You'll find other 'collected' artifacts either have, are in the process of, or will follow these said rules you are struggling with.
As pointed out above:
Furniture already has dealt with this. Unrestored is infinitely better.
Coins similarly.
Cars are in this moment undergoing the change. An unmolested original in superior condition is bringing multiples of even lightly restored examples.
Removing or changing the patina of history from a historical object has become to be understood as devaluing the originality of the item.
It makes sense. Why make something old look new, it's beauty is in the tone, 'wrinkles' and age it has accrued. If that same historical item has somehow largely overcome the extraordinary likelihood of age related distressing, then we pay for that amazing survival. Artificially creating that magic of survival is just a plain self defeating thing to do that goes against the very heart of collecting thinking...
That is, finding and acquiring that which is not easily found and acquired.
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