In January, 2020, we received a note from Colleen West about a Coats dresser she had found in a store in western Pennsylvania. She writes, "It needed a good cleaning on the outside but the drawers and compartments were basically spotless. The drawer locks are in working order and the young man who runs the shop gave me a key that fit them, although he wasn't sure if it was the original key since his grandfather (owner) puts all furniture keys on one ring. I purchased this great piece for $125. You can't buy a new piece of furniture for that price today, and the quality does not compare to the craftsmen of old."
She continues, "I believe the pulls currently on the drawers were added later as there are circular indentations in the wood that don't match up with the pulls. It appears the original pulls/handles were round and most likely metal from the way the wood is worn. Also, the mirror post facing the dresser on the left side is badly cracked from the spindle down, and the spindle is missing a piece of wood. Tightening the mirror keys causes both posts to pull inward, so I loosened them to ease the stress and in order to prevent further cracking. Now the mirror leans back, which is why I have a plant holding the mirror straight. I assume this was caused during a move as the front leg on that side is also pretty chewed up as well as the rectangular panel on the bottom front.
"All of the casters are original, wooden, and in good shape.The drawers are dovetailed. One is cracked on the bottom, but I was able to put it back together. Every piece inside the drawer compartments is still intact, including the metal drawer glides (see photo). Inside one drawer compartment there are dimensions written on the wood in pencil. I realized it was a handmade piece when I saw that!"