El Portal Porcelana
"For People Passionate About Spanish Porcelain"
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For those interested in glass figurines, Fenton Art Glass Beasts, Birds & Butterflies
is another of Peggy's books!
Also for those interested in glass, Fenton Art Glass Fairy Lamps & Lights
is Peggy's latest book! It focuses on small, candle-lit "lamps" that were first used in the
Victorian era to light dark hallways before the invention of gaslight or electricity.
The publisher for these Fenton books has gone out of business, but I am pursuing
other publishing options for revised and expanded editions. Stay tuned! In the
meantime, you may still find advance-ordered and used copies of these books at online booksellers.
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Questions About Damage and
Restoration
"I think my figurine must be damaged somehow. Even
though I can't see anything wrong with it on the outside, there's this
rattling sound from inside as if something had broken loose. What's up
with that?"
You'll be happy to know your figurine isn't damaged in
any way. The sound you hear is typical of fine porcelain figurines and
results from the puncturing of that tiny "steam hole" in the base, which allows
pressure to escape during firing so the item won't blow up in the
kiln. The rattling sound is made by the little "plug" of porcelain that is
dislodged in making the hole.
"Phew! Am I glad to hear that because I actually
have a Lladró that is damaged. Does it cost a lot to have a piece restored - and is it worth the cost? I sort of have
a sentimental attachment to this piece because my favorite aunt gave it to
me."
Yes, typically restoration is quite expensive. The
least I ever paid to have a piece restored was $70, the most about $200.
And that was for damage that wasn't catastrophic. In answering the question of
whether an item is worth restoring, there are several factors to consider:
- Availability
- If it's currently being produced, it will
probably be cheaper to buy a new one than to have the item restored.
- Value of the piece after restoration
- The general rule of thumb is that
a top-of-the-line restoration (one that's invisible even under blacklight)
will restore only about 75% of the value of the same piece in mint condition.
The only exception to this rule is a genuinely rare piece
otherwise unavailable in any condition. With such rarities, a
top-drawer restoration
may get back 100% of the value.
- Resale
- If you just want to enjoy the piece yourself and don't care
about resale, a less expensive restoration by a competent restorer may
well be enough. Just be aware that other collectors will usually not buy
a piece with visible damage - and some collectors are so "anal" even about
invisible damage that, if they have access to such facilities for the purpose, they'll
take the piece to a medical facility to have it X-rayed (the one foolproof way to detect
a topnotch invisible restoration).
- Sentiment
- There's no discounting sentimental value -
but it shouldn't be over-rated, either! I'm sure your dear aunt
would want you to be sensible and not mortgage the family farm to
restore the exact piece she held in her own hand if you can get
the same model spanking new for less.
This little grouping of a kitten having a face-off
with a frog on a lily pad is called "Kitty
Confrontation"(#1442), still being produced at a retail price of $415 USD. The
flowerwork is what drives the price on this relatively small (3.5"H) item.
It's also the thing most vulnerable to damage. Lladró regards
the restoration of flowerwork by a competent professional, using Lladró-supplied
replacment parts, as a restoration to pristine condition (and, thus, a return to 100%
of retail value). (Photo by the author from her own collection.)
Questions on Damage & Restoration (2)
(3)
Questions on Value of "Seconds"
Value Issues with Prototypes
Questions About Authenticity
Questions About Buying & Selling
At Last - A New Lladró Book!
The Lladró Guide; A Collector's Reference to Retired Porcelain Figurines in Lladró Brands
My most recent Lladró book has revised and expanded content and
remains the only book in print on this topic that isn't just a catalog. Covers all Lladró and
Lladró-affiliated brands (regular collection, NAO, Zaphir, Golden Memories,
Hispania, Rosal, and Tang) and tells how to distinguish them from imitations and counterfeits.
Revised and expanded content includes
many new photos and a new chapter on future directions for collectors and the company now that it has
passed from family hands. The book is in hard cover, which eliminates
that annoying curl-up that happens with paperback books.You can order the book directly from the publisher, Schiffer Books,
on Amazon,
or from your favorite bookstore using the ISBN 13 number 978-0764358395.
Warning: If you're looking for a catalog
of every retired figurine Lladró ever made, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for beautiful, full-color photos of
representative models and more in-depth and well-researched
information about Lladró and its history and production than you can get in thumbnail photos with captions,
this book is what you're looking for.
Retail Price in Hardcover: $45
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The logo background and side border graphic on this site are provided courtesy
of Absolute Background Textures Archive (www.grsites.com/textures). All other
content and graphics on this site are © Peggy Whiteneck. No reproduction
of any part of this content is permitted without the express permission of the
web site author.
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