Collecting ·
How to Read a Condition Report
Cracks, losses, old repairs and patina: what each line of a condition report tells you, and what to ask before you buy.
Sample editorial text for a portfolio demo. On a live site each factual statement is checked and sourced before publishing.
A condition report is the most practical document a collector receives. It describes what is there, what is missing and what has been done to the object since it was made.
Wear is information
Wear in the places a hand would hold, a foot would rest or a rope would pass is consistent with use. It is not proof of age or of any particular history, but it is part of how the object reads.
Repainting, filled cracks and replaced parts should always be listed. Ask for close photographs of anything the report mentions.
Questions worth asking
Has the object been treated for insects, and how? Has it been restored, and by whom? Is any part a replacement? A good gallery answers in writing.
