The little figure of Tenderness below is in my collection, and this is another bocage I would rate A+. You can't fault it.
One thing that disturbs me when I see some collections is the number of totally restored bocage bearing no resemblance to the correct form. Each pot bank used a range of distinct bocage formats. The problem is that restorers and dealers don't know what they are and they stick on anything. I have seen several figures with early bocages attached to them. Early, yes. Original, no. At some point the figure lost its bocage, and bocage from another was attached in its place. When you look at that figure today, you can detect the reattachment and conclude that the original bocage broke off and that the original bocage was reattached. Not so fast! Beware reattached bocages! You need to know how the bocage should look before you can determine what is going on. I know, I know. This is difficult but I hope that the new book will be helpful in guiding collectors.
The best advice I can give you is that you should buy from a knowledgeable, reputable dealer who will state all repairs/restorations on your receipt. And perhaps an even better piece of advice is to know what your figure should look like. This figure always has me puzzled. Is it right or isn't it right? I truly don't know.
I hope that by sharing as much as we can of what we know, we will all elevate collecting to a new level. So thanks to all of you who have sent me pictures again this week, and please keep them coming.