A commercial traveller tells me that at small ports along the coast he frequently observes general cargo boats from Liverpool discharging large quantities of second-hand furniture. Most of this appears to be of Victorian vintage, for which there is still apparently a steady demand in rural areas. In England, of course, such stuff is regarded as just junk, and it is sold for a song.
Seven-piece suites in red velvet, chiffoniers, oval tables in walnut and mahogany, and old fashioned cumbrous cabinets which once graced English middle-class drawing-rooms and dining-rooms will now become the prized possessions of small farmers and cottagers.
Moreover, fifty years hence this good old furniture will be antique, and in all probability will be re-exported to England at an enormous profit.
The Irish Times, February 16th, 1931