Brunk Auctions New York Renaissance Revival Cabinet

Brunk Auctions will be putting up the above credenza on July 12th with an expected range $3,000-$6,000. These cabinets are a staple in the Victorian furniture auctions, yet to me they do very little more than provide a showy piece of furniture in your house - they prop up a statue or vase in grand style. It can't be used to store books (properly) nor can it be used to display decorative items. Well, I guess it could, but do you hide your decorative items in a closed cabinet? I can tell you that mine is essentially empty save for the clean bag of rags I had put there as I was cleaning it. Nonetheless, these cabinets are show-stoppers and if I could have 10 of them, I would. Due to the questionable utility and space-gobbling presence in your home, I would consider these cabinets the canary in the coal mine for the higher-end Victorian antique furniture market. Even though I wouldn't use a single piece to provide a temperature for the market, it can provide a good datapoint to set aside. If it sells for $5-$6,000, it would be in-line with recent trends. if it sells between $3,000-$4,000, then there is a datapoint for an even stronger buyers market than we already have. Lot details and more photos here.