Letters, I get letters. (Well these days, they’re mostly emails). Often, they’re questions dealing with the care and repair of the things that people collect. The most common strains I find running through repair questions are “Could I?” “Should I?” and “How can I?”
“Could I?” is the easiest to answer. With enough super glue or tape you could repair practically anything. You just might not be happy with how it turns out. That’s where “Should I?” enters in.
Ever peruse those “homes for sale” ads? You’ll see ones for “executive retreats” in “secluded, lavish surroundings” (translation: “very pricey”). Then there are “family friendly” homes in a “bustling neighborhood.” (In other words, there’s a day care operation on either side, a grade school across the street, and the freeway is just beyond the back yard.) And, of course, there are the “great fixer-uppers” (code for: “You get what you pay for”).
When assessing repair feasibility, look to the realtors’ lingo. If the price you paid for an item years back still makes you gasp, you’ll probably opt for the gold standard: professional repair. A talented technician will restore the integrity and strength of your piece with a bonding material that won’t re-break, and will also expertly match colors, so that the repair is nearly invisible. Each collector must decide if the value of a piece outweighs its repair charge.
Most questions, however, deal with “family friendly” collectibles: items that were either purchased in a less-than-perfect state, or “somehow got that way.” Leading the question parade: paper goods, ceramics, and glassware.
* Paper goods. These were meant to last for only a short time, and their intrinsic materials were not particularly durable. In answer to the frequent query, “There are a few tears. Should I tape them?” the answer is “it depends.” If it’s a piece of sheet music you’ve acquired just so you can play it, tape away. It will make your piano-playing life a lot easier.
If collecting for display, more consideration is needed. You can carefully tape a tear on the reverse. (Never use glue, which will bleed through.) Minor creasing is acceptable, and original handwritten greetings can add to an item’s charm, but avoid purchasing paper goods with crumbling edges or water spotting. These fall in the realtor’s “great-fixer-upper” category.
* Ceramics. Almost every ceramics collector has experienced the agony of a nick, a crack, a beheading or an amputation. Once this happens, you must decide what to do--attempt to repair it, or leave it “as is.”
Most collectors will settle for “as is,” if the nicks or cracks aren’t overtly obvious. As for complete breaks, if the value does not justify professional restoration, a light application of quick-bonding gel glue, followed by a deft use of colored chalk at the break line, can often make a clean break undetectable. (If professional restoration is a future possibility, use a non-permanent glue).
* Glassware. We’re now in the do-it-yourself equivalent of the doctor who shakes his head and somberly intones, “There’s nothing we can do.” If glassware is broken, keep this in mind before grabbing for the glue: it’s glass. It’s transparent. When glued, the fault line will almost always show, unless obscured by a surface design. While decreasing the object’s value, this might not detract from your everyday enjoyment. But if it does, and if the value warrants it, opt for professional restoration.
Some things in life are always going to be less than perfect. When it comes to what you collect, if you can accept that fact of life without grinding your teeth down to the gumline, then why not? In Japan, they call this state of mind wabi-sabi: honoring the imperfect. So the hairline crack on the neck of that ceramic angel is still slightly visible. Can you happily accept the piece with its minor imperfection? OK then. That’s wabi-sabi.
Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann.

Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles. He’s broken (and repaired) more than a few items in his time. Please address inquiries (or additional fix-it tips) to: donaldbrian@msn.com.