Salvage Hunters - the restorers

[woodypup59]

Watching the amazing work the restores perform, clearly some of it takes days or weeks.

I can only assume they get a percentage of the sale price, rather than a fixed hourly rate.

Perhaps the dealer takes say 20% and the restorer 80% of the increase ?

Any one know who it works ?

[V8covin]

I don't know why you'd assume that.
My brother has pottery restored regularly and it's always a fixed price....however he's not on a reality tv show

[ARHarh]

sure they just charge an hourly rate plus bits, same as everyone else.

[Clockwork Cupcake]

ARHarh said:

sure they just charge an hourly rate plus bits, same as everyone else.

They must be paying themselves a pittance if so.

Dealer brings in something that cost them £400, the restorer spends 2-3 weeks repairing it, then at the end dealer then says they can probably sell it for "as much as" £1500 now.

That's around £12 per hour, less tax, less materials, less overheads, and with the restorer taking 100% of the uplift.

Just doesn't add up.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Monday 12th December 20:32

[V8covin]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

They must be paying themselves a pittance if so.

Dealer brings in something that cost them £400, the restorer spends 2-3 weeks repairing it, then at the end dealer then says they can probably sell it for "as much as" £1500 now.

That's around £12 per hour, less tax, less materials, less overheads, and with the restorer taking 100% of the uplift.

Just doesn't add up.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Monday 12th December 20:32

Again, it's a tv show, don't look too closely at the details

[Clockwork Cupcake]

V8covin said:

Again, it's a tv show, don't look too closely at the details

I know it's a tv show.

I was replying to ARHarh and pointing out why an hourly rate is unfeasible unless the restorer is charging next to nothing.

[ARHarh]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

V8covin said:

Again, it's a tv show, don't look too closely at the details

I know it's a tv show.

I was replying to ARHarh and pointing out why an hourly rate is unfeasible unless the restorer is charging next to nothing.

Or they make it look like they spent weeks where in reality they spent a day or 2. I agree though it seems they don't earn a lot.

[SydneyBridge]

They also get a ton of publicity but I always wonder the same.
Must be annoying when the dealer tells them how much something is worth now...after their hard work

[Clockwork Cupcake]

SydneyBridge said:

Must be annoying when the dealer tells them how much something is worth now...after their hard work

How so?

If you work for an employer and they make more profit from your work than they paid you then that's just how it works. If you don't like it you negotiate a higher salary or set up in business yourself.

[SydneyBridge]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

How so?

If you work for an employer and they make more profit from your work than they paid you then that's just how it works. If you don't like it you negotiate a higher salary or set up in business yourself.

Yeah, true and the dealer is taking the risk buying the item in the first placs

[48k]

Clockwork Cupcake said:

ARHarh said:

sure they just charge an hourly rate plus bits, same as everyone else.

They must be paying themselves a pittance if so.

Dealer brings in something that cost them £400, the restorer spends 2-3 weeks repairing it, then at the end dealer then says they can probably sell it for "as much as" £1500 now.

That's around £12 per hour, less tax, less materials, less overheads, and with the restorer taking 100% of the uplift.

Just doesn't add up.

Edited by Clockwork Cupcake on Monday 12th December 20:32

You're assuming they're only working for one customer at a time. Which they're not

[Clockwork Cupcake]

48k said:

You're assuming they're only working for one customer at a time. Which they're not

No, I'm assuming that when they say "I have literally put in hundreds of hours on this" that they have literally put in hundreds of hours on it.

And, given the painstaking work that some of them do (like the gilding lady, for example) I can well believe it too.