If you run an antique shop, you can learn a great deal. A good working knowledge of furniture styles and kinds of wood would be helpful. Looking at a piece of pottery and knowing what decade it was made could be an asset, too. There is as much information out there, as you would like to gather. BUT, what I have learned is how to clean a whole lot of stuff!!
One thing I have learned to clean is Hammered Aluminum. I can’t remember where or when I got this tip. It was probably from a customer. My best information comes from my customers.
In the automotive section of any ‘Mart’, you can find Mother’s Mag Wheel Cleaner. And I know that this sounds crazy, but you follow the directions. Rub on and keep rubbing until it turns black. Keep rubbing that black off, turning the rag, until you feel like the surface isn’t giving off much more black. Now you do something that is not on the instructions! Spray the entire surface down with Windex and keep wiping the black with paper towel until it comes up clean. Wow! What a great look you will have on your vintage 50′s and 60′s hammered aluminum!
I am going to try this! Thanks for passing on a great idea, I’ll let you know how it works out for me.