Show Us Your Purchases!

[zaika]

i got a bedroom suite. bed, dresser and vanity w/ bench and mirror.

here's a view of more of the vanity...

after some restore-a-finish...should be lovely.

 

[goldwyn girl]

It's lovely as it is. That hand coloured photograph is beautiful.

 

[Mary]

Wow! That vanity is perfect. I'm a little curious. Can you open the part at the top or do you only use the drawers?

(I've got an old table that you open at the top. There one keeps a bowl of water for washing one's face in the morning. )

 

[positivelypinup]

thats really awesome furniture. I have to say that i hate you.

 

[Darhling]

Zaika, that vanity is gorgeous!!

 

[Pink Dahlia]

No problem, my Mum's friend is in Glendale, I'll make a trip of it! Would you like us to bring a bottle or some cake?

CAKE!

 

[leaette]

zaika: i love the drawer pulls on that dresser. is it bakelite?

 

[zaika]

It's lovely as it is. That hand coloured photograph is beautiful.

thank you very much! the photo is of my beautiful grandmother.

Wow! That vanity is perfect. I'm a little curious. Can you open the part at the top or do you only use the drawers?

(I've got an old table that you open at the top. There one keeps a bowl of water for washing one's face in the morning. )

oh, thanks! unfortunately, the top does not open. only the drawers are usable. although...it would be awfully useful to have a bowl of water available...like, right there. lol

thats really awesome furniture. I have to say that i hate you.

ahh. i love being hated for my furniture. lol. thanks.

Zaika, that vanity is gorgeous!!

thank you so much!

 

[zaika]

zaika: i love the drawer pulls on that dresser. is it bakelite?

thanks! y'know, i'm not quite sure if they are or not. my guess is that they're probably just plastic.

 

[KittyT]

zaika: i love the drawer pulls on that dresser. is it bakelite?

I'm not aware of any bakelite that is transparent like that, although I could be wrong. They're probably lucite (plastic).

 

[LawnFlamingo]

I've never seen or heard of Bakelite that light can pass through.

But to be sure, you can always test it by dipping a Q-tip in Formula 409 and touching a spot on the piece in question. (Make sure you touch a spot that is sort of hidden from view) If it's Bakelite, the Q-tip will turn yellow.

 

[BeBopBaby]

Tons of bakelite is transparent. They usually refer to it as cherry juice, apple juice, whatever fruit juice color it resembles. The apple juice bakelite items were clear transparent, but as they age they turn an apple juice color similar to your drawer pulls. Your pulls are probably bakelite or celluloid. Lucite would not have turned the apple juice color and would have remained colorless, it doesn't age like bakelite does. Does anyone know when lucite was invented? Could her vanity set pre-date the invention of lucite?

The transparent bakelite was popular for jewelry. Often times, the applejuice bakelite was reverse carved and painted from the underside. Popular motifs included fish, dots and flowers. I have a big reverse carved, reverse painted applejuice bakelite stretcher bracelet with flowers on it. If I remember, I'll take a pic of it tonight.

 

[BeBopBaby]

thanks! y'know, i'm not quite sure if they are or not. my guess is that they're probably just plastic.

Lucite, celluloid and bakelite are names for the types of plastic used then.

 

[LawnFlamingo]

Lucite began to be available to consumers around 1933.

 

[BeBopBaby]

My guess just looking at the pictures is that they are probably celluloid. A lot of 30s sets had celluloid handles. Celluloid also has a thin brittle feel to it. Be careful if they are celluloid, because they will break easily if they are. And keep then away from heat, celluloid melts easily and is highly flammable. It's a chemically unstable plastic that can start to break down as well.

If they are bakelite, they would have a much denser plastic feel to them. If you've handled bakelite enough, it's very easy to tell the difference because of their feel. They have more heft to them and make a very specific clanking sound when you tap them. Bakelite is a very stable plastic that has none of the problems celluloid does. Those drawer pulls don't look hefty enough to be bakelite to me, but I could be wrong. It's hard to tell over a picture. Also, bakelite was never molded like your pulls appear to be. Unlike celluloid, which was molded, bakelite was cast and then carved or machined into it's shape. You just can't do certain shapes and curvatures with bakelite as a result.

One way to tell if it's bakelite - Rub the pull really hard and fast with your finger until it feels hot from friction and then smell the plastic. It should have the acrid smell of formeldahyde, which is one of the chemicals used in making bakelite. Some french or dark colored bakelite doesn't smell like this, but I don't think that would affect your pulls.

 

[zaika]

i did the finger rub test...but i didn't smell anything. but i have a terrible sense of smell...so... and i don't have any 409. the guy that sold it to me said they were bakelite...but i don't think they are. i'm 95% sure they are lucite. they're pretty either way. hehe

 

[BeBopBaby]

i did the finger rub test...but i didn't smell anything. but i have a terrible sense of smell...so... and i don't have any 409. the guy that sold it to me said they were bakelite...but i don't think they are. i'm 95% sure they are lucite. they're pretty either way. hehe

I don't think they're lucite. If they were lucite, they probably would be a clear, transparent colorless color. Correct me if I'm wrong, but lucite from that time was always colorless. That's much more of a celluloid color to me, similar to the color of celluloid hair combs.

If I could touch them, I would be able to tell you in a minute!

 

[zaika]

I don't think they're lucite. If they were lucite, they probably would be a clear, transparent colorless color. Correct me if I'm wrong, but lucite from that time was always colorless. That's much more of a celluloid color to me, similar to the color of celluloid hair combs.

If I could touch them, I would be able to tell you in a minute!

LOL. i wish you could!! One day I'll know for sure...

 

[LawnFlamingo]

Whether you ever find out or not, it's a beautiful piece of furniture nonetheless.

 

[KittyT]

the guy that sold it to me said they were bakelite...but i don't think they are. i'm 95% sure they are lucite. they're pretty either way. hehe

Most people wouldn't know bakelite if it bit them in the ass. See the large number of sellers who sell non-bakelite items on ebay as bakelite, for outrageous prices.