Don't Touch That!
Working where I do, I come into contact with loads of retro, vintage, and antique pieces. Being a lover of history, this makes me happy. I enjoy finding new stuff and learning more about life "in the olden days," than I ever knew before. Because it's easy enough to read a book or watch a movie and get some vague idea of what things were like, but there's nothing quite like seeing and feeling it. (Oh, and talk to people who lived through it, their stories are fascinating!)
The problem is, there are a lot of people who join the collecting community (for whatever reason), who really don't have the foggiest idea what they're doing. They treat their "antiques" with damaging products, they sell their "vintage" for way more than it's worth, and they toss words like "retro" around because they think they know what it means.
Of course, if you go online to try to ascertain the definitions of "retro," "vintage," and "antique," you'll no doubt come away thinking that collectors are a snooty lot. They're not snooty, they just get sick of people misusing the terms (especially in an effort to make something seem like it's worth what it's being offered for). Mislabeling an item can be the difference between 12% VAT and 25% VAT plus 3.5% duty tax. So here's a crash course in definitions.
"Retro" is generally something less than 50 years old, but older than 20. Thus, things from the 80's are now "retro." (Anything younger than 20 years, is just old.)
"Vintage" is a highly misused term (and there are collectors/experts who will argue that it shouldn't be used, period, end of story) that actually refers specifically to the age of wine. But where collectables are concerned, something that is "vintage" is more than 50 years old, but less than 100.
And "antique" (very possibly the most misused word in collecting), is anything over 100 years old. If it's not verifiably over 100 years old, then don't call it antique.
The other problem, people incorrectly "caring" for their pieces, is even worse than mislabeling the item.
When you're dealing with a piece of history, don't think that modern methods are going to cut the mustard; because chances are, they'll actually destroy it.
For example, never use a synthetic substance to "protect" a natural piece. Like a tortoise shell...never lacquer a tortoise shell, no matter how pretty it might look afterwards. Lacquering the shell will actually dry it out and crack it.
Never use WD40 to oil anything! If you have some tack or other leather pieces, use the proper substance for them! By taking the shortcut of using something like WD40 (because you have it lying around your garage), you have effectively ruined the leather. Don't use leather conditioners that contain waxes or silicone because they don't allow the leather to breathe. Only use natural oils or leather conditioners on your leather pieces. A little Googling to find the appropriate substance to use, will save you a lot of money and heartache in the future.
Don't paint over cast or wrought iron. If it's cast iron kitchenware, and you plan to use it, then "season" it properly to keep it from rusting. Never paint an old piece of cast iron, no matter how much damage the original paint has, because new paint will greatly diminish the value of it, and may even prevent you from being able to sell it (for a great, in-depth look at iron fakery, check out Coxsackie Antique Center's article on it).
The problem is, there are a lot of people who join the collecting community (for whatever reason), who really don't have the foggiest idea what they're doing. They treat their "antiques" with damaging products, they sell their "vintage" for way more than it's worth, and they toss words like "retro" around because they think they know what it means.
Of course, if you go online to try to ascertain the definitions of "retro," "vintage," and "antique," you'll no doubt come away thinking that collectors are a snooty lot. They're not snooty, they just get sick of people misusing the terms (especially in an effort to make something seem like it's worth what it's being offered for). Mislabeling an item can be the difference between 12% VAT and 25% VAT plus 3.5% duty tax. So here's a crash course in definitions.
"Retro" is generally something less than 50 years old, but older than 20. Thus, things from the 80's are now "retro." (Anything younger than 20 years, is just old.)
"Vintage" is a highly misused term (and there are collectors/experts who will argue that it shouldn't be used, period, end of story) that actually refers specifically to the age of wine. But where collectables are concerned, something that is "vintage" is more than 50 years old, but less than 100.
And "antique" (very possibly the most misused word in collecting), is anything over 100 years old. If it's not verifiably over 100 years old, then don't call it antique.
The other problem, people incorrectly "caring" for their pieces, is even worse than mislabeling the item.
When you're dealing with a piece of history, don't think that modern methods are going to cut the mustard; because chances are, they'll actually destroy it.
For example, never use a synthetic substance to "protect" a natural piece. Like a tortoise shell...never lacquer a tortoise shell, no matter how pretty it might look afterwards. Lacquering the shell will actually dry it out and crack it.
Never use WD40 to oil anything! If you have some tack or other leather pieces, use the proper substance for them! By taking the shortcut of using something like WD40 (because you have it lying around your garage), you have effectively ruined the leather. Don't use leather conditioners that contain waxes or silicone because they don't allow the leather to breathe. Only use natural oils or leather conditioners on your leather pieces. A little Googling to find the appropriate substance to use, will save you a lot of money and heartache in the future.
BELOW: Saddle bags for doctors, medical salesmen, and vets. Due to improper care they are worth under half of what they could be.
Don't paint over cast or wrought iron. If it's cast iron kitchenware, and you plan to use it, then "season" it properly to keep it from rusting. Never paint an old piece of cast iron, no matter how much damage the original paint has, because new paint will greatly diminish the value of it, and may even prevent you from being able to sell it (for a great, in-depth look at iron fakery, check out Coxsackie Antique Center's article on it).
BELOW: The impetus for this post. This is a Humphrey Gas iron trivet. While researching it, I came across this blog post.
Bottom line is, if you don't actually know what you're doing, then don't do it. Either get a professional to do it, or do your research. If you acquire a piece and you have no idea what it is, do your research! If someone you don't absolutely trust tells you what they think it is and your gut tells you otherwise, do your research! If you think you know what it is, but you're not sure, contact someone who probably does! In the short term, you save yourself time and money, and in the long run, you actually help to preserve the past.
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