blueyes29
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posted on October 26, 2003 10:33:09 AM new
I picked up a number of interesting items from an antique dealer years ago in the Netherlands. These two metal eagles (I THINK they're the old German...or maybe Russian, "double eagle" are caked with years and years of grime, etc. I haven't a CLUE what metal's underneath the layers but suspect it's brass. I semi-cleaned the head of one but left the other "as is"...see photo. My question is should I take out the trusty Brasso and clean these up properly? I know folks says antique/vintage items should be left alone BUT there's lots of detail on the pieces that's hidden by the grime. So...what's your expert opinion? Thanks in advance for your help.
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CBlev65252
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posted on October 26, 2003 10:35:21 AM new
If I'm not mistaken, all metals are okay to clean except bronze.
Cheryl
He has his own throne (Revelation 13:2) and his own worshipers (Revelation 13:4).
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on October 26, 2003 11:53:59 AM new
She's mistaken.
Leave them alone until you can have them looked at by an expert.
If it turns out they are of minimal value, then you can clean them. But if you clean them and they turn out to be important, there's no putting that genii back in the bottle.
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Making the world a more decorative place, one eBay bidder at a time.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on October 26, 2003 12:09:43 PM new
Please be careful with old silver, too, folks.
Remember that silversmiths over the centuries knew that silver tarnishes and gains a patina over time, and they created their designs with that in mind. When you strip a piece of antique silver down to the bare shiny metal, you remove decades or even centuries of defining darker areas that make the pattern stand out. Sure, it looks "new"...but who wants a new antique?
Clean old silver with a soft cloth. Store it wrapped in silvercloth, then placed inside a plastic bag and sealed. Never allow silver to come in contact with plastic in storage.
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Making the world a more decorative place, one eBay bidder at a time.
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AuctionAce
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posted on October 26, 2003 02:08:11 PM new
Where would someone find an expert that would look at old items like these? Most people want to be paid for their time and if the items are only worth a few dollars then there could be a loss right off the bat if the expert wanted a fee.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
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toasted36
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posted on October 26, 2003 02:17:56 PM new
If your lucky enough to live in a little small town where everyone know you or a member of your family ...most of the local experts will look at it for free.If they don't know enough they'll email a picture off to a friend of theirs and so on till someone knows.The only person I know in our town that won't do it for free is one of the Jewelry Stores. I would at least take it to the local antique store...no harm in trying.
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CBlev65252
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posted on October 26, 2003 04:05:03 PM new
fluffy
Thanks for the correction! On an old silver sugar bowl, would you leave the patina in the crevices? I have one that was my great great grandmother's and is over 120 years old. It's highly detailed and that's where most of the tarnish is hard to get at. I thought someone told me a long time ago that the tarnish can damage the silver? Would you also recommend a soft cloth for Pewter? My pewter is also as old and I don't want to risk damaging it.
Cheryl
[ edited by CBlev65252 on Oct 26, 2003 04:07 PM ]
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davebraun
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posted on October 26, 2003 04:28:39 PM new
If it does not tarnish it is not silver. Tarnish is the result of the oxidation of silver caused by exposure to air. It is this unique physical property that makes photography possible. In terms of antiquities if valuable polishing can diminish value substantially and if worthless it is worthless in any condition. This is also the case with old coins. Brasso is an abrasive anyway, it works by removing metal.
Republican, the other white meat!
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sparkz
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posted on October 26, 2003 04:34:11 PM new
Polishing brass, copper or bronze is perfectly o.k. As long as you plan to keep it for the next 50 years and don't entertain any thoughts of selling it for a profit during that period of time.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
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classicrock000
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posted on October 26, 2003 06:28:44 PM new
I thought Polish was a nationality
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on October 26, 2003 07:14:37 PM new
Where would someone find an expert that would look at old items like these?
You cultivate them, Ace. I have a face-to-face friend who I met over the Internet who is an expert on early metalware. I know how to get in touch with a couple of other people who are nearly as knowledgeable.
A big part of the antiques biz is networking (I hate that word) with other folks. If antiques sellers on Vendio are not reading antiques discussion boards, they're cheating themselves. Google is fine, but unless you do a Google Groups search, you are missing out on the resources of Usenet...which predates the advent of the Web by quite a few years.
A polite request to some of these groups, without asking for a price, will often yield unexpected dividends. I've identified lots of Asian art that way.
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Making the world a more decorative place, one eBay bidder at a time.
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blueyes29
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posted on October 26, 2003 08:28:52 PM new
Hey, Fluffy...Any way you could put be in touch with your "early metal expert"? I do know several antique dealers here but "early metal" is a pretty specialized area of expertise and my friends know nothing about it. I could post photos (or e-mail to you) if that would help. I really know nothing about these items. Thanks...
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on October 26, 2003 08:53:23 PM new
I'll send him a link to this discussion; then it'll be up to him to respond.
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Making the world a more decorative place, one eBay bidder at a time.
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AuctionAce
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posted on October 26, 2003 08:56:43 PM new
Hi Fluffy,
I totally agree with you about the newsgroups being a real treasure trove of information. Most people do not even know they exist or how to access them. The internet now is almost completely commercial but the newsgroups are still mostly filled with helpful people. We use it a lot for working on the cars rather than paying the car dealers or mechanics. I use the newsgroups for everything and it really works good for ebay stuff like the metalware and other collectables.
We've both been on computers and online for a long, long time.
-------------- sig file ----------- *There is no conclusive evidence that life is serious*
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on October 27, 2003 09:24:11 AM new
Would I know you from any particular newsgroup? I've been around for ages, still meet people who've seen my stuff in the ba.* and antiques newsgroups.
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Making the world a more decorative place, one eBay bidder at a time.
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blueyes29
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posted on October 27, 2003 08:21:29 PM new
Thanks, Fluffy...Hope "Fluffy's Expert" checks the post and responds...Appreciate your help!
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