CJAD 800Am at 8:40am – Fixing Expensive Items
Q1: When something old breaks, you might wonder “where do I go with this?”. First of all, should we get it repaired, rather than buy a new one?
Older items were made better. Craftsmanship was so far superior. There was beauty in that hand work. An old lamp would have had real brass covering the socket instead of being painted or plated. Insides of clocks were as beautifully made as the outside. Workmanship was meant to last and be passed down from generation to generation. We are losing contact with our past when we don’t keep things from our parents and grandparents.
Q2: What if we have an object that is cherished, valuable, or memorable and it breaks, is there any one around that can still fix expensive items?
Well unfortunately as I rewrite my Smart Shopping Montreal book each year, most of the master craftsman in the repair section are dying out and there aren’t many the younger generation taking over. When you find them, expect to pay a decent price for the years of training, time involved, and the artistic nature of this service.
Q3: Can you recommend some of these craftsmen?
Whenever something old breaks and you’re wondering “where do I go with this?”, Mr. Fixit was always the place to head to. Repairs and restoration to china, crystal, antiques, lamps, paintings, clocks, carved soapstone, porcelain, ivory, alabaster, marble and objets d’art are cheerfully taken care of. They still might be able to fix older small electrical appliances and antique radios. For the last 56 years they’ve been fighting obsolescence and winning!
Location: 4652 boul. Decarie, Snowdon
Corner: ch. Cote St-Luc
Phone: 514-484-8332
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-5
www.themrfixit.com
Minas Studio d’Art is a repair depot which handles everything from crystal, china, glass and porcelain repairs to antique lamps and oil paintings. Some of the other reparable items they do are: Inuit art, wood carvings, metal art, ivory, gold leaf and even papier-mâché. Expect to pay a fair price for the years of training, time involved and the artistic nature of this service. Evaluations of antiques is available.
Location: 7364 ch. Cote St-Luc, Cote St-Luc
Corner: Robert Burns 514-485-9222
Hours: Mon-Thurs 8-6, Fri 8-5, Sat 11-2
www.minasart.com
A T Art Restoration is two craftsman who are used by antique dealers in the city. The husband and wife team can repair all sorts of things at their workshop at home: china, figurines, paintings, frames, marble, statues, bronze, vases, porcelain, ivory, woodwork and more.
Phone: 514-521-9561
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6
Q4: Any final comments?
Anyone out there who love to fix things. We need talented people to keep up these trades. Call these businesses.