Celluloid, Bakelite, Lucite and other vintage plastics

[jitterbugdoll]

Those are neat, Lauren! I've never seen one like the wagon wheel one before

Bakelite feels heavier and more solid/less brittle then celluloid. It also tends to have a funny smell when you rub it and will leave a yellow residue when tested with 409 on a Q-tip.

http://www.sassyclassics.com/bakelitetest.htm

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Oh I *LOVE* the acorn bakelite brooches!!! Yours is perfect JBD!

Thanks! I think one of the reasons I went wild for it is because it reminded me of being a kid in New England

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Lauren - ditto on never having seen a wagon wheel dangle brooch before - where did you find it? So cute!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

This is slightly OT (the wagon wheel pin jogged my memory), but I have a pair of vintage earrings you would love, Lauren--they are silver spur drops. I wore them for my cowgirl pinup series

 

[Lauren]

Ooh! Neat!! I'd love to see pics of them! You have some of the most fun jewelry, Jitterbugdoll! I love yours as well, Bella Hell, the autumn leaves are brilliant! Beautiful!

Thanks, gals! I found the wagon wheel one in a little antique store in Illinois. He had lots of fun and funky jewelry on the cheap! Vanessa and I raided them.. lol I had no idea it was something unique, I just thought it was fun. Someday I really want one of those big chunky fruit. I've wanted one for years.
The little owl I found at a thrift store- so that's my bargain piece! I think he was under $3

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Your bakelite jewellery is so pretty!

I used to live in Paris. There's the most wonderful little shop in a side street off rue de Rivoli, not far from the Samaritaine department store, that ONLY sells vintage French bakelite and celluloid bijouterie. Not cheap of course. I've spent a long time drooling in front of that shop window.
If anyone's going to Paris, you should stop by!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Just got this from ebay - haven't seen it yet but it looks so cute! Whimsical even! And it was only $9!

 

[Foofoogal]

Those pieces are all so very fun. Another way to tell bakelite is with Simichrome.
http://antiques.about.com/od/bakeliteandplastics/tp/aa041506.htm

Many other plastics and other materials as well were used to make vintage jewelry. Catalin for example.
Celluloid can be highly flammable so keep away from open flames.
Sandy

 

[RetroModelSari]

I just bought some cute souvenir-brooches from ebay...

I was holding myself extremely back and just bought some from places that I have seen myself for now, but I plan to extend my collection

The ebay-description says they are plastic-ones but ?ç look forward to do the Bakelite test with them

Bella it´s funny how ours seem alike! Yours with little Tequilla and Gin bottles and my one with the wine-bottle lol

 

[ShrinkingViolet]

Sari, those are great! Is that a bottle of Liebfraumilch dangling from the first one?
I love old souvenirs too! I have some Eiffel tower earrings (just some kind of metal), a large plastic Venetian gondola with coloured electric lights and some flamenco dolls that my grandad's wife brought home from Mallorca and the Costa del Sol in the 50s when tourism was all new...

 

[RetroModelSari]

Hi Violet!

Oh I´d love your souveniers!!! Please please post them!!!

The bottle hanging down is a wine-bottle as R?ºdesheim is famous for it¬¥s wines. Whenever my train passes R?ºdesheim it is full of old tourists that wanna go to a wine-trial lol

 

[Lauren]

Sari, that first one is to die for!!
And I love th new avitar... aaaarrrrrr!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Bella it´s funny how ours seem alike! Yours with little Tequilla and Gin bottles and my one with the wine-bottle lol

Well, it *is* Oktoberfest!

 

[RetroModelSari]

Sari, that first one is to die for!!
And I love th new avitar... aaaarrrrrr!

Thanks for both the compliment for my new pin and for the avatar

 

[RetroModelSari]

Well, it *is* Oktoberfest!

Yeah I only see people walk around in Dirndls nowadays lol Just joking. Off course only the Bavarians do and we use to joke around saying that they are actually foreigners since they really are a kind of their own

 

[RetroModelSari]

The latest ones that I bought for my collections (it´s highly addictive!!!!) 10 of those for just 12 €... How could I have resisted!!!

 

[Mojito]

Those are all gorgeous - from the highly naturalistic ones to the funky, funny booze bottles. Makes me want to go and add another batch of items to my eBay watch list.

Did anyone see the episode of the American Antiques Road Show where they discussed one of the cherry brooches, and the sound they make?

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

In a fit of procrastination from studying for finals, I hung up all my clip back earrings! All but three pairs here are vintage. I'm so happy to have them out! Too bad my screw back ones kept falling off

 

[ohairas]

Great collections goils!!

Nikki

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Now all I have to do is... actually wear them!