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I've dabbled in restoring movie posters, and researched how fine art paintings are properly conserved, and absolutely one does everything possible to make repairs reversible. With posters, the mounting to a fabric backing is rice starch, the infills for damaged area are water color, and the whole intent is that if need be a soak in water will completely and easily remove the attempt at restoration to allow a future restorer to start from scratch.
I've found the "restoration" show to be so over the top that I don't even bother to watch. It doesn't surprise me what was done to the helmet.
This reminds me of the time I sent my antique brass Victorian lamp with a friend who volunteered to take it to work with him and weld a broken piece back on.
He returned with the lamp, fixed, and proud as can be. He removed the beautiful antique patina and spray painted the entire thing a bright, metallic, gawdy, gold spray paint!
I've dabbled in restoring movie posters, and researched how fine art paintings are properly conserved, and absolutely one does everything possible to make repairs reversible. With posters, the mounting to a fabric backing is rice starch, the infills for damaged area are water color, and the whole intent is that if need be a soak in water will completely and easily remove the attempt at restoration to allow a future restorer to start from scratch.
I've found the "restoration" show to be so over the top that I don't even bother to watch. It doesn't surprise me what was done to the helmet.
Can you recommend a good restoral service as I just came into an original dali' lithograph created by the Phyllis Lucas studio in NY promoting the opening of the dali museum in Spain in 1974. Needs a slight cleaning and very small edge repair.
Not the actual poster but one just like it:
Last edited by Bulldogdad; 12-10-2015 at 03:32 PM..
Part of the "proof" of a collectible's authenticity is the unique nature of its "patina of age". While the natural aging process of an item can be approximately simulated in a reproduction it's often, if not always, difficult to "age" a piece perfectly. Your 'mint in box' is probably expected to take on the patina of age in a certain way that serious collectors will value as proof of its authenticity as a 'mint in box' (vs. a piece that was later resealed in a found mint box). But I think 'never opened' is different than 'mint in box'.
That is very enlightening! Thank you so very much for your time! This and my subsequence investigations into this matter have left me ... still a wonder. I like the idea of the 'patina of age' That and I do just hate to open the boxes. I never did think that I'd find myself in a worry as to what 'toys' should be opened and what ones must needs remain boxed! Again, to you my appreciation!
While it's nice to have items in new or better condition, I can greatly appreciate some patina especially when there is an accompanying story or it helps show the item as authentic. Personally I'd rather something original with some degree of patina over a restoration, but my main interest of collecting is automobilia, so you're dealing with stuff that generally was outside and/or being driven. A major part of antiquities is the history of the item and how it came to look the way it does.
People are going to have different thresholds of quality before they deem it not usable or displayable anymore, and sometimes that leads an item being for parts, repurposing, or even unfortunately trashed.
I'd rather have a restoration over a reproduction. Sometimes however a reproduction might actually be made better than an original. Also sometimes depending on the level of restoration and replacement items, it can kind of border along reproduction. As a car guy an example I can point out is on some cars, they might have some fiberglass reproduction parts on it. Now for some people, the fiberglass might be looked at favorably due to weight savings, but then again some will discredit it for not being original all steel even though to the average person there wouldn't be a discernible difference.
Since the topic of American Restoration came up, I see some of the things they restore and I really like them and then I see some of the things they restore and I just cringe. The helmet episode, I was awestruck that they wanted this restored. It just made no sense to me. Then I see them restore a soda machine or a record player and these are items I can see having restored. I would love to have an old 50s Coke machine in my basement and I wouldn't care that the paint isn't original or if the coin mech wasn't 100% original. You just don't have conversations about a Coke machine where it was their great grandmother's and she passed it down through the generations.
Basically, IMO, to restore or to not restore, varies on the item in question.
I restore higher end antique lighting, and find there are two kinds of collectors out there for anything. The "Purist" who wants it as is, and original, and the regular "Buyer" who wants it like it was new out of the box. My rule is that if it has 70% of its original finish, it gets preserved, and if its less, it gets restored. I don't do any repairs or use any materials not available when the lamp was built, and no glues or epoxies. I do follow the old saying that says "Don't do anything that can not be undone" when possible, but a lot of my projects are so far beyond that point that a major rebuilding is all that works, and its junk to start with.
I will say that there are many, many, more regular buyers than there are purists.
really depends on rarity. example: a lower end Patek Philippe watch is a good restore candidate while one must be careful with higher end rarities.
coins. i had a jeweler make a bezel for a Draped Bust half to wear as a necklace. Coin is VG/F, BUTTTT.... it is holed. Were this a pristine half in XF it would be slabbed.
furniture. we just restored six pieces. not the best investment, but to bring these pieces back to life and beauty? worth it. and each is worth much more on the market restored. But none were rare pieces with patina or historically important finishes.
S.
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That is very enlightening! Thank you so very much for your time! This and my subsequence investigations into this matter have left me ... still a wonder. I like the idea of the 'patina of age' That and I do just hate to open the boxes. I never did think that I'd find myself in a worry as to what 'toys' should be opened and what ones must needs remain boxed! Again, to you my appreciation!
Sometimes I hesitate to take a shower...
