Suggestions for Ethical Alterations

If you plan to alter a vintage or antique item, it is crucial that you use the proper methods. Even if you want to make major changes to an object beyond simply restoring it, you want to treat it well and ensure that you cause the least amount of damage to it. Below, I suggest steps that you can take both before and during the modification process that will allow you to make your alteration as ethical as possible.

Before you even begin to plan your DIY project, you might want to get your item appraised, especially if you discovered it at a thrift store, yard sale, or a similar location. An appraiser is someone who examines an object and determines its value. A professional appraiser can tell you the market value of an item and let you know if it’s rare. Plenty of stories exist about people purchasing items at secondhand stores and discovering that they are much older, rarer, or worth more than they originally thought. You may think the value of an item isn’t that important, but knowing you possess an expensive victorian chair or a one-of-a-kind ivory jewelry box may change what you plan to do to the object. On the flip side, you may think that you’ve discovered a cool vintage dress and then take it to an appraiser to learn that it’s actually a retro piece made by a modern clothing company that costs $40. In that case, you don’t have to consider the ethics of doing whatever you want to it. In conclusion, taking an item to an appraiser may be extremely enlightening and a great idea if the resource is available to you.

Where you purchase your antique and vintage items from may affect your plans to alter them, as well. If you are looking for an antique or vintage item to redesign as a fun project, I recommend turning to thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, consignment shops, and similar locations. These places sell secondhand items that were sold or donated by other people. You may discover some great finds at these locations, but for the most part, they will offer lower quality items that are great for DIY projects. Antique and vintage shops, on the other hand, sell products that are likely already in good condition, since they were hand chosen for the stores. Furthermore, items at antique and vintage shops are much more expensive than other secondhand stores, since you are paying for quality and the convenience of not having to browse for nice items. If you are planning on making any drastic changes to an item, like painting a piece of furniture with a fun design or turning a pair of jeans into shorts, you may not want to shop at antique and vintage stores. You should save your money and reserve items from vintage and antique shops for people who like the objects as they are.