Celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite and other vintage plastics

Heather · Feb 1, 2012

Bump!

SugarKitten · Feb 1, 2012

Wow, awesome timing with the thread bump...

My mom won a bag of bakelite - it was listed as various, but it turns out almost all of it is buckles.

She'd rather I see what I can turn into jewelry (she has some less than subtle hints that the red and black ones would make her a nice pin) but I've never tried to make anything out of bakelite. Everything has a mate, there are about a dozen paired ones and five or so plain old buckles. All this lovely stuff and all I know what to do with are the basic belt buckles I could use for sewing projects!

Anyone have any suggestions?

Wire9Vintage · Feb 2, 2012

This probably isn't what you want to hear, but as a vintage seller, I hope you keep all pairs together as , well, belt buckles. They're beautiful and a lot of folks would love to give them homes as is.

Just my two cents!

Vera Godfrey · Feb 2, 2012

I love bakelite, but sadly do not own any. Most of what I find is a little too rich for my blood right now!

SugarKitten · Feb 2, 2012

Oh - no, I wasn't going to split them up! That would be terrible! Rather, to put the two pieces together and keep them that way - like on a strip of fabric, nothing damaging. I love vintage, I wouldn't commit that sort of sin

As for finding them good homes, I've tried to match them to pieces I see others selling/buying, but while I've got an eye for clothing I know what I'm looking for. This is all new to me. (I'm totally keeping the green bow at least, that one's my fave)

Wire9Vintage · Feb 2, 2012

Super! Well as I said, those are gorgeous! And you're right, that bow is SWEET!!

Miss sofia · Feb 2, 2012

Lina - i love the skull earrings, they are marvellous!

Sugarkitten - What a haul! I think the bow is adorable! I think belt buckles can make cute bracelets or chokers, using pretty vintage ribbons. I experimented with a sparkly paste buckle and made a great necklace using some old velvet ribbon. Equally some of your lovely buckles would make super bracelets, i would love the pinky triangle one at the top, or the brown buckle right at the bottom of the photo. I have some stripy, brown, grosgrain ribbon that would work a treat. I'm inspired to search for similar buckles now.

Lily Powers · Feb 3, 2012

Miss Sophia and Lina Sofia, your scottie pins are enviably adorable. I never find figurals that are reasonably priced.
Sugarkitten, that is indeed a bakelite treasure trove.

I've been collecting vintage bakelite for a few years. I like the history (ok, the history I imagine for it) of the true vintage pieces and stay away from the "new" bakelite or crafty button-into-brooch stuff. I'm that weird customer in the thrift and vintage shops who rubs the plastic goodies on the palm of her hand and sniffs it, much to the questioning looks from sales people who don't know what I'm doing. Anyway, here is the evidence of my obsession:

My bakelite dress clips - gathered from online bargains and small shops in CA and Idaho. Love any dress clip with a shield shape and the added rhinestones in a couple of them are very nice. The green palm with rhinestones and the anchor are especially sweet.

The bakelite bangles and a pair of earrings - Bracelets are my "feel naked without" accessory.

Yellow carved bar brooch and a great brown carved Victory pin.

And not to forget our other early plastic friends...
Catalin bracelet and dress clip, stamped "Japan."

Miss sofia · Feb 3, 2012

OOh Lily!! What a lovely collection. I was drooling over the dress clips. The fourth bangle from the left, the brown, ridged one, i found very intriguing, as i have a similar/same one. (Mine is actually a sludgy, mossy, green/brown colour, but my monitor is not great with colour). I just wondered what you knew about yours, so we could compare notes. Mine i bought for a pound, YES A POUND!! In a charity shop. In my bakelite book, it says they are 30's stacker bracelets. On the inside, mine is actually a more green colour and slightly marbled when you hold it up to the light.

I agree with the rubbing, you gotta rub and sniff where possible. The only way to go. Cursed fakelite!

Miss Tuppence · Feb 3, 2012

WOW! Amazing collection Lily!
heres a small bakelite rose of mine-

I must collect all my bakelite and the like up together and get some pictures.... might be my task for tonight!

Tupney x

Miss sofia · Feb 3, 2012

OOh yes please Missis. I bet you have a stunning collection.

Lily Powers · Feb 4, 2012

Miss sofia said:
OOh Lily!! What a lovely collection. I was drooling over the dress clips. The fourth bangle from the left, the brown, ridged one, i found very intriguing, as i have a similar/same one. (Mine is actually a sludgy, mossy, green/brown colour, but my monitor is not great with colour). I just wondered what you knew about yours, so we could compare notes. Mine i bought for a pound, YES A POUND!! In a charity shop. In my bakelite book, it says they are 30's stacker bracelets. On the inside, mine is actually a more green colour and slightly marbled when you hold it up to the light.

I agree with the rubbing, you gotta rub and sniff where possible. The only way to go. Cursed fakelite!

Really enjoy seeing everyone's pieces. Miss Tuppence and Miss Sofia, thanks for the compliments. At least one of those pieces gets worn nearly every day.

Miss Sofia, the brown ridged bangle was bought in a small antique shop for about $35 US Dollars. It's a solid chocolate brown; the raised ridges are more polished looking and the indentations between them are just a tad textured or more matte. The inside is smooth and not matte but not as polished as the outside.

You mentioned spacers - I thought spacers were the very thin bangles (there are a couple in my pic). I put them on to keep a bangle that's a too big for my wrist from slipping down my hand during the day.

And regarding the dreaded fakelite... here's a decent guide with tips on spotting fakelite.

Miss sofia · Feb 4, 2012

I meant stackers, not spacers, apologies. Actually your bracelet is the same as mine aside from the colour. In my book there is a picture of a lady wearing an armful of them, lo and behold your chocolate brown one is there too!

Thanks for the fakelite link. Very informative. I try to just buy from dealers i know who are reputable, or wing it on the odd occasion i see a bargain that is to good to miss. So thanks again.

My latest purchase, (although sadly he is being repaired at the moment so i can't photograph), is a large, yellow bakelite heart brooch with an owl in the middle. So cheery, i can't wait to wear it in the spring.

Lily Powers · Feb 5, 2012

Miss sofia said:
I meant stackers, not spacers, apologies. Actually your bracelet is the same as mine aside from the colour. In my book there is a picture of a lady wearing an armful of them, lo and behold your chocolate brown one is there too!

Thanks for the fakelite link. Very informative. I try to just buy from dealers i know who are reputable, or wing it on the odd occasion i see a bargain that is to good to miss. So thanks again.

My latest purchase, (although sadly he is being repaired at the moment so i can't photograph), is a large, yellow bakelite heart brooch with an owl in the middle. So cheery, i can't wait to wear it in the spring.

The armful look is fun, but it sure is noisy.

Please post a pic of your new one. It sounds delicious!
!

LinaSofia · Feb 5, 2012

Lily Powers your collection of dress clips are awesome! I love those carved dress clips, but when I see them they're always a bit too pricey for me.

Miss Sofia your brooch sounds absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to see it.

Lily Powers · Feb 6, 2012

LinaSofia said:
Lily Powers your collection of dress clips are awesome! I love those carved dress clips, but when I see them they're always a bit too pricey for me.

Miss Sofia your brooch sounds absolutely fantastic! Can't wait to see it.

There are so many overpriced pieces of bakelite on the market, but keep hunting Lina Sofia. In a little consignment/vintage shop in town, there were two lovely carved bangles - a muddy brownish green and mustard color - that were selling for $60 for the pair (shop owner knew they were bakelite, but saw no reason to ask for a ransom price). The colors looked awful on me, so I didn't buy them. Well, a local antique jewelery dealer bought them and has them in her shop, marked at $185 each! They're still there, even after 3-years. I don't think I paid more than $60 for any of my pieces - thumbing through Etsy, hovering over the keyboard for a last minute bid on eBay, poking my nose around little out of the way shops, sometimes trading vintage clothing - a special piece with an affordable price will pop up for you sometime.

Miss sofia · Feb 6, 2012

Lina - I agree totally with Lily Powers. I refuse to pay the extortionate prices a lot of the dealers charge, just based on the fact an item is Bakelite, let alone a rare or unusual piece. I have been lucky in that i have managed to find a few bargain pieces, just by trawling boot fairs and charity shops over the years. I always have a good rummage about in the bargain baskets or make sure i trawl through all the modern tat jewellery at boot fairs, as the good stuff always turns up in the most unlikely places. I recently scored a rare, lucite sparkly bangle amongst some modern jewellery at a fair that way. (It was tied up with string, attached to about ten other modern plastic bangles)!!

Antique fairs are pretty good too. I know you're quite local to me now, so if you get a chance to go to Ardingley, or particularly Kempton, which is great for buying, and is on a couple of times a month, i would really recommend it.

I also have said that i am lucky that i have a nice dealer who sells me nice pieces. If you can find one, then all the better i think. Plus, if you become a regular then they are always likely to give you a good deal, and find nicepieces for you like my lady does.

I also don't just restrict myself to Bakelite, as obviously the budget won't stretch to it! I just like the aesthetic of early plastic jewellery, rather than what material it's made from. So you can find alternatives to Bakelite that are just as attractive. For example, I have some carved flower earrings and a necklace made from bone that are almost identical to the bakelite ones, but cost me peanuts really. About forty quid for the set.

epr25 · Feb 9, 2012

I found this crazy stand (not sure what it was originally intended to display) my hubby repainted it for me and here is my fabulous bracelet holder! I used to house all of these in an old crate but it was always a pain to try to find what I wanted. I need to get some photos of my brooches to add as well.

John in Covina · Feb 9, 2012

For some reason the title of this thread made me think cellulite.

LinaSofia · Feb 9, 2012

John - No, we are not excited about collecting that, thank you!

Miss Sofia and Lily Powers - yeah, you're right! I've seen some pieces on ebay at crazy prices! And the key is that they stay listed for months on end because no one wants to pay their crazy prices! Etsy tends to be better priced, as far as I can see.
I don't think I have EVER seen a real bakelite piece at an antique or vintage shop! Strange?! I thought it was because it's so unusual in the UK, compared to America? My husband's grandmother had never heard of bakelite jewellery! (but that may be because she's just forgotten with age... she also usually doesn't recognise various 40s pieces I have as 40s, she says she can't remember what things looked like that long ago! lol).

Thanks for the antique fair tips Miss S! I love a good antique fair so I'll definitely check those out!

Celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite and other vintage plastics

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