A sideboard (also called a buffet) is a dining-room storage piece: drawers for cutlery, cupboards for serving ware, and a broad top for serving or display. Many late Victorian and Edwardian examples add an upper glazed cabinet or mirrored back, making them a common “showpiece” piece of household furniture.
This article is a cleaned-up migration of a legacy WordPress appraisal stub. It keeps the key takeaways (period, wood, and the headline value band), but rewrites the content into a practical collector-first guide: how to date the piece using construction, what condition issues matter, and how recent public auction results help set expectations.
Two-step intake
Share your sideboard details with a furniture specialist
Send photos of the full front, drawer interiors, hardware/screws, and any maker’s marks. We’ll respond with a written quote and next steps for selling or documentation.
We store your intake securely, sync it with the Appraisily CRM, and redirect you to checkout to reserve your slot.
Quick value snapshot (US$)
For a fine-quality Victorian/Edwardian-era sideboard in good, presentable condition (doors and drawers functioning, no major structural damage, and honest finish), a reasonable starting reference point from the legacy appraisal stub is:
US$300–$350
That number is not a guarantee—sideboard pricing is extremely sensitive to size, wood, quality of veneer and joinery, and especially local demand and shipping constraints. Use the identification steps below to confirm what you have, then use auction comps to sanity-check the range for your market.
Victorian vs Edwardian: why style can mislead
The Victorian era (1837–1901) and the Edwardian era (1901–1910, often extended into the 1910s for furniture) overlap heavily in production methods. Furniture makers also revisited earlier styles ("revival furniture"), so a piece may look Georgian or Louis XV while actually being later.
For that reason, appraisers treat ornament as secondary and prioritize construction evidence. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s overview of revival furniture is a good reminder that styles repeat, but methods change.
The fastest way to date your sideboard
If you can only check a few details, focus on hardware and joinery. The legacy appraisal note emphasizes that machined fittings point to late 19th / early 20th-century workshop production rather than an earlier Georgian piece.
- Screws and hardware: consistent machine-made screws and crisp brass escutcheons generally suggest later 1800s+ production. Mixed screw types can indicate repairs.
- Drawer joints: uniform dovetails are commonly machine-cut (late 19th century onward). Irregular, hand-cut dovetails can point earlier—but repairs can also create mixed evidence.
- Back panels: board widths, saw marks, and how the back is fixed (nails vs screws) can help separate earlier handwork from later factory cabinetry.
- Glass doors: plain clear glass is common and often replaced; intact and securely installed glass matters more than originality for most buyers.
Wood identification: mahogany and common look-alikes
The legacy appraisal identifies the wood as mahogany. Many “mahogany” sideboards are built as a combination of secondary woods (for internal structure) and mahogany or mahogany-veneer for visible surfaces.
What to photograph for wood ID:
- An unstained interior edge (inside a drawer side, behind a door), where the true color is easiest to read.
- Close-up of the grain under raking light, to show pore structure and figure.
Common misidentifications to watch for:
- Walnut: can be similar in tone but often shows different pore patterns and contrast.
- Sapele and other “mahogany substitutes”: may show ribbon striping; modern substitutes are common in later reproductions.
- Stained oak: open grain can be disguised with dark finishes; check texture under a flashlight.
Condition checklist (what impacts value most)
Sideboards are large, functional pieces; buyers penalize issues that affect appearance and daily use.
- Veneer lifting or losses: especially on corners, door edges, and top surfaces.
- Finish problems: aggressive stripping and shiny revarnishing can reduce collector appeal; gentle cleaning and wax is usually safer.
- Door alignment: warped doors, sagging hinges, and missing catches are seen as “work needed.”
- Glass/mirror issues: replacement glass is common; stability and safety matter most.
- Odors and stains: cigarette smoke, mildew, and water damage are major buyer objections.
Regional note: the original owner story referenced Australia and South Africa. If the piece is located far from major buyer pools, freight costs and "pickup only" rules can cap prices compared to online-friendly markets.
Recent auction comps (public results)
These results come from a broad cabinets/sideboards auction dataset. They are not perfect matches, but they show how venue and style can move price.
- Simpson Galleries, LLC (Feb 8, 2025), Lot 497: “A VICTORIAN EBONIZED SIDEBOARD, PROBABLY ENGLISH, CIRCA 1880” — $300 (USD).
- Burchard Galleries Inc (Jan 19, 2025), Lot 1237: “VICTORIAN WALNUT SIDEBOARD” — $225 (USD).
- Setdart Auction House (Jan 21, 2025), Lot 185: “Art Nouveau sideboard… Paris, ca. 1900… Marble top” — €750 (EUR).
How to use comps: start with the closest match on size, wood, and overall quality, then adjust for condition. A marble top, heavy carving, or high-end maker attribution can lift price; damaged veneer or missing parts can cut it sharply.
Fair market value vs insurance value
Owners are often surprised that an “insurance value” can be higher than an auction outcome. That’s because the purpose is different:
- Fair market value (FMV): what a willing buyer and seller agree on in a typical sale, factoring in shipping and buyer pool.
- Insurance replacement value: what it may cost to replace a similar-quality item quickly through retail channels, often higher than auction.
How to sell it (and avoid common mistakes)
Sideboards are large and shipping-sensitive, so sales outcomes can vary widely. The best strategy is to reduce buyer uncertainty.
- Take the right photos: full front, both sides, open doors, open drawers, hardware closeups, and any damage.
- Measure everything: width, height (including any upper section), depth, and interior shelf clearances.
- Disclose repairs: patched veneer, replaced glass, and refinishing should be noted.
- Choose the right venue: local estate auctions are fast but can compress price; specialist decorative-arts auctions can do better for high-quality pieces.
A practical heuristic from the legacy guidance is to start around ~80% of your target value if you want to attract early interest, then adjust based on responses.
About the valuation method (why auction results matter)
Online listings can show wildly different asking prices. Appraisers lean on sold results—real transactions with buyers—because they reflect what the market actually paid.
For antique furniture, values are typically driven by:
- Description + identification: wood species, construction quality, and whether it’s a period piece or a later revival/reproduction.
- Condition: veneer, structure, and finish issues matter more than small cosmetic scuffs.
- Marketability: bulky pieces can be harder to ship, which can cap pricing in some venues.
Recent auction comps (examples)
To help ground this guide in real market activity, here are recent example auction comps from Appraisily’s internal database. These are educational comparables (not a guarantee of price for your specific item).
| Image | Description | Auction house | Date | Lot | Reported price realized |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUTOGRAPH ALBUM: A large 4to hardback bound album containing over 120 signed clipped pieces, cards, A.Ls.S. etc., by various famous men and women, many of them associated with Victorian and Edwardian theatre, some political and military figures, Victoria Cross winners etc., the majority neatly laid down in multiples to pages, including Frances Evelyn 'Daisy' Greville, Countess of Warwick (T.L.S. enquiring as to the cause of death of a seal at a zoo, 1898), Randolph S. Churchill, Dighton Probyn VC, Joseph Barnby, Evelyn Wood VC, Edmund Verney (served in the Crimean War; nephew of Florence Nightingale), Edward Fry, John Charles Day, Francis Laking, Lady Florence Dixie, Jennie Spencer-Churchill (A.L.S., Lady Randolph Churchill, in the third person, arranging an appointment with Mr. Field, 24th January n.y.), Ferdinand de Rothschild (L.S. requesting a pair of 'tiny Indian cattle that draw the little carts at the Indian Exhibition', 1895), William Henry Fowler, Augustus Pitt Rivers, Angela Burdett-Coutts, Redvers Buller VC, George S. White VC, Charles Beresford (L.S. concerning an old horse which he wishes to 'get rid of' and proposing sending the animal to his correspondent 'to be eaten by such animals as have a taste for horseflesh', 1899), Louis Battenberg (A.L.S. thanking his correspondent for the manner in which they 'restored the Princess' sick bird to health', 1900), Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine (granddaughter of Queen Victoria and wife of Louis Battenberg), Sarah Angelina Acland (a pioneer of colour photography; A.L.S. regarding a cuckoo and other birds, 1899), Hugh Low, George du Maurier, Walter Slaughter, Eliza Humphreys ('Rita'), Charles Santley, Arabella Goddard, John Tiplady Carrodus, Mary Anne Keeley, Herbert Beerbohm-Tree, Ellaline Terriss, Seymour Hicks, Evelyn Millard, Lewis Waller, Brandon Thomas (A.Q.S.), Letty Lind, Walter Passmore, Fred Terry, Edward Terry, George Robey, Mabel Love, Lionel Brough, Winifred Emery, Arthur Bourchier, George Alexander, Olga Nethersole, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Louie Pounds, Maude Millett, Eva Moore, Wilson Barrett, Lillie Langtry (fine, bold example on a 12mo card), Charles Hawtrey, Phil May (A.L.S. asking for a postponement to a visit to an asylum as he must complete two weeks of work for Punch, n.d.), Andrew Noble (A.L.S. on the death of a duck, 1899), Paul Methuen, 3rd Baron Methuen, Charles Rothschild, Evelyn, Duchess of Wellington (wife of the grandson of the 1st Duke of Wellington; A.L.S.) etc. The majority of the letters are written to A. Clarence Bartlett, Superintendent of London Zoo and son of Abraham Dee Bartlett (1812-1897) British Taxidermist & Zoologist associated with Charles Darwin. Binding loose and with some overall age wear, dust staining and light foxing, generally G | International Autograph Auctions | 2018-05-24 | 143 | GBP 300 | |
 |
Victorian-Edwardian bedside table in walnut root with fine wood marquetry, from the beginning of the 20th century. | Balclis | 2024-03-13 | 314 | EUR 300 |
 |
VICTORIAN / EDWARDIAN, FLAPPER-ERA, AND POSSIBLY OTHER LADIES' DRESSES, LOT OF FOUR | Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates | 2023-03-03 | 1114 | USD 382 |
 |
Fine late Victorian/ Edwardian rosewood & marquetry oval occasional table, the articulated corners with floral scrolls and armorials... | Lawsons | 2020-10-30 | 1120 | AUD 550 |
 |
Railway Ephemera. An interesting collection of early and later Victorian, Edwardian railway ephemera | Dominic Winter Auctions | 2025-07-23 | 315 | GBP 460 |
 |
Railway Ephemera. An assorted collection of Victorian, Edwardian and later railway ephemera | Dominic Winter Auctions | 2025-05-21 | 287 | GBP 1,000 |
 |
Railway Ephemera. A mixed collection of Victorian, Edwardian and later railway ephemera | Dominic Winter Auctions | 2025-02-12 | 139 | GBP 800 |
 |
A general group of late Victorian and Edwardian | Kerry Taylor Auctions | 2013-10-14 | 48 | GBP 600 |
| A LARGE COLLECTION OF VICTORIAN, EDWARDIAN AND LATER EPHEMERA | Chiswick Auctions | 2022-07-29 | 206 | GBP 600 | |
| A good quality late Victorian or Edwardian silver plated cutlery canteen wi | JS Fine Art Ltd | 2016-06-18 | 1319 | GBP 350 |
Disclosure: prices are shown as reported by auction houses and are provided for appraisal context. Learn more in our editorial policy.
Search variations collectors ask
Readers often Google:
- how to date an Edwardian mahogany sideboard with glass doors
- Victorian sideboard value range for insurance
- what does “sideboard” vs “buffet” mean in antique furniture
- how to tell mahogany from walnut on antique furniture
- does refinishing an antique sideboard reduce value
- best place to sell a large antique sideboard locally
- how to identify machine-cut dovetails on Edwardian furniture
- what photos do appraisers need for antique sideboard appraisal
Each question is answered in the identification and valuation sections above.