Large pieces of furniture, such as serving tables and sideboards, became extremely elegant and sophisticated during the 18th century, and many are very expensive. Much more reasonable are the wealth of 19th-century sideboards available; the largest are often the most affordable.

You can also find an extraordinary array of smaller dining room accessories, such as wine coolers, urns, knife boxes, cellarets and dumb waiters. Most were made with a specific function in mind but can nevertheless be surprisingly versatile. These days, wine coolers are often used as containers for flowers than for wine, but they're still highly collectable.

You might think that these attractive urns are purely decorative, but in fact they open up and some were fitted out to hold knives, while others have spouts for iced drinking water. Pairs of Georgian urns are especially desirable. The ones pictured above were made c.1775 and would cost between $6,750 and $10,000, depending on condition.

Check legs haven't been altered: turned legs on 19th-century sideboards are sometimes replaced with 18th-century-style tapered ones to make a piece seem older - and more valuable. Prices from $6,000 to $6,700.

Cellarets

Provided you've the room, you can still find larger 19th-century sideboards in reasonable condition for around £750. This one dates from c.1815, and would be worth between $3,350 and $5,000.

How old is it?

This Gothic, Chippendale-style table might look 18th century but in fact was made c.1910. One tell-tale sign is the dull, flat sheen of the wood - an older piece would have a mellow glowing patina. Expect to pay from $1,600 to $5,000 for such an item.

Wine coolers were used for cooling bottles in ice before their contents were drunk. They rarely have lids and may have a plug in the base. Lidded containers for storing wine, such as this, are described as cellarets, but the terms overlap. Price is about $8,400. Wine coolers and cellarets can usually be dated from their style.