boy...that's a mess! I'd offer him $25 and see what happens.
I don't think it's walnut....that style was most often a mix of wood and veneer.
It would sure be improved by stripping, but that would be an awful job!
Look on the inside of the drawers and bottoms of the edges of the drawers wehre maybe it has worn.
Learn to recognoze the grain of walnut....an old geezer pointed out to me years ago how to recognise walnut....and I have never made a mistake since!....he used to take a coin and scratch off a bit of paint on a drawer top....
Linda C

And I think the seller is right on about the age of the piece.....
But I don't think it's walnut....just perhaps it was walnut color under the paint.
I once bought a piece as "walnut" because it had a stencil of the word walnut on the back.....stripped the paint off and found bass wood or some other cheap stuff. The stencil meant it had been stained a walnut color.!
Then I learned to look at the wood and see for myself.
Linda C

I like the piece, like the lines and no doubt it would look FAR better stripped. But.....BTDT too many times to count and it is a bear of a job because that white paint really wants to settle permanently into the grain. I agree with Linda about the price but even at $25 the time you put into stripping will probably make you bang your head against the wall!

Here's how I look at it - if I loved it and wanted it in MY home, I'd consider it a labor of love. But as a money making proposition, no way.

Oh God, did they ever ruin that piece. I'd also guess that at least part of it is veneer. That was typical. You can find a decent surface under veneer (and I doubt you can successfully get that paint off the veneered part without ruining it) but don't expect the wood type of the top to necessarily match the front or legs. Because the solid parts will be a different wood than the body of the veneered parts. And yes............white paint is hard to completely remove.

Agreed also that I wouldn't venture much more than twenty or thirty dollars on it, if I even wanted to invest time in making it presentable. Prolly the best you'll come up with is sanding off the globs of paint, repainting it and turning a fine old piece into more 'shabby chic'. What a shame.

What a mess! It's probably one of the 1920s cheap veneer things. painted because it was in bad condition, and can't be stripped.

I wouldn't touch it for $100 ...

Rhonda, I wouldn't pay more than $60 for the piece. I have my limits as i'm sure you do, and w/re-sale pieces usually triple the price.

I think I would paint/antique glaze rather than bring it back to it's original condition, but that's just me. ;o)

You might check the type of wood by removing the drawers and looking at the inside with a flashlight.

I would not mess with this piece, period. It is not that cool not matter what it's made of.
jmo, Di

Passing on it. She could not confirm what the wood was like before she painted it. and It had actually been painted tan before it turned white. And you are right, it's really nothing special. I guess I was attracted to the possibility of it being a nice wood underneath.

It is a 1920's sideboard and if I had to guess I would agree that it is Walnut under that paint. The drawer faces top and sides should be a straight cut Walnut veneer and the two raised pieces on the doors should be either a burled Walnut or a birds eye maple veneer.
How do I know this ? I've seen this style piece come through my shop year after year . Is it possible that there is no Walnut on there at all , yes it's possible but very unlikely.
This is not a job for the unmotivated..... There's a ton of hours involved and that's if it were being stripped and refinished in my shop.For a hobbyist , you will not have any fun with this piece .
I would stick to the under $100 price range , $50 or less would be great .