Antique hutch? China cabinet? Buffet?

[AndyR]

Venturing out from the hat forum today. My 94 year old aunt is moving out of her house and wants me to find some info on this very old unit (not as old as her, LOL).

What are these actually called? I've been looking around to find something similar, so I can get a ballpark value of a piece like this. It's in beautiful shape and I believe it's oak. Sorry about the image quality. My nephew shot them with a cell phone.

It's really meant to be built in, as you can see from the side, but she always had it against the wall. I wish I had a place to build it into a wall. They look great that way, but it's rather large for my place.

 

[Stearmen]

Usually called a Hutch. If they are in the wall, then they are Built In, or, if near a kitchen in a large house, they can be called, A Butler Prep Area!

 

[AndyR]

Thank you! Ahh, butler prep area...that's a new one. I'll search with that phrase as well. It might open up a new group of examples.

I wish there was a place online that did approximate appraisals of items like this from submitted images. There is an antique watch site owned by an expert that does that and it was really a benefit to me once.

My aunt gave me my uncles old secretary desk. I remember looking through it with him when I was a boy. It was an adventure, with all the little drawers and cubby holes.

The desk was easy to find online. I found identical examples. I'm not selling that one though. Too many good memories. Many of the little antique items and WWII memorabilia he gave me over the years are now 'back' in that desk where they belong.

 

[sheeplady]

It is a hutch. Very nice. Sadly, larger pieces like this don't go for much where I live... people need smaller pieces to fit their homes, and many people no longer use "good" china.

 

[vitanola]

These built-ins were used in many houses in the 1900-1920 period. They are fashionable again as built-ins on the coasts, usually in elaborate kitchens, as long as their cost is less than that of a similar number of high end cabinets.