It is often difficult to estimate the time period in which a piece of antique furniture was made. We have to look for clues. Styles and tastes evolve over time. Also, new pieces of furniture are made to fit the needs of the day. Knowing what the styles were in a particular era, or when a new type of furniture first appeared, gives clues as to when the antique piece could have been made. You know this is true by looking at your own lifetime. Have you noticed that fewer people keep their TVs in armoires? Now that we have big flat screen televisions, sleek modern television stands have been invented. Also, a variety of TV wall hanging mounts appeared. If a child asked you how old one of those TV stands were, you would know they were probably only a decade old. We did not have any in the 1970s or 1980s.