Frequently Asked Questions

We specialize in porcelain, ceramics, and similar materials. Some of the brands we restore are Lladro, Hummel, Roseville, Weller and like American pottery, Meissen, Boehm, Cybis, Walt Disney Classics, Armani, and similar art objects.

We are often asked if we can do anything with glass. Absolutely! If glass is broken, we can glue it back together with a specialty glue just for that purpose. We cannot hide the break, but it will be less obvious once it is glued together.

We are experts at Swarovski Crystal repair.

We are listed by the Lladro Society as a qualified restoration company for Lladro figurines and by the Hummel Society for the restoration of Hummel figurines.

We do not repair china or dinnerware. Try Replacements LTD to replace the piece.

Save every piece you can find. DO NOT try to glue the pieces back together if you intend to have the item restored. We will only have to take it apart and reglue it. This adds to the cost of repair.

You can bring the item to our shop, or you can ship it to us. Upon receipt, we will give you an estimate for restoration. You can send us pictures via email if you want a ballpark estimate, but know it is a ballpark estimate only. We cannot give accurate estimates from emails or phone descriptions without having the piece in hand.

Should you decide to have the item restored, we will provide the time frame for completion, and request a 50% deposit before work begins.

Many people would like to know an estimate for repair before they incur shipping charges for an item that may not be worth repairing. Feel free to e-mail or call us (352-245-8862) with questions of this nature, but as stated in the previous section, there is no way to give an accurate estimate without having the item in hand. We can issue a ballpark guess based on what is described to us, but we will not be held to that price should there be more to the restoration than was described to us.

As a general rule, a simple repair starts at $50. Of course, simple is a very relative term. Every repair has its difficulties, whether it be an odd texture, or intricate pattern, or a difficult color to match. Some repairs may be less: small chips, glue only jobs, etc. But if you don’t want to spend at least $50, it’s probably best not to send it.

See our instructions for packing your piece in the following section.

When shipping a fragile item, there are a few things to consider about packing. If you have the original box, by all means, use it. Sometimes, like in the case of some Lladro figurines, they are held in place by the base and head. If a figurine has lost its head, then obviously more care will need to be taken, because the design of the original box is no longer useful. Still pack it in its original box, but take care that it does not move around.

In all cases, wrap each broken piece separately, and DOUBLE BOX your item. DO NOT just wrap something in bubblewrap, throw it in a box with packing peanuts and expect it to arrive in the same condition as when you sent it. We see this quite often and the results are not pretty. To double box an item means to put the box that you carefully packed your broken pieces in, and put it into a larger box (at least 2″ larger on each side) with packing peanuts.

Some people prefer to take their item to a pack and ship type establishment for this task.

Whatever you choose, be sure to include your name, address, and phone number inside the box, and insure the item.