One of the many determining factors that go in to the collectibility and value of an antique iron bed is the size of the tubing that goes around the perimeter of a bed frame and specifically across the top.
Probably as high as 90% of all iron beds are made with 1″ thick wall tubing on the sides. What size goes across the top is what gives and iron bed it’s rigidity and strength. This is an important factor when buying an iron bed. Some people like putting lots of pillows up against a headboard to watch TV or read in bed. If the tubing going across the top is 1″ thick wall tubing…… it will be good and solid to support the weight. But……. if your iron bed has the smaller 3/8″ solid rod across the top, there’s going to be a degree of “flex ” to the headboard when someone is leaning up against it.
A bed that has 3/8″ solid rod across the top can be more or less rigid an inflexible, depending on how the interior design is connected to the top horizontal rod. Some iron beds with 3/8″ rod across the top can be incredibly rigid…others can be very flexible.
The use of an bed should be one of the most important factors in determining the size tubing it should be made with. A guest bedroom that gets little use and no one leaning against it on a regular nightly basis, is really only there top hold the mattress off the ground and look decorative. An antique iron bed that goes into a child’s room can go either way…… depending on the child and use of the bed. But it’s always a good idea to get them a bed they can grow with. Remember….. any antique iron bed is going to go up in value and be worth more than you paid for it when your child grows up. So keep that in mind when selecting a bed for them.
During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, foundries started producing beds with 2″ thick wall tubing. These were ,generally speaking, much less decorative in their designs…… and much more Austere looking. Beds with 2″ tubing are great for little boy’s rooms, farm house restorations, etc. where a lot of scrolls and Victorian design just won’t work.
So when considering an antique iron bed……….consider the tubing and the use.
I hope you’ve found this blog informative . I invite you to revisit my website
to answer any and all questions you might have about antique iron beds.
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