As far as top coats are concerned there are a number of alliteratives one is de-waxed shellac it comes in three different colors that adds a warmth to your pieces ,another is lacquer it is easy to apply ,both of these finishes can be purchased in rattle cans. Like lee said buying a satin finish helps take away that high gloss plastic look or you can do a light sanding or a glossy finish with a 800-1200 grit sand paper to make it look softer and less glossy. As far as staining closed cel woods try experimenting with some dyestain by General Finishes ,Yes it stays on top of the wood but to have a good finish does not mean it has to penetrate the wood to look good. If you want to learn a lot about finishing I recommend Charles Neil’s Finishing A-Z beyond the books ,it has 10 disc cram packed with tons of ways to finish.
-- W James Brokenbourgh Custom furniture maker http://artisticwoodstudio.com/
