Unlike many antiques, which may look boring, vintage school desks are fun! Just imagine all those talks and plans that they might have heard! But wait! These aren’t just a daily dose of nostalgia! You can also restore them as souvenirs or even make some money with them!
Now, you may ask how! Well, antique freaks love old school desks for their exotic wood and designs and are willing to pay thousands for antique models! So let’s find out if your old school desk is an antique or not, and if it is, how much it’s worth!
Key Takeaways
- Crude, handcrafted desks with wood or cast iron frames, brackets, and screws are the most precious ones.
- Get old school desks with Walnut, Oak, or Cast Iron table tops for an old make. And you can guess the material by checking its color or age.
- In the antique market, you’ll find five types of school desks: Simple wood, Inkwell, Standing, Adjustable, and one-arm. So, price them according to their brand and patents.
- Try to get Victorian, Chinese, or Jean Prouve-style school desks for the best returns! Also, check their hardware and rarity for better value.
Key Features of Antique School Desks
Identifying antique school desks is no longer an expert’s job! In fact, just like other antiques, you can spot these by a patina, crude joints, and chips with these.
But that’s not all! Dealers say a school desk is antique only if its table is 24 – 32 inches high. Also, it must be 20 – 40″ long and 14 – 28″ deep and have some old features as follows:
- Hand-crafted details – dovetail joints, brackets, staples, and other ironwork
- Use of exotic wood frames – Oak, Pine, Maple, and Cherry with iron rivets
- Individual or attached chairs with height-adjusting brackets and screws
- Storage options – shelves or compartments with carved drawers or scrollwork
- Aging marks – scratches, dents, worn paint, and rusty hinges
- Chairs with side-table arrangements and flip-up tops
Evolution & History of School Desks
You might not know this, but the first school desks of the 1700s were crude plank benches and desks. They had no lacquers, seasoning, or storage! Plus, they were short and narrow. So, the children weren’t too comfortable, and it was time for a renovation!
Thankfully, Anna Breadin came to the rescue! First, she increased the desk height and then added some curved metal legs for space. And such models fetch up to $150 even today!
Then came the Lancasterian desks, which were more for mass education. Like, they were long and continuous, with slanting tops and inkwells. But since they felt tight and suffocating, schools didn’t use them that much. And hence the low production and rarity!
By the 1900s, schools had tight budgets and didn’t want fancy, carved desks. So, makers moved to minimal, functional forms. Thus, you’ll see some extra inkwells, height levers, and steel modular designs. It’s just that they are a bit cheaper.
5 Types of Antique School Desks (With Values)
It’s not like people from old times used the same plank-style school desks every time. Most schools even explored some custom designs, leading to the five types below.
1. Simple Wood Desk
Ever observed the simple, two-piece desks they show in cartoons? Well, simple wood desks looked the same and had long oak or pine sections with dovetail joints.
Besides, you will also spot thick, 50 mm tapering legs. But these types of desks had no drawers or hooks. Overall, you can price them at $20 – 380.
2. Inkwell School Desks
Just as the name says, inkwell desks come with a round ink hole on the upper rim. Most have composite wood and iron bodies and pegged legs for support. You’ll also see drawers, pencil grooves, and foldable seats with these. So, you can charge about $50 – 200.
3. Old Standing School Desks
Antique standing desks are the easiest to spot! First, they have a rotating plank with a pulley that forms a seat and a desktop. So, students can use this while standing and sitting. Next, these desks have deep, all-wood storage boxes and joints; you can price them around $80 – 150.
4. Adjustable School Desks
Adjustable desks are fully functional and flexible desks from the 1930s. So, you’ll see different hydraulic screws, levers, and brackets with these. Deep cubbies, leg boards, and ladder backs would also be there. Price-wise, they are a bit costly, at $80 – 250.
5. One Arm School Desks
You can spot these desks by their table-attached arms and 90° levers. Most have a single body with slatted backs and bases for strength. However, since their desks were fixed to the right, they were really uneasy lefty children. So, they are cheap, only $15 – 100.
7 Factors to Identify & Estimate an Old School Desk’s Value
Now, we have seen all about the construction and joints! But I am sure your antique school desk has some exotic materials and styles. So, let’s learn more about that:
1. Manufacturing Date & Patent Numbers
Usually, it’s the crude, hand-jointed antiques that steal the bid at any auction. But, with vintage school desks, things are a bit different! Here, it’s the 1800s desks that fetch the highest value. This is because they are more portable, decorative, and easy to store!
But how do you know the manufacturing year of your school desk? Well, the first step is to check the stamps or patent numbers on the base. Below, we have some for reference:
| Year | Age | Patent Number | Estimated Valuation |
| 1868 | 155 years | US82061A (Patent for Foldable School Desks) | $30 – 175 |
| 1889 | 134 years | US400738A (Anna Breadin’s Patent for Attached Desks) | $80 – 150 |
| 1930 | 93 years | US1883322A (For Adjustable School Desks) | $40 – 200 |
But if your vintage school desk doesn’t have a patent, check out these clues:
The 1700s – 1800s School Desks
Old school desks from the 1700s are long and continuous, with detached chairs. Also, look for solid wood, curved legs, and dovetail joints. You’ll also see some Colonial influence, but you might not see the leg boards and storage box! These desks cost $70 – 150.
The 1800s – 1900s School Desks
The 1800s school desks are more composite. Like, you’ll see iron frames and screws, but with a traditional wooden base. You’ll also see metal storage boxes, leg boards, and inkwells.
Also, notice their styles and finishes! Since the 1800s were all about retro glamor, you can expect to see finished Victorian desks costing $800 – 2000. But, if they are plain and unbranded, you can price them up to $150.
The 1900s School Desks
The 1900s were all about minimalism! So, if your vintage school desk has polished chrome finishes, a single-piece body, or screws, it must be from the 1900s. Here, fixed, detached desks cost $80 – 90, but branded folding desks can cost up to $200.
Most antique school desks have another bench attached to the chair’s back. If so, you can hike your chair’s value by 4- 5%.
2. Materials
Antique school desks have different materials, but the ones with dark Oak or Cherry planks are worth the most! And if they are fully restored or foldable, you can hike their value by 10 – 12%.
Besides that, even hand-lacquered cast iron or block board desks sell well! The following table shows the estimated worth of vintage school desks based on different materials:
| Old School Desk Materials | Value for Desks with Attached Chairs | Value for Desks with Detached Chairs |
| Solid Wood – Walnut, Oak, Pine, Cherry | $55 – 250; But large, branded ones can cost up to $1700 | $70 – 200 |
| Composite Wood – Ply or Block Board | $30 – 120 | $40 – 100 |
| Cast, Carbide, or Alloyed Cast Iron | $40 – 170 | $30 – 80 |
| Stainless or Galvanized Steel, Chrome | Up to $30, but branded ones can cost up to $70 | N.A |
| Plastic or Plastic Composite | Up to $20 | $5 – 15 |
| Aluminum or Fiberglass | Roughly $10 – 20, can go up to $80 if branded | N.A |
Look for school desks with typical wax, oil, shellac, or paraffin finishes for an old make.
3. Colors & Finishes
Well, it’s obvious that bare wood or metal desks will be the most valuable! But you can also look for hand-lacquered beige or brown desks if you want some color. And here, you can hike the value by 30 – 40% if they are restored or styled.
Also, look for dual-toned or multicolored wood tops! These have unique finishes and textures, costing about $150 if polished.
| Old School Desk Color | Average Cost |
| Barewood or Metal | $55 – 250 for unbranded, and up to $1000 for branded desks |
| Beige, Brown, or Golden | $15 – 80, but colonial-style ones cost up to $250 |
| Black & Gray | $19 – 110 |
| Red, Green, Blue | $19 – 30 for regular and up to $125 for branded ones |
| Multicolored | $30 – 150 |
Avoid buying desks with colored laminates or veneers, as those are new and cheaper! Instead, try to get the translucent, hand-painted ones for the best value.
4. Styles
If you don’t want simple, plain desks, look for ones with carved Victorian or Art Deco designs. You can also look for foreign-made Jean Prouve or Welsh desks for rare exotic wood bodies and designs.
Here are some popular antique school desk styles and their features:
| Old School Desk Styles | Top Features | Estimated Value |
| Provincial Styles – Victorian, Baroque, or Art Deco | Floral or Arched Carvings, Looped Sections, and Filigree Work | $180 – 2000, depending on the size and condition |
| Asian or Chinese | Single-piece wooden desk with single-seat stools and loop hardware | $600 – 1800 |
| Fashion School Desk ( Sydney Furniture Company, Ohio) | Narrow and high table tops with attached chairs at the back | $70 – 200 |
| William & Mary School Masters Desk | Double-story desks with drawers and footrests | $900 – 1700 |
| Jean Prouve or Welsh | Minimal forms, Sleek steel sections, and detached chairs | $1000 – 5000 |
5. Antique School Desk Brands
Now, let’s see if your antique school desk is branded! For this, look for any etched marks or logos on the desk’s table, base, or chair. Other than that, you can check the drawers for any trademarks or tax scripts to track their age!
Below are a few easy-to-collect antique school desk brands for help:
| Old School Desk Brands | Base Price |
| Art Deco School Desks by Rene Herbst | $5000 – $20,000 as per size |
| Oak Craft School Desks | $800 – 4500 |
| George M. Hammer & Co. | $200 – 600 |
| Langslow Fowler Company | $150 – 400 |
Avoid getting school desks with damaged or faded tops or broken hooks, chairs, and footboards, as those might lower the value by 12 – 15%.
6. Rarity of Old School Desks
You might be surprised to know that original Chippendale or Harvard school desks sell for as high as $20,000! That’s because they were designed by an on-site designer with rare, exotic woods and finishes that are rare! So, make sure to check the desk’s history before valuing it!
Here are some rare, high-value school desks to look for:
| Rare School Desks | Base Price |
| Oak Desk from Harvard Divinity School | $5200 |
| Vintage Industrial Jean Prouvé Style One-Seat School Desk | $1400 |
| Early American Raise Top School Desk | $1450 |
| Antique Derby School Paneled Oak Roll Top Desk with Full Interior | $4400 |
7. Old School Desk Hardware
Antique school desks, lockers, and tambours with original cast iron sliding pulls, lockers, and tambours get better returns than hinged ones. Also, check if the hardware has floral, Byzantine, or arched sections for a better valuation.
How Old Are Antique School Desks?
Antique school desks are usually 100 – 120 years old. So, any old desk manufactured in the early 1700s to the late 1900s is considered antique.
Why Do Antique School Desks Have Holes?
Small, 2-3 inch holes on the desk’s top right corner allowed students to keep the inkpots and pencils in place. And these inkwells raise the desk’s value by 10 – 12%.
How Do You Remove Grime From Antique School Desks?
Take a soft, scouring brush and dust all the edges and corners thoroughly. Next, rub all the wooden parts with denatured alcohol and wipe them with baby wipes to remove the grime.
Well, identifying antique school desks is easy! As you saw, start by checking the type and then move to more details like age and color. If you find that their finishes are faded, you can restore them to hike your value! Just be careful, and don’t cover the brand names!
Like vintage school tables, other antique furniture items, such as old sofas, vintage Bassett furniture, rocking chairs, and old armoires, can be worth a lot today. I have shared separate guides for you to learn to identify these!
