An old desk has little value

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Dear Helaine and Joe:Enclosed please find photographs of a desk given to me by my mother and father several years ago. My father bought the desk in the mid-1940s in or around Statesville, N.C. Any information would be greatly appreciated.Thank you,S.F., Jackson, S.C.Dear S.F.:A piece of furniture such as this one can raise a lot of questions in the minds of those who are not accustomed to dealing with "old things" on a daily basis. It has been around the home for around 60 years -- and that is a respectably long time -- but was it old when it was purchased? Could it be an antique or is it just a piece of mid-20th-century used furniture? Is it a style that today's collectors find interesting, and is it something that might have a great deal of value on the current market? So many questions and issues, so little space to address them.First of all, this "desk" is more properly called a secretary, which is defined as a desk with a cabinet above that was designed for the storage of books or documents. This particular example is a very loose 20th-century revival adaptation of a piece with design elements that began in America during the William and Mary period.Originally, desks such as this one were made for traveling. They evolved from simple writing boxes that might be placed on a joint stool or small table when the traveler's destination was reached. This is seen very clearly in the piece owned by S.F. in that it appears to be in three sections -- a table with a stretcher base, which supports a desk compartment with a slant front that can be used as a writing surface; and the double-door cabinet above.We have been discussing the William and Mary style without saying that it was first popular in the late 17th century in England. It essentially came to England when William of Orange became king in 1689 and was brought by Dutch artisans who immigrated with the new king and brought a style of furniture-making that suited their sense of fashion.The secretary belonging to S.F. is a long way from this 17th-century style, but it has faint echoes of William and Mary that would have been adopted by 20th-century American furniture-makers -- possibly North Carolina furniture-makers. However, this piece is factory-made and not handcrafted, and it was probably new or nearly new when S. F.'s father purchased it.The wood appears to be mahogany -- probably with some veneers -- and it is the kind of small piece of furniture that many people think fits well in modern living spaces with their smaller rooms. We feel that this piece might at one time have been referred to as a "lady's secretary," and is the sort of thing that a 1940s homemaker might have used to write thank-you notes, and even prized recipes to share with friends and neighbors.As for the insurance-replacement value of this secretary, it is rather modest for a variety of reasons. First, it is not yet an antique, and second, it is rather plain without any sort of distinctive embellishment. The market for this sort of thing is a bit soft right now, and S.F. should insure this piece in the neighborhood of $450 to $600.Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, 5201 Kingston Pike, Suite 6 - 323, Knoxville, TN. 37919. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)