A hand-cut dovetail is crude, not perfect.

Laura Stern was first introduced to antiques when she began attending auctions with her husband. Her interest was immediately piqued and she began studying the range of domestic and international antiques in earnest. After working in shops owned by others, she and a partner opened their own store, "The Collection," in Los Angeles seven years ago. Stern has a real passion for antiques. "They're not inanimate things to me at all," she says.

There are several ways to determine if the item piquing your interest is, indeed, an antique.

• Look for hand-craftsmanship: The first thing to check for is whether or not the piece was machine-made. If dovetails and grooves fit perfectly, neatly and tightly together, it was.

• Hand-cut dovetails: Older pieces have obvious hand-cut dovetail joints. They're crude, and you can see where they've separated over time.

• Pegs instead of nails and screws: Many French and Italian pieces use pegs to hold furniture together. There are no nails or screws that will fall out over time.

• Use your antiques, but use a coaster: Antiques should be used as functional pieces. The only thing you should do to protect them is to use a coaster instead of putting drinks directly on the furniture.

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