So, I was raised to value period furniture as the truest of antiques. If you had the money, you aspired to Chippendale or Queen Anne or Federal (in that order). These were not only the bellwethers of furniture, but also what people understood was the furniture of choice. My first forays into collecting antiques were at the co-ops in downtown Carlisle, Pa. As a true bottom feeder who never spent more than $100 on anything, there was little early furniture that I could afford. Occasionally, the odd country piece would turn up that I could afford, but not much else. Then, one day, a golden oak sideboard turned up that the dealer was offering for 50 percent off the $150 price tag. I could not pass it by, and the condition was superlative. It lived in my mothers basement for years. Why? Well, it was partially because I could not admit that I had an early 20th century piece of furniture. Fast forward 30 years, and I walked into an antiques mall last week and spotted another piece of early 20th century oak furniture. I had an extreme case of flashback. Should I consider this piece of golden oak?! What I had learned in 30 years was to trust my taste in things and to consider that the golden oak of ca. 1900 was just as good as the early. I know, I know, I can hear the protests that golden oak is not the same as period Georgian. And yet, it now seems to fit in more with my eclectic tastes. The sideboard in the antiques mall appealed to me because it was of good quality. It was well constructed with everything original on it. The piece had a lovely original finish with no repairs and little wear. If it were a Georgian piece, it would be museum quality in condition. My sideboard, and you can now tell that I purchased it, fit in well with a massive china cupboard of the same period and style and a dining room table that was bench-made out of oak and came from the Big M many moons ago. It was comfortable and to scale in our home. And then there was the price. Brown furniture is truly soft. Out here in the West, where golden oak is as old as it gets, the pieces are just as as cheap as in Pennsylvania. And this piece, in all its glory, was $250, something that was amazingly affordable, cheaper than a new piece, and something that fit in with our home. I found a truck and brought it home. Tonight, I have decorated it with copper arts and crafts candlesticks and Moderne brassware. The sideboard is part of our family along with a Chippendale desk and chair that we own. The best of all worlds. Peter Seibert, a native Pennsylvanian, grew up in the antiques business and remains closely tied to auction houses, collectors, and dealers. Professionally, he has served as a museum director and public historian in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Virginia, and Wyoming. He holds a Master of Arts in American Studies from Penn State and has authored two books and numerous articles on decorative arts, interior design, and history