Pier Mirror

[debodun]

Some people call this a hall tree and some a pier mirror. All I can say is that I bought it from an old woman in the early 1970s and paid $200 for it. I'm not even sure what wood it is. It's 7 feet tall, the mirror is in relatively good shape and it has a gray granite-topped shelf. I sent a photo of it to a local antique dealer who claims to give free appraisals. After a few weeks and I didn't hear back I followed up with another email. He responded that due to the economy, he would only appraise very high-end antiques, so I guess he didn't consider this piece worth his trouble. I'm curious now about how old it is, what kind of wood it might be and a possible ballpark value. Thanks in advance for any info provided.

[mart]

Nice hall tree !! At least that is what they are called here in the south !! Never heard the term pier mirror !! Could be a regional thing depending on where you are !!  Wood appears to be walnut which was common for these pieces !!  Not sure its an American hall tree though !!  Value unfortunately is about what you gave for it in todays market or a bit more !! Houses do not have the entry halls to accommodate these anymore so they have been out of fashion for a while !!

[frogpatch]

To me a pier mirror had a no hooks so its a pier mirror up here in the North. There are homes both new and old here with large foyers and I have seen them placed in other areas ad well if they are not too tall. 7 1/2 feet tall and a couple feet wide will fit a small wall. I would say it is walnut, American, and at auction here on a good day may bring 500.00. It has a lot of Eastlake influence from the 1870s or 80s.  Still not very popular but that will change. I had one in a 3 room apartment once, very much like that one, but seeing my reflection that big used to scare me. That was many years ago. It would scare me even more today.

[debodun]

Thanks for all the info on the hall tree/pier mirror. I can never tell about wood and that's the first thing most people ask about furniture. Like the Victorian bed frame I'm trying to sell. After looking at it, a dealer said he'd buy it. He carried the headboard out to his truck, paused, then said, "I guess not." and carried it back inside. I asked him what the problem was. He said that inside it looked like walnut, but when he got it outside, he saw it was pine. Now what difference does that make? To me, wood is wood.

[mart]

Difference in wood depends on where you are and what sells best in that area !!  Here in the south pine and oak was used in many country pieces and they sell better than walnut which is a common wood used in so much furniture that its popularity has dropped considerably !! Its not unusual to see walnut furniture at garage sale prices here !! Especially if its Victorian in style !!