How many butlers trays come up each year?

Around 47 are listed on Sellingantiques in a year, and 126 separate dealers have handled one. That spread tells you something. It's a form dealers pick up in general stock rather than a specialism, so it arrives from all directions rather than a handful of sources.

Do they always come with a stand?

No. Just over half the listings name a stand, so trays sold on their own are ordinary rather than odd. Where a stand is present, titles usually say what kind: X stand, ring-turned, folding, low or high. They also say whether it's thought original.

What wood are they usually made from?

Mahogany accounts for more than half the titles in the category, and it's the wood most listings describe. Oak comes next, with walnut behind it. Pine, satinwood, rosewood, burr yew, fruitwood, macassar ebony, satin birch and Oriental teak each appear only once or twice across the whole archive.

Are non-timber trays sold under this heading?

Yes, a small group. Silver and Sheffield plate turn up in a handful of titles, most of them in current stock rather than the older archive. Papier-mâché appears in only nine titles, black and decorated, and the chinoiserie examples among them sit near the top of the range. Marquetry and inlaid tea trays also appear under the same heading.

Can a butlers tray be used as a coffee table?

It's the common modern use, and dealers list them that way. Around thirty titles say table, with a smaller run naming a coffee table or lamp table. The stand does the work. Set the tray on its frame and it stands at side-table height, which is what the original design was for.

What's the earliest date given for these?

The dealer date field runs from 1750 at the earliest to 1930 at the latest. Only 152 of 481 listings carry a clean year. The rest give an era, and "19th Century" is by far the biggest of those buckets, ahead of Georgian, Victorian and 18th Century.

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Antique Butlers Trays

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A butler's tray is a large flat serving tray with cut-out handles and a raised rim, usually paired with a folding stand so it could be set down as an instant side table.