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Many people love the look of what's become known as the "20th-century classics."
But when it comes to actually furnishing their homes with either originals or reproductions of these pieces, most admirers find the potential problems to be a big turnoff.
For starters, fine examples of this furniture aren't easy to come by. Some pieces were made as long ago as the 1920s, and they have all but vanished from the commercial market.
More recent originals may occasionally be found, but their price tags are sometimes a cause for alarm. Truly lucky scavengers may happen upon a reasonably priced 20th-century classic at some out-of-the-way flea market, but the chances of it being in good repair are slim.
And fixing up this kind of furniture can involve special difficulties. The lacquers and synthetics that made its mass production possible are also...