Fees charged for conservation services need not be mysterious or intimidating. Some conservators base their fees on arbitrary things such as how busy they are at the time, the rarity of an object, how much the owner is willing to pay, or even how much they happen to need! An hourly wage may seem practical, but can be hard to keep track of in private practice.
Because of his experience throughout the years, gaining a feel for what an item will need and the probability of the final cost, Bob has extablished a practical method for estimating an object. This makes it very easy for a client to know the general cost even before the object is sent for treatment. He bases his fees on the size of the piece, knowing that each item will receive the basic treatments, but the larger the piece, the more time will be used in treatment, the more difficult the handling, the more space it needs in the shop, etc. This basic estimate will usually be the final cost for treatment. If an item needs a great deal more work than usual, extreme mold for example, the cost will increase accordingly. Likewise, if an item is unusually simple to treat, the cost will decrease.
To figure the estimate, measure the length and width of the object. If it is an odd shape, measure from the longest points (even if this makes the area larger than it actually is, an irregular shape is more time consuming to treat, so cost is estimated based on the longest measurements). Fill in the measurements below, select the material, and you have your estimate. (minimum charge for any object is $200.00). All measurements are done in inches.
There are some types of objects, e.g. newpaper clippings, family letters, documents, etc., that can be treated at a discounted rate if 100 or more are sent at a time.
If you have one or more objects you would like to send for treatment, or that you have questions about, Bob would be happy to talk to you. Please call, or e-mail using the contact page. If you send a piece for evaluation, but decide not to continue with treatment, please be prepared to pay for the return shipping before it will be shipped back to you.
PAYMENT POLICY: After Bob has evaluated a piece, you will receive a Treatment Proposal and a contract, which must be signed and returned before work can begin. After the treatment is completed, you will receive a statement with balance due (including shipping cost, and cost for insuring if requested). The piece will be shipped after payment is received.