What really makes an antique valuable

Quality of making comes first. Two commodes of the same model and decade can differ fivefold in value depending on the fineness of the veneer, the crispness of the bronzes and the rightness of the proportions.

Condition comes next, but not in the sense of as-new. A stripped and re-varnished piece loses more than one marked by time but intact. Honest wear always beats heavy restoration.

Then come genuine rarity of the model and documented provenance. An old invoice, an inventory, a family photograph: such papers often change value more than any cleaning.