To Restore, or not Restore?
That is today’s question. It can sometimes be a controversial topic among certain collectors regarding antiques no matter what the collectible is. I argue that it really comes down to a case by case basis. Are you just messing with something because “you can”? Or are you finding yourself weighing the benefits of restoring something that literally could be falling apart beyond repair?
On social media I follow a few accounts that restore vintage movie posters and it’s always fascinating seeing that process unfold in a time lapse video. Many vintage movie posters were folded up, sat in damp areas, or just handled roughly and without care because who would have thought it would be considered something of value when it was hanging outside a theater 70, 80, or even 90 years ago? Often pieces of paper or canvas have to be added to torn and missing pieces of paper and artists “recreate” the blank parts. A very common restoration technique is flattening out the creases where the poster was folded and then coloring in those worn and blank areas with colored pencils. They make it look like it was never folded… heck they make them look brand new! Yet, in the comments you will see many people complaining about the “crease removal” or the fact they took any kind of pen or pencil to the art itself. There are often hardcore believers that these things should not be touched – at all! I can often see both sides to this, as many believe history should look “worn” and well, historical. But there are times these things are so bad that they aren’t far from looking like nothing more than trash!
One of my hobbies is restoring vintage gumball machines and drive-in movie speakers. With both I have had some guys tell me that I have ruined some machines by taking off their original paint, sandblasting, and repainting. For a time way back I also created “fantasy pieces” where you take a gumball machine or drive-in speaker set and repaint and apply decals to give it a theme from a well known brand or company. An example might be a gumball machine with the Pepsi Cola cops on it, or a drive-in speaker set decorated with Sinclair Gasoline Dino art. These items never really existed like that, but they are a fun way for the owner to have a usable vintage item in their home that fits the theme of their collection… or they simply think it's cool!
I have done what I can “partial restorations” with both the gumball machines and drive-in speakers where I try to repair, restore, and/or upgrade the insides of a product to make it functional, but keep the outside looking old where the original patina on the metals, knobs, and chrome are still clearly visible. An example of this is a few years back I restored a late 1940s Silver King gumball machine. This machine had all of the wear and tear on the outside with scratches, scuffs, dings, and discolorations. But the inside was ROUGH. It had a few missing and broken parts, and worst of all it was NASTY inside. You did NOT want to eat anything that came through this machine! So my plan was to completely repair and restore all of the internal parts and surfaces, but leave the exterior alone. I think it turned out great because you ended up with this really old looking machine that you could use and not worry about what your gum or candy was touching as it made its way through to the chute! Plus, with all of the work done inside, it just bought a much longer lifespan for this machine.
I’ve done similar types of restorations to drive-in speaker set, and sometimes the new owner might want something done that is unconventional - like a particular color scheme. And I think this leads to a good point - the customer is (almost always) right. If they want their speaker set painted PINK and BLACK, then paint the dang thing PINK and BLACK! Who are we to judge what the owner likes or wants? In the end, when you are restoring something you need to focus on what you (or the customer) needs to be done to be happy. However, take the time to think about what one is doing before a step is taken that cannot be reversed! For instance, this past year I have been advising a lady over emails and phone calls on a gumball machine that was in her grandfather’s store. It is a family heirloom to her and she wanted it restored and looking new. While that certainly could have be done, I also offered her this to consider: Would it be of more value to you on a personal level if it still had all of the look, wear, and patina just as it was back in your grandfather’s store… and how SHE remembered it growing up and seeing it there? She took some time, reconsidered the restoration, and agreed that she would have a more meaningful connection to it if it was how she remembered it. And of course we STILL got that machine working on the insides so it can it can be enjoyed even more, rather than sitting there collecting dust.
So to conclude, I think a few things should be considered when starting a restoration project:
- Is the piece in working, usable, or even a presentable condition? Can your work make it greater that it already is or is it going to detract from it? Be honest with the quality of your work and your abilities! If you don’t have the time, patience, artistic ability, and (the big one) PROPER TOOLS, maybe you should just leave it to someone else or practice on something that isn’t considered a real antique?
- How rare is this piece? Are there still plentiful versions of them available to be found or is it TRULY rare? In my line certain gumball machines and drive-in speakers were made by the millions… but there are some examples of ones that are in fact “rare birds”. Is it from a particular location and have markings or names that place it somewhere significant?
- And to for me the most important question: Am I restoring this for myself, someone else, or just to flip. Remember, if you are doing this for someone else to make sure THEY have fully given thought to what might be done and often there is no turning back. And if it is to turn around and sell, is there more value in the item if it’s left alone? Also remember, if it’s for someone else and you are not comfortable with what they want to be done you can always just say “no”. I’ve done that plenty!
But in the end, if you are going to tackle a project do what makes YOU or the CUSTOMER happy! If it’s going on your wall at home, you want the piece to make you smile when you look at it, not have doubt wondering if you made the right decision by messing with it!
Questions? Comments? Email me at [email protected]
When you have a near perfect car, you might want near perfect props! So making it look new as possible makes sense.
This vintage SIMPLEX drive-in speaker has completely new "insides" and electronics, but the exterior still retains the original patina and charm!