If you live with your great-grandparents in an ancestral home, you can probably see old pieces of furniture that could cost a lot when sold to antique shops. Especially furniture that have metal parts or gold knobs, it could mean a fortune for some. There are also families that keep old furniture because of its mean value for the family. More often than not, they would try to retain the original look of this keepsake to treasure it and serve as a reminder of the history of their family. However, if the furniture passes through time, changes in seasons and climate, dirt and exposure, you can see that most of its metal parts have tarnished. Yet, you can still renew the look of this furniture either by re-plating the metal parts or replace them. After reading this infographic, you can conclude that re-plating is a sounder option.
1. One of the factors that you need to consider is the price. If the furniture has plenty of metal parts and these are big, it could be very pricey to replace them all. A dresser that has multiple metal parts which were customized during the time it was made, finding an original maker could mean too much expenses on your part. To save few bucks, re-plate the metal hardware and you can save much money especially in the long run.
2. How old is your metal piece? If it was made before theWorld War, finding the original maker could be difficult to do. More so, the metal hardware may have a specific size, shape, design, etc. which could not be found during the 21st century. Even if you post it on the Internet, replacing your old pieces could take time because the maker should still study the specific characteristics of your hardware. That is if you are looking for an exactly similar item.
3. One thing that makes old furniture such as a closet, cabinet or dresser to be valuable today is because of its unique designs. Old designs tend to be very intricate and patterns may not be used today. That is why looking for a replacement requires extra effort from the owner. However, if you simply re-plate it, original designs can be retained. Another point for re-plating is that the old piece holds the special value that is trying to keep by the owner or the family.
4. Clocks, furniture, cookware and other items that are metal may be valuable to the family because it has been with them for a long period of time. The item had been part of the happy and sad moments of the owner and such is part of its history. Changing a piece of it would mean that you are letting go a few memories and replacing it means that you are replacing the old memories. This may not be the essence of why you want to keep the old furniture at its original look. It is not expected that old items such as drawers will be used for its utility but simply for its meaning for the family.
source: https://www.goldplating.com/blogs/news/to-re-plate-or-replace
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