hand tools, and each piece is, as a result, different and imperfect. Antique hunters look for ripples and uneven markings that indicate handmade items.