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Do we restore away the history?

Started by dsk, January 29, 2012, 03:21:56 PM

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dsk

I'm often a bit lazy, and do not fully restore the phones to look like new. It is another side of the case too, and how far should we go? A phone looking like new, is a nice view, but the phone on the wall, looking like it has been hanging there since??? with some tear and wear, or even a few paint spots from the re decorations etc. is telling a story. I'm not consequent, sometimes I shine them up, sometimes, just clean, or even modify/repair like I guess they would have done on a service. Sometimes I carefully put it back to the as new state. Sometimes, its funny to make a frankenphone.

Whats your opinion?

dsk

HarrySmith

My opinion is whatever floats your boat! If it makes you happy to restore a phone to better than new condition as Mcmurdosilver does on eBay than go for it! If you want a decent, working phone with mismatched parts, then build that! If you want a completely original date matching phone in the condition it would have been in hanging on the wall in 1957, go for it! To each his own as far as I am concerned. I restore the phones I sell to good condition, they are not museum pieces or works of art but they are clean & shiny, working as they should. I try to keep them original when possible. All the phones in my collection with the exception of the first one I restored are all still in as found condition. I have not cleaned or polished any of them but will someday ;D
Harry Smith
ATCA 4434
TCI

"There is no try,
there is only
do or do not"

Doug Rose

I try to make a phone look as close to store bought condition as I can using authentic parts. I am not into reproduction parts at all. I think they ruin a phone. BUT I will use the celluloid windows for the dial cards. I think as nice a phone displays, the more respect was paid to it as a part of history. By keeping these in top condition we are passing a part of history on to the next genration.


On the otherside, phones that are buffed to a shine that leaves a finger print is going overboard. I have a mirror, I don't need to look at a phone to see my reflection.

Just my humble opinion....Doug
Kidphone