In article ,
dpb wrote:

Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
"ng_reader" wrote:


And once you restore an antique, it isn't one any more.

That might be true with a vase from the Ming Dynasty, or a helmet from
the Roman Legion. But it's hardly true with furniture and cars.

Oh, it's _absolutely_ true w/ "real" antique furniture, too.

"Restoration" is very definitely an art there no less than it would be
for the vase or other historical artifact.

--

An art, sure. But the fact that something has been restored, doesn't
necessarily mean it's no longer an antique. The point is, you can repair
furniture, but it's probably not a good idea to make new arms for the
Venus de Milo, or touch-up a cave painting with fresh ink.

There are plenty of hacks out there, all you have to do is pick up your
local "auto trader" rag and turn to the antique section. But if you
watch the Barret-Jackson auto auction, you'll see many cars that
evidently haven't had their value destroyed by restoration.

In the case of my table, my primary considerations are structural
integrity, and not having to do the job more than once. Purity and
resale value are very low on the priority list.