The American furniture making business was in a state of transition in the 1850's because the industrial revolution was changing the economics of making and selling almost everything, including household furnishings. When we look back to the 1850's and 1860's we know it was truly the end of an era, because in just the span of a few years more and more furniture would be mass produced using machinery rather than individual craftsmen. American furniture design and manufacturing apparently revolved around New York state in the 1850's, and the City was obviously the focal point of the industry. Many other very talanted designers and craftsmen other than Belter were working in New York and in other cities at this time. Among Belter's most important competitors working in New York were J. & J.W. Meeks, Alexander Roux and Charles Baudouine. These men and their companies also made high style Rococo Revival furniture, and it is possible some of it was very similar to Belters. Some experts believe their furniture could be nearly identical, or even absolutely identical to Belter's. Outside of New York, New Orleans was probably the second most important design and manufacturing city for high style Rococo Revival style furniture. Meeks also had a furniture business in New Orleans and local makers like Mallard made Rococo furniture, but it was in the "Southern" taste and easily distinguishable from Belter.

Belter furniture was very expensive when it was made, with chairs selling for $45-80 at a time when the average working man made one dollar a day. An existing Belter invoice from 1855 lists a ten piece parlor set for $1165.00, or about four and one half years pay for the average person. Belter furniture is still very expensive. The same parlor furniture that sold for $1165 in 1855 would easily bring $200,000 in todays market, and if it were in exceptionally fine, original condition, it could bring more than $400,000.

For many years the words "Belter furniture" were generically used to describe just about all high style American Rococo Revival furniture. As researchers and others learn more about the furniture and furniture makers of the period, we can more and more accurately distinguish between the furniture actually made by Belter or at his factory, and the furniture made by others. This is an evolving process, though, a work in progress, and there are still many questions about who made what, and when, and where.

A big part of the identification dilemma is that very little of the furniture made at this time was labelled or signed, and most of the original documentation surrounding the manufacture and sale of the furniture is lost or has not surfaced. Another significant part of the quandary is value. Because a Belter attribution can greatly increase an object's value, the owner of an object might through ignorance or intent claim it is Belter to make it worth more money.

It is fortunate, however, that there is some original documentation for Belter's furniture in the form of receipts and bills of sale that have accompanied furniture through the years. Belter's patented furniture is branded with his name, and a few labelled tables and chairs have been found. We also have Belter's patents, and his original patent model of a tiny chair made for the Patent Office when applying for his patent to bend wood to help us identify his work.

We know Belter made parlor, bedroom, dining room, and library furniture. He could have also made other things, like decorative moldings and trim, stair cases, and fireplace facades, to name a few.

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