~A Checklist For Buyers~
Maker — does the item's manufacturer have a reputation for quality and fine workmanship?
Artistry — is the subject one of broad, but not trite, appeal?
Limitation — is the edition limited, yet not so limited that it cannot penetrate the market? If the edition is closed, are the dealers bidding in the secondary market?
Commemorative importance — does the item commemorate a seasonal event or an historic event?
~Why To Insure Your Collectibles~
YOUR HOMEOWNERS' POLICY IS DESIGNED TO COVER YOUR PERESONAL PROPERTY AND IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO COVER THE COST TO COVER THE COST OF YOU COLLECTIBLES
Large collections and/or individual collectibles of high value should be insured.
The policy should cover all costs of damage repairs and reimburse you for the
replacement value in case of total loss.
Most insurance carriers offer fine arts riders to existing home owners policies or
separate fine arts insurance policies.
First you need to obtain a professional appraisal of your collectibles. See the
appraisal section of this manual for more information. Make a number of photo
copies, distribute them to your home insurance agent and a couple of other
insurance companies and ask them to provide you with no obligation quotes
based on the appraisal.
Many times your home owners policy will be coming in with the lowest bid.
However there are a number of companies which specialize in collectibles and
fine arts insurance policies offering very competitive rates. Make sure that these
quotes are for the same type of coverage.
Again, best is the insurance coverage which will pay for any and all costs of
repairs and gives you the replacement value in case of total loss, no matter
what the reason for the damages or loss are.
Every so often ( 2 - 3 years ) you may want to review your policy to make sure
that your coverage amount is in balance with the value increase/decrease of
your collection. Contact the appraiser and contract him to adjust the valuation of
your original appraisal and to add anything you may have bought or delete
anything you may have sold. Based on the new appraisal your insurance agent
can reset the coverage amount of your policy.
~Displaying Collectibles~
Porcelain and ceramic collectibles are sensitive to shock, excessive heat and /
or cold, high humidity, air pollutants and intense light.
The first thing that comes to mind is an obvious one: a porcelain and or
ceramic collectible will break when dropped onto a hard surface. Another
common scenario is crowding to many of them onto the same shelf and/or into
a tight display case. Pick one up and you will most likely hit another one with it,
which in turn may cause chips, cracks and/or breaks on both. Overloaded
shelves have also the tendency to eventually break off their anchors and fall.
Collectibles usually do not survive a visit with pets or small children. Keep them
out of reach from both. Remember porcelain shards are razor sharp
and can cut skin easily!
A more obscure problem is that porcelain and/or ceramic objects expand and
contract invariably as they are exposed to changing temperatures. When they
warm up they will expand, when they cool down they will contract.
Sometimes, when these temperature changes are repetitive, to severe and/or
sudden it may happen that your collectible develops one or more cracks, mostly
in the weakest part of it, the finishing glaze. This is referred to as “Crazing”. In
rare cases it can happen that the crack goes all the way through the ceramic or
porcelain shell. This is referred to as “Dunting”.
Therefore, try to keep your collectibles away from fire places and/or mantles
when in use, hot light bulbs in display cases, hot appliances, heaters and
window sills. Exchange halogen bulbs in display cases with cool neon if
possible. Also avoid cold drafts and keep them away from running air conditioners.
Another enemy is perpetual, high and/or sudden humidity. Unglazed sections
of ceramic objects will soak up the water in the air like a sponge and mildew may
develop which can discolor and weaken your collectible from the inside out.
High humidity combined with heat, dust and other air pollutants will create over
time unsightly layers of grime on the surface areas of your collectibles. Areas in
your home where humidity and air pollutants can arise suddenly are kitchens
and bath rooms.
Intense, natural and/or artificial light, such as sun trenched window sills and
lamps with stark lighting, should be avoided as well since it can cause fading
and discoloration of the surface decoration over time.
~Cleaning Collectibles~
Read and follow this section very carefully before you attempt to clean anything.
All porcelain and ceramic collectibles can be dusted and almost all are washable
as well. They usually have fired paint and glaze surfaces which cannot be
removed or damaged with water or mild cleaners. If you are unsure contact the
appropriate collector’s club or a professional restorer for more information. See
the resources section of this manual for addresses and phone numbers.
Always test before washing anything. Here is how:
Apply a little bit of water with a cotton tip swap to an inconspicuous area of the
painted surface to see if an item is colorfast. Stop immediately and dry the spot
with a paper towel if any color comes off. Only a restoration expert may be able
to clean it for you in a safe manner.
Here are the most common tools and materials which can be used to dust and
wash your collectibles:
- two long bristle brushes ( 2 to 3 inches of soft bristles )
- cotton tipped swabs
- tooth picks
- waterproof tape
- white pure rubber eraser pencil ( without embedded sand or glass particles )
- plastic spray bottle
- clean paper towels
- clean old terry-cloth towels
- liquid hand soap ( regular to antibacterial )
- liquid dish washing detergent
- denatured alcohol
- household glass cleaner
Most of these supplies can be found at your local hardware store or super
market.
Dusting:
For dusting use one of the long bristle brushes. Remove all loose dust by
carefully working it’s bristles into all crevices and recesses of your collectible.
Avoid hitting anything with the brush handle. Never use pressurized air or a hair
dryer to dust your items. Fine and/or thin details may brake off due to the high
air speed.
Washing:
Before you begin with the actual cleaning process you should set up the working
area correctly. Best is to clear of the kitchen table and the counter top near the
kitchen sink so you have plenty of room to work with. Cushion your sink and
surrounding counter space with a layer of old terry-cloth towels and fill the sink
with about 2 to 3 inches of clean, moderately warm water. Move the faucet out
of the way if possible. Next to the sink position your cleaning tools and
materials. Spread some old towels flat on your kitchen table. Fill the plastic
spray bottle with clean, warm water.
Almost all porcelain or ceramic collectibles are hollow and unglazed in the
inside. They also have one or several small air holes hidden in inconspicuous
places which allows expanding air to escape during the firing process. Locate
the air hole(s) and close them up with tooth picks. Sometimes there will be just
one large one in the bottom of the base. Use the waterproof tape to close it up.
This will prevent the growth of mildew in the inside of your collectible.
Work with only one item at a time.
Small collectibles may be rinsed with warm water directly from the faucet or it’s
hand sprayer. Make sure that the water runs slowly and with low pressure. Fast
running water or high water pressure may break fine details. Large
and heavy objects should be positioned safely in the sink, away from the faucet,
and may be rinsed with warm water from the hand sprayer or the plastic spray bottle.
Apply some of the liquid soap or dish washing detergent to the other long bristle
brush and carefully work it into all crevices and recesses of the item until a fine
foam covers the entire surface. Again try not to hit anything with the brush
handle. Keep working the brush in a circular motion until everything appears cleaned.
Rinse with clean, warm water and set the wet object onto the dry towels spread
on the kitchen table. Let it air dry. Do not use a towel, pressurized air or a hair
dryer to force dry it. Fine and/or thin details may break off.
You may have to repeat this procedure a couple of times to remove all grime and stains.
However, even the best soap has it’s limitations and sometimes it is necessary
to use denatured alcohol or a household glass cleaner to remove stubborn
stains. Soak a cotton tipped swap with denatured alcohol or glass cleaner and
apply it to the stained area only. Rub lightly with the swap until clean. Rinse
afterwards with warm water and let the piece air dry.
In severe cases, where even these cleaners will not work, you may want to try
the white pure rubber eraser pencil. Make sure that you use the correct type of
eraser without any abrasive additives, such as sand or glass particles, which
may dull or scratch soft, shiny glazes and/or finishes. The eraser pencil tip
can be cut with a sharp knife into any shape.
Never apply undue pressure when working with the eraser to remove a stubborn
stain and under no circumstances ever substitute abrasive or aggressive
cleaners or chemicals for the liquid soap, denatured alcohol or house hold glass cleaner.
Please note: Contact a professional restorer if none of these cleaning
techniques seem to work for you or if you are unable or unwilling to apply the
aforementioned cleaning methods and materials. Restorers are usually highly
trained specialists and use cleaning materials and methods
not available to the general public.
~Repairing Collectibles~
Damaged collectibles made from ceramic and porcelain can be repaired and
restored to their original state. There are a two different ways of
repairing/restoring items:
Cold repair:
Here a restorer uses specialty glues, fillers, glazes and paints which do not
need to be fired but hold up well over time. This type of repair is usually
reversible. This method is most commonly used, easier to do handle and is less
expensive then fired repair. Cold repair can be used on almost any and all
materials, brands, makes and designs.
Fired repair:
Here a restorer uses specialty glazes, fillers and paints which need to be fired
and hold up extremely well over time. This type of repair is not reversible. This
method is used only by very few of the best restorers since it is very difficult and
therefore more expensive then cold repair. Fired repair has many limitations
and cannot always be applied to all materials, brands, makes and designs.
Here are all types of damages which can be repaired using these methods:
- discolored and/or faded glazes, finishes and colors
- chips, cracks, breaks,
- grazing and dunting
- missing parts
- stains
Most companies and individuals offer nation wide service and accept damaged
goods via insured parcel mail or UPS for an estimate. Most estimates are given
free of charge but should always contain and explore the following information:
- restorers name, address and phone number
- owner’s name, address and phone number
- date of estimate
- brand, type, model, age and insurance value of each object to be repaired
- description of all and any damages
- description and scope of proposed repair methods
- complete cost of repair by item
- approximate delivery time
- information on guarantees, warrantees and insurance information
- a customer work order form to be signed by the customer authorizing the
restorer to begin work
Arrange to meet the restorer at his/her studio if it is located near you and see
for yourself samples of his/her work. Not all restorers are equal and it pays to
investigate their qualifications and abilities.
Some are highly trained and skilled artisans with impressive certifications and
resumes and others have learned their trade over time by trial and error. Some
employ a number of people and others are one-man operations. Some are
specialized and others will repair almost anything.
Word of mouth is a pretty good indicator on how well a company or individual
performs the actual repair and how customer service is handled. You can also
obtain information on the quality of service from the local Better Business
Bureau. Another tell-tale sign of a good company is the length of the delivery
time. The better it is, the more work it will get, the longer the delivery time will
be. Be prepared to be patient. Delivery times are usually approximations and
are not written in stone. Repair and restoration of porcelain and ceramic objects
is an inherently tedious and difficult proposition. Sometimes it will take several
attempts to obtain a satisfactory repair result.
The cost of a repair can vary widely from one to the other and while it is a very
important factor, it alone should not be the final decision making reason, but
the quality of the repair result and service you expect to receive for it.
~Storing Collectibles~
Sometimes it is necessary to store your collectibles for a prolonged time
somewhere in your home.
Again, porcelain and ceramic collectibles are sensitive to shock, excessive heat
and / or cold, high humidity, air pollutants and intense light. Therefore, the
attic and garage are bad long term storage solutions since they are subject to
severe climate changes. See the section on displaying your collectibles for
more information on this subject.
The better choice is the basement, if dry, and the best solution is represented by
storage closets within the living areas.
The only packing material which must be avoided under any circumstances is
paper, especially news print. Most paper types contain acids and will over time
absorb water from the surrounding air, especially in humid climates, which can
leach acid from the paper packing materials onto the surface of your collectible.
This can cause severe discoloration of the surface decorations which can only
be repaired by a restoration expert. News print contains not only acid but also
ink which will worsen the problem greatly.
Make sure that the items are set loosely in the packing materials so to
allow air to circulate freely. Cut small holes into the boxes before filling them. It
will improve air flow as well.
Every so often you should check up on your stored collectibles to make sure that
no moisture accumulated within the packing materials which may cause mildew
and/or discoloration. Good air circulation, a reasonably even temperature and
dry climate is important to prevent damages when storing
collectibles for a long time.
If you must store your collection with an outside storage facility make sure that
they provide security and adequate insurance coverage. Your own insurance
policy covering your collectibles may not cover any loss or damage which
occurred outside your home.