I myself don't want to relic the hardware (much) on my project...at least not the screws. Nobody's gonna inspect it that up close on stage and I don't find it bad if it's noticeable that it is a relic. On the other hand, some guys even change screws on their old guitars every now and then ;-)
To make it even, I for my first project did go over the lacquer with 180 grit sanding paper first, to take the gloss away, then ust think about where wear will normally occur and go over those areas more.
On the reliced LP...Gibson are offering one in a finish called "faded worn yellow"...kinda cool and sells for around € 1000 over here...
so long
ace