Posted 10 years ago
Nes9si123
(1 item)
Just got this and was going to clean it up a little bit. Really wanna know the age does anyone have any idea or can anyone tell me what to look for to get a better idea?
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If you're lucky trunkman will see your post and
He will have an answer for you. I love this little trunk. I understand that things can need some taking care off but I also think patina (don't know the word in english but I mean the sign of age and of a piece being handled over time) is worth saving. I'm sometimes a bit horrified about what people do to 'fix' old things. Only do what's necessary and leave the rest as it is. Age is beauty!
Quite a rare trunk you have there, a carpet covered trunk. You dont see these very often, and they almost always look to be in the same condition as yours. Yours was made after 1882 but probably before 1890. There really is nothing you can do with the carpet as once it is gone, it is gone. You can replace the missing nails, repair bent corner metal, latches, handles, etc. and leave as is or re-paint Black. Its up to you, it wont hurt the value of the trunk as the main feature (the carpet covering) is toast. The interior is missing the tray and lid divider (which you you no longer need as you have no tray) so I would strip the paper. If there are any odors they will be mainly in the paper. The adhesive used on the paper is water based, so removing it is like removing wall paper. I use a spray bottle with hot water to moisten the paper then scrape off when it bubbles up. Tip; do one area/panel at a time and keep it wet as it will dry out fast. Good luck,
Jim
hmsantiquetrunks.com
So is it okay to remove the carpet? I'm planing on keeping it and where I got it from it was kept outside for a long time. I've vacuumed it, but I'm sure it has bugs living in it. So because you said the carpet is no good anyways is it okay to just remove the carpet? Other than that I'm planning on leaving it as is, on the outside.
Nice trunk -- I have a carpet trunk on my postings if you would like to see one in good condition. I think Jim is saying that you can take it off or leave it on -- in that due to its poor condition the carpet is no longer part of the value of the trunk. If it was my trunk I would leave it on and treat it with something to try to bring out the carpet look -- perhaps a wood preserver -- Howards comes to mind. It will darken the carpet and bring a little of the texture out and will make it look less faded and "ratty" and you have nothing to loose in terms of the carpet condition anyway. Good luck -- it will look nice either way...
Okay, thank you so much for commenting!