A Field Guide to Mid-Century Modern Furniture

Mid-century modern is the backbone of our booths, and it is also the style most often faked, flipped and mislabeled. Learning to read a piece quickly turns a crowded aisle into a short list of things worth a second look.

Start with the lines. Genuine mid-century work from roughly 1945 to 1969 favors clean tapered legs, gentle organic curves and honest materials: teak, walnut, oak, molded plywood and tubular steel. If a piece is heavy on ornament or veneer over particle board, it is usually later and lower.

Then turn it over. Dovetail joints, solid-wood drawer boxes and a maker's stamp or paper label all point to the real thing. Sloppy staples and a stapled-on tag do not. Our guide to vintage industrial pieces walks through the same turn-it-over habit for metal.

Finally, trust the feel. Good mid-century furniture was built to be used for decades, so it sits solid and the drawers glide. When you find one that does, you have found why collectors keep coming back to the aisles. Come see what is on the floor this week.