to restore or not to restore...

Lee · 23rd January 2021, 01:07 PM

It is a valid observation that you make and applies to many different areas of collecting antiques.

As you observe, a simple cleaning of a coin seriously damages its grade and thus value, while the Japanese sword community often seems intent upon slowly grinding their artifacts to dust.

In early American furniture, a dirty original finish may equate to a five figure value while a refinished piece from the same workshop approaches firewood prices.

For myself, I tend to prefer restraint in making changes beyond what is necessary to prevent degradation (removal of active red rust) and I agree that what is restoration should be discernable.

23rd January 2021, 01:07 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 932	It is a valid observation that you make and applies to many different areas of collecting antiques. As you observe, a simple cleaning of a coin seriously damages its grade and thus value, while the Japanese sword community often seems intent upon slowly grinding their artifacts to dust. In early American furniture, a dirty original finish may equate to a five figure value while a refinished piece from the same workshop approaches firewood prices. For myself, I tend to prefer restraint in making changes beyond what is necessary to prevent degradation (removal of active red rust) and I agree that what is restoration should be discernable.