I was proud of this stately piece of history that my grandchildren would one day inherit and call ‘‘Grandpa’s desk from the turn of the century.’’ I was feeling quite smug about my purchase until one day I noticed something curious. Upon closer inspection, I was horrified to find that the only genuine oak on the whole desk were the rolls of the rolltop. The rest was oak veneer covering pressboard innards. I’d been too quick on the draw. I had purchased a pressboard desk that I thought was solid oak! No one would want a pressboard desk as a family heirloom. If it’s going to be valuable and
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