How do I tell if furniture is antique?

My grandparents have a house full of furniture and some of it is VERY old and some is new. I know the new stuff isn't antique but the older stuff I don't know. How would we know or go about finding out?

if you`can obtain`a piece of the wood`thats loose`and it wont break`its real`

Usually by looking at the way it was constructed and the materials used ,,,, if there are nails then what kind ,,,, Are they square in shape and tapered or if no nails then wooden pegs or dowel pins,,,, There are many ways to tell but if you aren't familiar with them then your best bet is to go to a library and look for material dealing with this subject ,,,,

Don't go to any antique store either ,,,, Most of these people are in it for the money and are willing to call anything antique just to sell it ,,,, They might have a license to sell antiques but that doesn't mean they know anything about them ,,,,

They will want to buy it cheap and sell it high ,,,, They consider it junk when they buy it but priceless when they go to sell it ,,,, With some dealers it's nothing but a scam ,,,,

Some antique dealers have no back ground knowledge at all or any idea what antique really is anyway ,,,,

Don't rely on the computer either ,,,, For a piece of furniture or any item for that matter to be judged an actual antique takes a hands on inspection and back ground knowledge by an accredited person to determine its authenticity ,,,,

Look for reliable sources of information such as libraries or talk to only known or reputable people that have a back ground knowledge ,,,,

A reputable antique dealer will offer you a fair price for the item and will still be able to turn around and sell it for a profit ,,,,

contact the antiques roadshow website and send them a pic of the piece and they should be able to tell you . www.antiquesroadshow.com. good luck and I hope I helped.