With thanks to the members of the Vintage Tablecloth Club for their
advice and input. The following Tablecloth Condition Rating Scale is
intended as a base guideline for buyers and sellers, as well as a
"finishing touch" for tablecloth auction descriptions. Many sellers
restore or clean all of their tablecloths before sale, but many others
do not. The success of restoration (or lack of it) should be included
in the individual descriptions of any seller using this scale.
The Tablecloth Condition Rating Scale was created as a joint project by
members of the Vintage Tablecloth Lover's Club, an organization that
is dedicated to the education and appreciation of vintage kitchen
textiles.
Mint with Paper Tag:
This category of tablecloth describes a MINT unused cloth with the
paper label still attached. Storage stains are acceptable, as are
factory defects such as thick threads and inconspicuous dye drips
(common for the period between 1920-1950). Cloth should be crisp and
brightly colored. It may or may not come with an original box or
packaging. This category also describes tablecloths which have had
their paper tags removed for professional cleaning and then
laminated/bagged and/or carefully reattached. Storage fading and any
other kind of non-storage stains are not acceptable.
Mint with Sewn-in Tag:
This category is exactly like the one above except that at some point,
the tablecloth has become separated from its paper tag. It may have a
sewn-in tag identifying the manufacturer. The cloth should still be
unused, and in unused condition and may still have original sizing on
the fabric. Storage stains, thick threads, and inconspicuous dye drips
are acceptable. Cloth should be crisp and brightly colored. Cloth may
or may not come with a box. Storage fading and any other kind of stain
are not acceptable.
Excellent, Near Mint:
This category of tablecloth describes those
cloths which have been gently used. There may be no tag or box, but
the cloth will be in excellent pristine condition with no fading,
holes, tears, or stains. The material will still be crisp and the
colors vivid. Factory defects may exist, but they will be
inconspicuous. Storage stains are acceptable; fading is not.
Excellent:
This category describes cloths which have been
gently used but which have been stored for some time and may or may
not have been restored with modern cleaners. The cloth may have very
faint yellowing in places. It may have other mysterious stains, but
all will be extremely faint and may be removed with treatment. There
should be no fading, holes, tears, or serious stains. The material
will still be crisp, and colors will be bright. Factory defects may
exist, but they will be still be fairly inconspicuous.
Very Good:
This category describes cloths which have been gently used but which
may or may not have been restored with with stain treatment. The cloth
may have faint yellowing in places and other mysterious small stains
(storage, dark streaks, rust pin dots). It may have pinpoint holes or
frayed places, or the hem may be unraveling a tiny bit. These faults
should be fairly inconspicuous; the stains/holes should not be near or
in the center of the cloth where they are highly visible, but on the
drop. The cloth should still be crisp. Factory defects may be more
visible. There should be no fading.
Good:
This category describes cloths which have been
moderately used and which may or may not have been restored. The cloth
may have some yellowing in places, along with other stains (storage,
dark streaks, rust pin dots). It may have pinpoint holes or frayed
places, or the hem may be unraveling a tiny bit. There may be other
small holes (less than 1/2 of an inch) in various places. The cloth
will not be as crisp and there may be some slight even fading overall.
Factory defects, if any, may be visible. There may also be
inconspicuous darns or iron-on patches.
Fair:
This category describes cloths which have been
moderately used and which have not seen restoration. The cloth will
have visible stains, perhaps including food and grease, and may have
other stains from storage or rust. The tablecloth will have holes or
frayed places, or the hem will be unraveling. There may be other holes
(larger than 1/2 of an inch) in various places. The fabric will not be
crisp and will be thin. There may be uneven fading or overall fading,
or darns/patches in obvious places.
Cutter:
This category describes cloths which have seen
damage and can no longer be used for their original intention. One
side of an otherwise pristine tablecloth, for instance, could have
serious staining, tears, or holes, leaving the other side available
for other uses. If a cloth has fading, this should be noted.
Poor:
This category describes cloths which have been
heavily used and which have not seen restoration. The cloth will have
visible stains, including perhaps food, grease, or paint, and may have
other stains from storage, rust, or other unknown causes. The
tablecloth will have many holes, tears, and frayed places and the hem
may be unraveling. The fabric will, in many cases, not be crisp and
will be thin, yellowed, and dirty. There may be uneven fading or
overall fading, or darns/patches in obvious places.
Sizing is the original finish or starch that is applied to the tablecloth
just after the dying process to protect the dye and keep the
tablecloth crisp for the consumer. It will soak out of the fabric with
the first wash.
Storage stains are the result of fabric coming into contact with wood
acid or long-term storage with starch or detergent residue leaving
brownish streaks or blotches, often (but not always) in the fold
areas.
Restoration refers to methods above and beyond simple washing, and should
only be attempted by an educated seller or buyer as vintage
tablecloths can easily be ruined. Restoration includes the use of
modern products combined with prolonged soaking, but it may also
include minor sewing repairs and household stain removal methods.
