Taking a bottle of gold paint may seem like a good way to fix a chipped or damaged old frame… but the gold paint doesn’t age the same way as the original finish. It doesn’t take much time for the paint to turn brown or dark green and be totally out of character. In the photo, the outside scoop and edge is darker than the inside gold edge. Once the gold paint has been on the frame awhile, then it becomes impossible to clean it off without having to refinish it completely.

Another tip… don’t throw away old frames (even if they are badly damaged) before you know if they are worth something. A potential buyer might be an art gallery that sells old art. They have their ways of repairing, refinishing, cutting down etc. I love to collect old frames too. For tips on how to care for old frames go to www.saveyourstuff.com and download the chapter on “Frames.” There are free downloads also.