Opinions on restoration of a prop

[Tedw9]

A couple of summers ago my wife and I went to a large town wide yardsale. The first yardsale we stopped at a guy had some nice ceramic skulls for sale. While I was looking them over, he told me they were movie props from the Stephen King movie Graveyard Shift. He told me his name and told us what he had done on the set which was verified on IMDB. I purchased the skulls and he said he had a tombstone he would bring back the next day if I was interested. Sadly, it was a 2+ hour drive each way for us so we couldn’t make it back the following day. But I still walked away with 2 killer skull props.

This past summer, same yardsale, same guy and he has the tombstone with him. I happily purchase the tombstone and make plans to meet up with him next summer to buy a few more items he has left.

The tombstone is nice, its blue styrofoam glued together and cut out and covered in some sort of cement. The name on the stone is the directors name, Ralph Singleton. He’s had it for many years, so it shows some chipping on front. Not bad, but enough so the blue shows through. We have it on display in our living room with a theater poster framed above it. My wife thinks I should fill in the spots where its chipped so the blue doesn’t show, so it looks more natural. Though the chipping doesn’t bother me......much. I’m afraid if I restore it that I may take away some of the collectibility and value of it. Not that I’d ever sell it, but I want to keep the value in it also.

And did I mention I screen matched it too? Yup, put it at a whole new level of cool for me. Never thought I’d own something like this.

So I decided to come here and ask you collectors what your thoughts are. Do I restore it and fill in the chips or do I leave it as is and just enjoy it? Thoughts and opinions are welcome.