The Vintporium Heritage Standard, in Plain Terms

I put a name on how I work, the Vintporium Heritage Standard, and I want to be straight about what it means, because a name is only worth anything if it's honest.

What it promises

The Heritage Standard is my promise about what happens to a piece before it leaves here. It means the fixture was restored by hand, on my bench, one at a time. It means the wiring was brought up to current safety, whatever that took. It means I tested it, cleaned it, and finished it myself, and that I'll tell you plainly what it is, restored original, reproduction, or vintage shade on a new fixture, so you know exactly what you're buying. That's the standard. It's about the work and the honesty, not a fancy word.

What it doesn't promise

It doesn't mean I can hand you the documented history of a piece, whose house it hung in, what year it was made, who owned it. For most salvage, nobody can prove that, and I won't pretend to. The Heritage Standard is a promise about what I did to the piece, not a certificate of where it's been. I know a lot about periods and types and how things were made. I don't know the biography of every fixture, and I'd rather say so than make something up. It also doesn't mean everything's perfect. A restored piece has been worked on, and an old piece carries its age. Heritage doesn't mean flawless. It means real, worked on with care, and described straight.