Refinishing vs Antique Restoration
I think its vital to make a distinction between ordinary "refinishing" and "antique restoration". I got quite a bit of crap for the series of videos I did on refinishing earlier this year. Several people proceeded to tell me how I destroyed the value of the table because I simply scraped off the old finish, repaired the parts that needed rapairing, and applied a new finish. I had to remind them that all the customer wanted was for an old beat up piece of furniture that lived in the garage to become a pleasant looking serviceable table. I never billed my video as Marc's guide to making money on the Antique Roadshow.
I actually worked for about a year for a buddy of mine in his refinishing shop. 99% of the people who came in were simply looking to change the color, have something repaired, or make and old piece look new. Very few, if any, were having antiques refinished for the sake of their value. My buddy actually has signs up explaining that we cant be responsible for what the wood or veneer might do after it spends a few minutes in the dip tank. lol. And he makes sure people understand the process and the inherent risks. I think its pretty obvious that this shop fell firmly under the "refinishing" category.
I guess the bottom line is antiques need to be handled by people qualified to do so. And I would imagine that a real furniture restorer would charge insane prices. Just a guess. If its affordable, you will probably get the standard strip, sand, finish routine.
marc