Page 30 - 2020 March JOA

abrasive, and don’t scrub. And of course, the dirt-dissolver sprays
mentioned previously work wonders with glass, too.
A final caution: don’t use the dishwasher. Colors will fade. Surface
decoration will deteriorate. Your glassware may break. You won’t be
happy.
And always remember: if it breaks, it breaks. Even experienced
professionals have broken a bit of glass now and then. As fused glass artist
Frances Higgins once told me, “We keep some around to remind us.”

Coming To Grips
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
A beheaded Ucagco Boy Angel planter after an at-home repair, leaving the visible. Can you live with that, and happily
crackline barely visible. At right: Reverse of Ucagco Boy Angel, accept the piece with its minor imperfec-
showing barely visible hairline crack after repair. tion? OK then. That’s wabi-sabi.
Of course, there’s also the Japanese
Glassware: Shattered Dreams practice of kintsugi, wherein cracked
“I dropped a glass vase. It broke. Can I fix it myself?” pottery is repaired with liquid gold. But
We’re now in the do-it-yourself equivalent of the doctor who shakes then, there are exceptions to every rule.
his head and somberly intones, “there’s nothing we can do.” If you grab
Salome, a 1940s limited
for the glue, keep this in mind: it’s glass. It’s transparent. When glued, Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann release by Madison’s Ceramic
the fault line in the glass will almost always show, unless obscured by a Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author Arts Studio, originally held a
surface design. While decreasing the object’s value, this might not of numerous Schiffer books on design and separate platter bearing the
detract from your everyday enjoyment. collectibles. He’s broken more than a few head of John the Baptist.
But if it does, and if the value warrants it, go for professional restoration. items in his time, utilizing the techniques When found today, almost all
As for that other perennial question, “How do I clean glass?” that’s outlined to repair them. Please address Salome figurines are missing
an easy one: window cleaner. After all, this is glass. A good bet: a cleaner inquiries (or additional fix-it tips) to the platter. An imaginative
with ammonia which doesn’t leave streaks. Use a soft cloth, nothing donaldbrian@msn.com use for her outstretched hands:
a silver bracelet with an “S.”

continued from page 25
This photo is from the March, Selling to fellow collectors and through collector clubs
2017 issue of the Journal and is another great option, for both you as a collector
shows the interior of Dr. David
Flakoll’s home showing and for your beneficiary in the absence of a plan. They
just one part of his over 6,500 can advise and guide the beneficiary on what’s in your
tennis racquets plus thousands collection and how best to handle your request or their
more items when you take into intent. Some collector clubs even have formal programs
account his video library of in place to help families liquidate collections and find
televised tennis matches dating
back to 1980, photos, trophies, buyers, typically among their fellow, member collectors.
and other memorabilia he has This is a wonderful way to dissolve a collection as you can
collected as side interests. and feel confident cherished items are going to an equally
accessories on display in his home. appreciative owner.
Flakoll formulated a At the other end of the spectrum are businesses that
‘developmental model of collecting’
to build his collection, which make their money buying up estates. Your collection is a
continues to evolve and inform commodity to be speculatively bought and sold in whole
his collecting strategies. or in part. For the beneficiary who has no interest in, or
the physical space to take on, your collection, the allure
of getting paid to have someone take it all away can be an
appealing solution. There is no seller’s remorse with this
type of transaction as the agreed-to price will only be a
fraction of the value of what the collection may be worth
and the buyer might realize.
If there are dealers, fellow collectors, and auction
houses that you have worked with over the years, and
who know of your collection and what it contains,
provide your beneficiary with their names and what items
might be of interest to them. They can be invaluable
resources for selling off collections and individual pieces
when the time comes.
In the end, it is your interest and vision that has guided
your collecting and collection over the years. Regardless
of what plans you make or do not make, nothing could
be more valuable than the thrill of the hunt, pride of
While collections look wonderful on display in one home, acquisition, and the friends and fellow collectors met
they may not appeal for the inheritors for their own home. along the way.
photo: Country Living Magazine
28 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles