Does condition matter?

I feel like these things constantly change depending who you ask.. so I'll ask now:

How much does condition matter to you?

Are pieces with worse condition worth less, or perhaps nothing at all?

Does age (more than a 100 years) excuse a piece, making it 'ok' for it to have damage?

Is wear-and-tear even desirable in some cases?

Do you think plain damage is better than badly made repairs or additions?

Are there certain things that are expected to have damage and / or other things that should not have damage ideally?

Thank you

 

The bottom line is that damage always matters. To what extent depends on a lot of factors.

 

It all depends on what it is but things with damage will always be worth less than the same item in pristine condition.

Some things will have damage that will be forgiven such as glaze rim chips on 200 year old tin-glazed. Other things will be reduced to worth nearly nothing (or nothing).

I have a rather massive collection of battered ceramics most that I have purchased as reference pieces. My main interest is in pre-1800 so finding perfect items is difficult and would often be out of my price range so I have battered items that were more affordable.

These days I've considered replacing some of my battered pieces with better ones as the prices have dropped considerably on nicer pieces in the last few years. I imagine many of my pieces are down to the almost no value range at the moment.

 

In my opinion. Chips and damage (including repairs) will kill most Glass and Pottery. Some normal wear and tear on an item is expected by most, but can effect price if it is excessive. Also, how visible is the damage? Does the plate have a chip that shows on the front, or a chip on the rim on the back that doesn't show when displayed? I might buy one with a back chip if I'm gonna display it, and I really want it, but never one with damage that shows. But even with non visable damage I would not expect to pay full price.

 

I must admit now, there's one expression I hate with a passion and it can be found on ebay listings and such from time to time:

"Museum-quality item"

What does that even mean? Usually items described as such aren't really even special..

But almost unrelated to that, this popped up into my mind:

An antique piece with a lot of damage can still have historical value, so in a way "museum quality"

 

Exactly.
You also have to take into consideration the human factor.
There are people who only want items that have no condition issues and will pay for the item to be perfect.

There are other people who want an item, but don't want to pay the high price for perfection and are willing to pay a much lower price for something that has condition issues.

 

And there are people who like 'shabby chic' style items and are willing to pay a lot for things that look beaten-up and worn.

 

Im old school in this subject , unfortunately . Once something is chipped or cracked , I just cant love it like I once did . One girlfriend of mine is all about " character " and will jump on stuff that's less than pristine in a second . Tatse is indeed subjective !

 

Most museums have stuff in the basement that never comes out.............

 

I always thought "Museum Quality" meant A 1 condition.

As for damaged pieces.
My major collection has been glass, 90% having two pieces. Lid and base. I began to realize, ----and had several fellow collectors concur, ----- that if I came across a piece that reportedly was one of only ten known to still exist I'm going to grab it even though it's in ten pieces. Right price, of course. Why not? How many other times am I going to even get to touch one.

I also, BTW, found an excellent glass restorer within easy driving distance. His only fault was that he worked ALONE, has a few hundred square feet of 6 shelf high units and has glass that's been sitting there for years waiting to be repaired. Most of those pieces were out of the US customers. He did repair three for me - all within 6 months or less. One in two weeks.

SO, buy a broken piece? Depends on price, scarcity and extent of damage.
That's how I got started on eBay. I'd buy a piece with a perfect top and bad base. Two years later find another with a perfect base and crap top. Keep the new base, old top, have a perfect piece and sell the bad top and bottom on eBay. (Amazing sometimes what it sold for. Often BV.)

Still on topic = I once found a Staffordshire HON in the basement of a tag sale house. Shattered into about 20 pieces and very amateurishly glued back together. Took it upstairs and asked for a price. $3.00. Put it on eBay and shipped it to the highest bidder - in Wales - for $165.00 or thereabout.

 

The only antiques I really know about are natural history prints.

How much does condition matter to you? It's huge. These prints were special and collected and protected from the beginning, so it's not unusual to have them darn near perfect.

Are pieces with worse condition worth less, or perhaps nothing at all? Only beginners or sentimentalists (not serious collectors) will want damaged or worn prints. Now, if you can mat a boo-boo out, that's fine with many/most.

Does age (more than a 100 years) excuse a piece, making it 'ok' for it to have damage? No. I guess that items that have been collectible since their creation don't get much of a break

Is wear-and-tear even desirable in some cases? No. Well... again, for sentimentalists or beginners... they might enjoy a well-thumbed little print-book... but it's often not long before even they want to upgrade.

Do you think plain damage is better than badly made repairs or additions? There are sometimes "print whisperers" who can repair damage to the point of apparent perfection. If it's well-done, and looks great from the front view, then that might be tolerable. But if it's any kind of clumsy Scotch tape or Elmer's glue... &%$#@* &%#$@ *@#$%& !!!!!!!!

Are there certain things that are expected to have damage and / or other things that should not have damage ideally? Over time, there is a natural change in the less expensive books/prints... good example is the series of Naturalist's Library octavos. The paper has usually turned a rich creamy beige, and if the colors are nice and bright, that's no problem. Some "foxing" (minor browning... little spots... fuzzy smudges) are tolerated, especially around the edges... especially by beginning coillectors... especially if the print is associated with a big name, like Edward Lear.

Thanks for asking, Mr. Blue. Good questions!

 

And Gila's answer is a perfect example of what Brad said about many factors.

Why. because Gila is talking about the paper world. Not the realm of furniture, pottery, or glass.

 

EXCELLENT GILA!
~
I recently showed a book I bought, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and it is very beaten up. Why did I buy it?
Because it's a title and author I love and BECAUSE it's so well read, and though it was only in the library for a few years it is hammered. This means others loved it as well as so it's all about that for me.
~
It languished on the GW shelf for weeks at 9.99 and even I didn't buy it.
When it went to 50% off it sat there until I saw it again.
Was it worth either of those prices???
Apparently only to me of those who may have seen it.
Now it's mine.

 

I’m going to throw in some monetary examples. Take those and adjust for other type collections. Consider that the pieces I’m discussing have a low value of $1.00 and a high of perhaps ten to fifteen thousand in current market.

The piece I mentioned in previous post - repair guy did it in two weeks -. That piece is one for which I paid $3,250 with "average" condition, considering its scarcity, meaning many chips. Seller in Nova Scotia.

Two years later bought an almost perfect one from California for $2,500. THEN found a big crack in the N.S. One. That's what was repaired. Put up for auction with full disclosure and sold for $2,200.

Maybe ten or more years later put my CA one on eBay and it sold for $4,550.

Should we consider buying a damaged piece? I look at it this way – in obscenely ridiculous examples.

Would you pay $50 for the damaged Mona Lisa that’s being trashed because some whacko slashed it to pieces.

Would you pass up a 1957 Buick Riviera asking $250.00 because it had some dents?

How about a $2.50 Remington bronze with a chip off one hoof?

IMveryHO --- Yes you will buy a damaged piece for a low price because. #1 it’s something you always wanted and couldn’t afford. Or #2, realize that there are only 12 known to exist and it’s a lot better having an imperfect piece than knowing you’ll never have one.

So don’t be a Prima Donna. Buy the dam thing and proudly display it in your home.

 

And that ...makes every piece judged on a case by case basis.

While repairs are possible , I always say that " A broken basket will always be , a broken basket " , & unbroken condition will always be preferred and of higher value....in the case of a similar article.

That said, certain items ....of limited quantity, historic value, or associated with a specific artist or culture.....even damaged .....will retain a large part of it's market price.

Still , pristine condition of anything new or old , will always command the highest value.

 

p.s. I like perfect things for sure.
But I love things that have had some experiences, there are stories hidden there.
It is why I have produced the artwork I have.

 

Right. I think this is one of the key elements.

But I myself enjoy the whole spectrum from pristine to patinated to falling-apart.

I like to have pristine / good-conditioned items IF they are easy to keep in good condition (decorative things that don't get much wear and tear)

On the other hand, to bring atmosphere I like worn items (although more in the furniture / outdoors decor category) and those sort of things can be lived with without having to worry about further patina being created.

But again, I'm not a collector. Not a real one anyway.

 

Hi,
You never know. I found a cookie jar that looked great until you saw the bottom, it was broke into 5 pieces that was reglued not well though. I put it on ebay for $7.99 and it sold for over 200 dollars. I was flabbergasted I kept looking at the cookie jar thinking, people are crazy. So I packed it up and sent it. It kept bothering me so I wrote the buyer. She wrote back that: The only thing she was interested in was the top. She tossed the bottom away. The top was a very rare one in a color and shape very desirable. I learned about "tootsie roll" handles but never ever found another one. Different things for different people.
greg

 

Hey Greg:
That was a smart buyer who knew exactly what she was looking at.
And looking for !

 

The condition of an item matters according to what it is, who wants or doesn't want it, and what it is for.

Once I discovered that certain people collect USED wooden spoons from dixie cups, and that there are also some who have YARDS of (and yards full of) chicken wire -- nothing surprises!