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2006 BMW X3 $429 mo/36 month lease; '06 BMW 325xi $434 mo;'04 Z4 Roadster $33,700 Things get a little sticky in the world of antiques when you have an item that isn't an antique, isn't a collectible, but still is pretty neat.Reader J.S. of Greenwood has just such an item, a piece of furniture in which many people would surely be interested. It's a coffee table, probably made in the 1930s or '40s, in what used to be called "Grand Rapids style." That used to be a derogatory term among antique lovers. Not any more.Grand Rapids, Mich., was an important furniture manufacturing center in the last part of the 1800s, continuing well into the 1900s. Many different firms in that area mass-produced inexpensive furniture, often copying older styles.Because these copies weren't the real thing, and usually didn't pretend to be, those who could afford the high-priced originals looked down their noses at Grand Rapids styles. But times have changed.There's lots of furniture on the modern market more poorly made than the pieces produced at Grand Rapids.In fact, much of the Grand Rapids stuff really wasn't that bad at all, and we are seeing more and more of it at antique shows. In fact, a lot of it now is genuinely antique.The table owned by J.S. is not that old, however. It has elements that mark it '30s or '40s. One is that it's a coffee table. It also has a removable glass tray -- a touch of elegance.The table top underneath the tray has a scene of a Spanish (or Mexican) village, a theme that was extremely popular in those decades. The original owner easily could have found a set of china from any of several American companies, as well as tablecloths, tea towels and ornaments, to complement the motif.J.S. wonders what kind of wood it is, but without being able to see it, I really cannot say. The most prized furniture 100 or more years ago was mahogany, and many cheaper pieces were made of what was then considered inferior wood, and varnished to resemble mahogany. But today, we are proud to have furniture made of walnut, cherry, golden oak, ash, maple and others.Where it gets tricky is determining value. Although the Grand Rapids pieces are now considered respectable, they still are not shown much in price guides. However, I have seen somewhat similar pieces in the $200 to $300 range at antique shows.What this table has going for it is eye appeal! This is cache, read story here
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