Have you ever been to a flea market and found an old Staffordshire teapot with a missing spout or a Victorian farm table without a drawer? Wondered whether you should buy a piece of cottage furniture that has been painted white, or a Victorian chair with all the tufting removed? We asked dealers about buying merchandise - when do you buy it; when do you restore it; and when do you leave it alone?



DEALERS:



George Jurgsatis, Town House & Bob Barnes Toys, 375 Main Street, Catskill, NY 12414, (518) 943-7400



Joy Hanes, Hanes & Ruskin, P.O. Box 212, Old Lyme, CT 06371, (860) 434-1800, www.hanesandruskin.com



Iris Oseas, Van Deusen House, 59 Main Street, P. O. Box 147, Hurley, NY 12443, (845) 331-8852.



Northeast: Those who buy and sell often need to make the decision between restoration and leaving something alone. What considerations are involved from a dealer's perspective?



GEORGE JURGSATIS: Age and quality are important. If you have a wonderful antique leave it alone. If you merely want to furnish your home, go ahead and spruce it up.



JOY HANES: The main consideration is rarity. If the item is rare, you buy it even if it needs work. We believe that we should never give people an excuse for not buying something. We don't sell 'as-is ,' we put our merchandise in top condition.



IRIS OSEAS: The amount of damage is one consideration. Restoration is costly. If the piece is rare or quite early, you should consider restoration. If damage is minor, maybe you should leave it alone. You should always tell your customer how much has been done to a piece. It's always about honesty.



Northeast: How do you feel about original surface? Even more important, how do your customers feel about original surface?



JOY HANES: You know what? Our customers, like us, consider the form and structure of an object as most important. Surface is important, but not most important. We believe, particularly with formal furniture, that original surface can be pretty mucky. Finishes were meant to enhance the appearance of the wood and should fulfill this purpose. Figured mahogany is a good example. Old finishes often don't let the grain show through.



IRIS OSEAS: My educated customers prefer the original surface. Those without experience assume that everything they buy should be as pristine as if it came from a department store. Eighteenth century objects should show their age. As one antiques dealer told me when I was a young novice, "Old looks old."



GEORGE JURGSATIS: I have many customers and they all feel differently about this subject. Don't you think it always depends on quality? If you have something factory-produced from the late nineteenth century to the twenties, it's generally ok to work on it. But if you've got a good Herter Brothers sideboard, you'd better consult somebody before you touch it. Use your head.



Northeast: Let's talk about merchandise. How often do you come across things in such bad condition that restoration is necessary? Do you tend to buy things that need a lot of fixing up?



IRIS OSEAS: I'm a rescuer. If something is really early and really good, I tend to rescue. As you travel, the kind of things you used to see with frequency, become scarcer. In fact, Jonathan and I frequently argue over this subject. I always say, "When did you see the last one?"



GEORGE JURGSATIS: I'll pass on something that is in bad condition. I generally buy things that people can use in their homes as found. Or I'll find something with a small flaw and suggest that a customer live with the item just like it is. We buy out of houses all the time and we tend not to do much restoration.



JOY HANES: We tend to buy things that need some fixing up, but we don't tackle big restoration jobs. We don't buy a highboy that needs a new leg, but we'll take care of lip repairs and other minor stuff. In ceramics, if a piece is really extraordinary and needs a component replaced, we might buy it. But more ordinary things we want in top condition.



Northeast: Do you make a distinction between conservation and restoration? Explain.



GEORGE JURGSATIS: It's a good question. I'll answer with an example. I went to buy a wonderful old oil lamp in as-found condition and I asked how much it was. I was told that it wasn't ready to sell until it had been burnished. When I finally saw it finished, as far as I was concerned it was ruined. It looked like a piece of brass from a gift shop. The wonderful surface was gone.



JOY HANES: (she laughs) Naw, that's museum talk.



IRIS OSEAS: I don't really make a distinction, but I think it's always good to stabilize an object rather than completely restore. If I can get away with leaving an object in original condition reasonably, I like to do it that way.



Northeast: What are some of the restoration challenges you have faced in your day-to-day experience?



JOY HANES: Sometimes we buy ceramics that look perfect or seem to have minor restoration. When you put the piece in the cleaning solution, you quickly find out that it was in ten pieces and was heavily restored. That's a horror story. But on the reverse side, sometimes you expect extensive restoration because of overspray and you find underneath only a tiny chip. It can be a roll of the dice.



IRIS OSEAS: My best story is right upstairs in the house. It's a kas. You can clearly see traces of original ebonized surface, but the previous owners stripped it bare. Somebody's just brought us a very nice brass table picture frame. A well-meaning former owner soldered the bottom in place so that you can't get the broken glass in or out. You couldn't even get a picture in it. I passed on it.



GEORGE JURGSATIS: It goes both ways. The horror stories stick out more. But one does find wonderful things in as-found condition. There is always the issue of upholstered furniture. The minute you re-upholster you limit who can buy it and where it can go unless you consider muslin.