Thursday 25 October 2012

Bakelite Testing

I have always had a fascination with Bakelite; before I knew what it was I had realised there was different quality in plastics.  Bakelite has a certain warmth or patina to it, a wonderful weight and a certain clunky sound. 
There are certain ways to identify Bakelite, I had tried the hot water and smell test....but that left me more puzzled then before.  So I bought tubes of Simichrome Polish off eBay.  (with shipping included, it cost me $14 a tube).  I was very hesitant about testing, I was worried that everything would test negative.  Regardless, I bit the bullet and tested each item.  To my delight, 5 out of the 7 items tested positive.  The Q-Tip turned yellow (to various degrees) when rubbed on the items. 
I find it rather humours that Bakelite, a man made plastic.....is perhaps worth more then many precious metals.  J'adore Bakelite.  
Tested Positive
Q-Tips after being used on the Bakelite or other Plastics

Tested Negative



Saturday 13 October 2012

Etsy Adventure

Since childhood I've always (and when I say always I mean it) been a collector.  My first collection was probably bottle caps, followed by rocks and feathers.  My parents tell me that I had specific drawers for each in my dresser.  (FYI....this was all before the age of 4)
As a got older I still picked up rocks and feathers, but my taste shifted a little to vintage items just not nature. 
Hence my obsession with West German Potter as a teenager which I would refer to as "ugly pottery" that only I would ever find nice.  By the time I moved into my first apartment I had an ever growing collection.
As time progressed I thinned out certain collections, built others and this cycled continued for several years.
This brings us up to date..... I made the decision to sell instead of giving to thrift stores.  I created a store on Etsy, LuckyPatina.    Very exciting and since the creation on August 16, 2012 I have sold 6 items.  This might not seem like a lot to most people but for me, its huge.  It feels as a way to tie my passion for collecting with my love of retail and all things vintage.
 
Here are a few examples of the Vintage Goods I'm selling.
 
 
 
1960's Wyncraft Green Sauce/Gravy Boat with Wood Base - $15
 
Vintage Popeye Brooch Pin - $12