I recently came across a 4-door (2x over 2x) Stickley Bros. china cabinet that has some condition issues. I was wondering if I could get some advice on how to handle this. The finish is not that bad, but it had been in the basement. And they made it with veneered plywood panels inside the bottom compartment, which warped and bubbled from the moisture. To replace or try to save somehow? There is also some water damage to the backside toward the bottom. It's missing one shelf, and the other shelf has a large chip gouged out of it. To top it all off, it seems the factory put the wrong hinges on one door- there is a hammered metal decorative plate adjoining all the other hinges on the other 3 doors, but this lower right door has no plates, nor any evidence of nail holes or marks where they would have attached. Is this a factory second? How does that bear on desirability and value? Can anyone recommend a good and reasonably priced conservator who may be able to help me w/this piece? At the very least we'll need a couple of shelves made. Should I try to replace or add those missing metal plates from the hinges on that door? Cost is an issue because I bought this for resale. Thanks for your help!!

Hello Again Friend,
I took a second look as the hinge you are showing and who ever tried to do something with the doors set them in so far that when opened the existing nails as the door was pushed back they left the indentations in the wood. That poor cabinet sure has been through the dew.

The cabinet in the condition it is in has lost any monitery value and even if it was reconditioned it would not retain any value as an authentic piece would.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

That's a neat piece, good luck with it. Finding the plates may be a challenge. Sometimes, you can re-laminate plywood, if there is not too much damage. You could try to find a clunker with some old wood to use for shelves and repairs.

Is there any chance that it is the decorative "hammered" plates that are the replacements, rather than the ones on the lower right? I don't think I've ever seen a Stickley with those hinges before, and given the way they press into the wood, it seems unlikely to me that the Stickleys would choose them. If you look at the inside edge of the doors and see holes where other hinges attached, you'll know it started life with different hinges. Are those plates even attached to the hinge, or are they just stuck on the door as decorative pieces? You didn't include a close up of the lower-right hand door's hinges to compare to - if the plates are purely decorative, it seems possible to me that all the hinges are original, and someone has added the plates after the fact.

I don't know that I would agree that the cabinet has lost all monetary value as there will always be someone who will buy something if the price is right, and this cabinet is not beyond help IMO. I suspect that the work of a true conservator will cost more than it is worth though. You might consider a skilled woodworker who specializes in furniture repair, and specify you want the same material and techniques used to build the cabinet in the first place, no shortcuts or modern material. That's what I would do if it were mine.

I think it has the potential to clean up nicely and will make someone a nice cabinet, even if it has lost some of the sparkle that would catch the eye of higher-end collectors.

Thank you all for your input. I've got a couple of leads.
Regarding the hinges- looking at them again, it does appear that they are decorative plates attached separately and independently of the hinges. But YES, they are original to the piece and I have seen them on several other models of Quaint Furniture Co. Stickley Bros. pieces. There is a firm here in Philadelphia who reproduces things like this custom, but of course it's pricey. I was hoping maybe there was someone out there who had a source for parts from trashed originals. Since I've seen these hinge plates several times before it seemed plausible. If anybody finds anything like that lying around, just drop me a line. Thanks all!

The decorative hammered hinge plates are original to Quaint/Stickley Bros. They can be found on many case pieces, including sideboards and some bookcases. The problem is finding a replacement hinge plates. You can search around, but I haven't seen this design offered as a reproduction. You can have reproduction plates made. The case doesn't look like a total loss. I've seen worse. The fact that it still has its doors is a positive. If veneer is lost, it can be replaced. This piece can certainly be restored if given to the right conservator or woodworker.
However, because it is a Quaint/Stickley Bros. piece, even in pristine original condition, it would not have the value of a restored Gus Stickley or L&JG piece. This Quaint piece was from their middle period. Early Quaint pieces with inlay or had early English Arts & Crafts influences are the most valuable.

Hi Everyone,
I'm not sure but I seem to recall that VanDykes may have them or something similar.

Ralph