Polyester and Polyresin statues
Many of the big statues we sell where produced in the 80’s, 90’s of this century. A perceptive collector can see that we sometimes offer the same statue with different prices. One of the main reasons is quality. One statue can be of better quality then the other. Another reason is rarity.
Rarity?, you think… But these are the same statues, right? This is what you just said.
You are right, this is what I just said. But there can be a key difference between these two ”same” statues. One statue is made of Polyester and the other is made from Polyresin. The most basic difference here is that the Polyester statues where mainly produced in the 80’s, till early 90’s. The Polyester statues where made since the 90’s.
What is Polyester?
Polyester is best described as ”a kind of mesh”. The artist puts different layers of this ”mesh” over each other. It gets firmer with every layer. They use a mold to create continuity. This mold excist from two parts, the left side of the statue and the right side of the statue. When both sides have enough ”mesh” and are cured, they are glued together. When glued together they finish the structure of the statue. After this every statue is painted by hand. The shape of each statue is the same (because of the mold), the painting varies due to the handwork.
What is Polyresin?
Polyresin is best described as a kind of ”plastic”. This is cheaper in production and is more firm. Because it can be used from liquid to solid, it is more suitable for mass production. The downside is, these statues are considerably heavier. These statues are more consistent in design then the Polyester. But most Polyresin statues are also painted by hand. And because of this, the paint may vary.
The similarities between Polyester and Polyresin
In the end result, there are some similarities between these two materials. With both, the colors can vary. If this is by a different ”paint bath” or by the way of storage, can always be disputed. And to be fair, it is impossible to really know in most cases. The other similarity is that the storage method is very important. In conditions that are too hot or too cold, these statues can crack or even show entire fractures. With the Polyresin statues it often starts with crackle, when storing in the wrong conditions.
Because of this there is sometimes no escape from the restoration of these statues.
