Sorry jay-t...but I don't agree with a laquer finish on antique brass! The cream polishes used to take off the tarnish will NOT work as well if you laquer brass (or any metal) and eventually humidity and the stuff that floats through the air will degenerate the laquer in spots and make for cleaning all that much harder.

Brass takes on a character through the years and it's all due to the cleaning process. Unless you keep it (forever) in an air tight casket, deterioration happens, even if it's laquered. As scotz said...old isn't necessarily a bad thing...but the patina finish is usually talked about in wood furniture. "Patina" on brass is very unsightly and can cause pits and holes in time. This is rare if cared for properly. Of course, scratches are inevitable. I am of the school that says old/antique carries it's own character (character=scratches and dings).

Clean it up as best you can with ®Brasso or any other of the leading cleaners on the market. Seal it with hairspray...spraying from at least 8-10" away. Don't let the spray drip or bubble (orange peel) or you should wipe with a damp, lint free cloth and start again.

Better yet? Ask a professional! Those smartie-ass-pants antique's dealer's love to hand out advice if you "pretend" you might want to buy something from them.

SCENARIO: *inside an antique store* "Hmmmmmm...this bed is a beauty but I don't know if I can deal with the tarnish all the time. Any tips on keeping it tarnish free for a long[er] period of time? Come on...gimme the inside scoop so I can impress my friends. I'll steer them to you in their future purchases! Oh...I guess I can do that (whatever they suggest) but I'll have to run this by hubby". Call on several dealer's and then weigh the advice. Any common comments? Any advice that seems scientifically feasible? Also, if you get an appraisal (for insurance purposes), the appraiser can tell you how to care for the brass. If he/she says to leave the tarnish...leave the tarnish!

Good luck hun!

*waiting for pics*

P.S. I purchased a product called Maas and it wasn't what it claimed to be. I have some antique copper kitchen utensils (ladel, fork, spoon, spatula) that I wanted to display but I couldn't see the copper color anymore. I tried Maas and I felt like my arm was gonna fall off and I had to re-apply many times before I got the desired cleanliness. Go by the old school theory/method that tarnish took a while to get there...it'll take a while and some elbow grease to remove...but don't waste your money on Maas! Brasso will work better and I'll use that from now on.

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