We may earn a commission on purchases made through links.
From Le Creuset Dutch ovens to Corningware, there’s no shortage You can find inexpensive kitchenware at thrift stores. However, these are far from the only valuable items you can find among the shelves and aisles of your local thrift stores. In particular, a barrister bookcase is a remarkable antique thrift store that may be worth a lot more than you think.
Named after the English High-Court lawyers who traveled with their law books, barrister bookcases are designed as if they were made up of individual solid wood storage shelves with glass front doors. Early models were modular and even had side handles that allowed barristers to carry their bookshelves to and from court. They were eventually converted into single furniture pieces, but the individual glass-door shelves remain, allowing for optimal organization and a clean, classically sophisticated look.
These bookcases date from the late 19th century and are still produced by furniture companies today. A brand new barrister bookcase, like this one Amish Sheffield barristerWill retail for around $1,500. Prices don’t come cheap in the world of online auction houses, where an antique barrister bookcase can easily fetch upwards of $4,000. As such, snagging one for a few hundred (or even less) at a thrift store can be the quest of a lifetime.
Identifying and using your antique barrister bookcase
While it can cost less to make your own piece of furniture (you can too DIY a stylish bookcase using wooden pallets), picking up an antique barrister bookcase can be more practical than you might think. As a single piece, they measure 4 or 5 shelves high and only a few feet wide, so they A bookshelf that works for really small spaces. This is especially true if you get a modular that can be separated into individual shelves. This is great not only for storing books, but also for music, movies and special display items.
In terms of identity, one needs to look at some notable manufacturers, including Globe-Wernicke, a late 19th-century American furniture maker who specialized in modular barstools. Cases made by Globe-Wernicke will have a sticker identifying the company name along with the pattern design and lumber grade. Many barrister bookcases are made from high-quality solid wood such as oak and mahogany.
Another notable manufacturer is the Gunn Furniture Company, which was very popular in the 1920s. As such, some of his barrister bookcases would be made in the simpler Arts and Crafts style of the time, as opposed to the more ornate style of Globe-Wernick. Gun Barrister bookcases will also have a triangular “GRM” label, likely a reference to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where the company was based.
