I posted a video on YouTube.com regarding a "Hope Chest" and how manufacturers can simulate quality furniture that is very convincing. It shows how, what I thought was a solid cherry hope chest, had simulated dovetail joints on the corner panels. I did not notice that these joints were fake until the wood dried out which had gotten wet by the fire department while putting out a fire. As it dried the joints on the corners began to open and it revealed that the dovetails were fake. 
Interesting enough, the base/legs did have real dovetails though the sides did not.
Many times furniture will have veneer that looks like solid wood. I put together a video that shows how to tell if a piece is made of solid wood or is veneer on MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard).