Killer Queen of the Vintage Jewelry Box!

Well. There is very little that needs to be said about this. The colors are stupendous. The style is classic. The quality is unmistakable. It's Eisenberg. It's unsigned but not all of Eisenberg's work was produced with a permanent signature.

Enough said:


Come visit this fine find right here and now. And remember - we've got FREE LAYAWAY!

SEE THE EISENBERG DETAILS HERE!

Back to the 70's Red and Black Decor-Where are the owl wallhangings and slate tables when we need 'em?

Seriously, do these items not just scream "college apartment"? Yikes! I can not tell you how many people I knew back in those days who had this exact bedspread and drapes to go with the bright red and black shag carpet in their 70's college apartment. It was pretty much required that you buy this set if you were fortunate enough to get one of the 2-bedrooms upstairs with the two balconies offering a view of the pool with the fabulous and very hard to get red with black shag carpet.

Remember those rowdy parties by the pool on Sunday afternoons? Free hot dogs and a keg of 3.2 beer? The beer would run out in a few minutes but the frat boys in that one apartment on the north side of the pool always had enough cases iced down to keep everyone going all afternoon. Ah, those were the days!

I'd be willing to bet that not too many people did not know someone who had this set and would just LOVE to see it all brand new and unused in their retro bedroom. It's just begging to have those "foam-backed" drapes removed from the original packaging and hung up with the matching bedspread smoothed nicely over that double bed in the retro room. It's perfection. Get some red and black towels for the bathroom and you will be rockin the 70s!

The color in the photo of the drapes looks light but they are the right match for the bedspread.

They are THAT deep dark red with black just like it shows in the top photo - which is of the bedspread, of course. The bedspread does not remain in it's original packaging like the drapes do. Imagine this pair was originally $12.50 and marked down to $9.37! Ya gotta love it when you find things like this, eh?

On another note, in another listing this week I have a really sensational bargain on a really nice quality folding knife by Kershaw - their popular 1050 model. Their suggested retail on this knife is $249.00. It's served up brand new in a nice leather sheath and a nice box. This one is a garage sale find and I snagged it for a hot bargain so I'm passing that on to you at only $65.00. There is no sheath and it's previous owner did not respect it as much as most people would have. It has obviously been used as an all-purpose tool to hammer in a nail or tent stake or two. It certainly did not a bit of damage to the function of this knife. It's a beauty! If your hubby loves a quality knife but does not want to spend over a hundred for one, here's a good opportunity to snag a real bargain! This baby has a 3.75" blade and a phenolic handle with brass bolsters.

UPC: 87171105000

MSRP: $249.00

Model Number: 1050

Buy it here for only $65.00!



Here's an all-time favorite for the Juliana Jewelry lovers of this world - a DeLizza & Elster signature five-link bracelet with the frosted-top gray kite-shaped rhinestones in silvertone metal, original safety chain and priced according to the fact that the stones have some dark spots on them. They don't look hideous but some people refuse to have anything in their possession that is not perfect!

UNDERSTANDABLE! That's how it must be for those of us who collect - we've got to draw our lines in the collecting sands - make personal rules, set parameters, buy what works for us in our collections, not what some other collector thinks is a "must have"! But this one might just happen to be a must have for one of you reading this - and if so, please check it out right here!

I just love, love, love these cellulose acetate pins! This one is large and a nice shade of cranberry with lots of variation of shading in the petals. There is a cold-enameled metal stem and leaves - so it's just about perfect! The only "issue" this pin has does not show at all - it's a little loss of the enameling on the back of the stem - it's ALL GOOD from the front!

BEAUTIFUL!

Stop by and say "hello" to this beauty by clicking on this link!




No blog of mine would be complete without the mention of Bakelite, eh? These beads have been seen on crib toys and on baby strollers strung on a wire for baby to slide back and forth - to keep him or her-self entertained.

View 'em (and buy 'em) here.....

There are 27 of them - and they vary in shades as you see in the photo. Tested and guaranteed to be vintage Bakelite!

Caio! I'll try to get back SOON - to tell you about some of the other new things that are coming soon - like the many sterling thimbles I purchased recently at a garage sale, the crochet-edged vintage pillowcases, and selections from the rather significant piles of glass beads I have stashed over in the corner.......

SPRING IS SPRUNG-finally-Sale TODAY ONLY!

Sorry to have been so quiet, have been so busy of late. Spent the last couple of weeks working hard to find a new transmission to put into LeBug. It's very possible I've finally found just the right one - hard to find one for that pesky 68 Beetle!

As usual, I digress. The purpose of today's post is to talk about a big TODAY ONLY sale, not about that pesky little bug I love so much! After all, I DO need to pay for that tranny and the installation....and whatever ELSE they find when they get started.

So, today only, I'm offering "Single jewelry items (Lots Excluded) - take 25% off any item over the price of $30.00" Please do note that the lots I have up are NOT included in this sale. Sorry - they are so cheap already. More on that in a bit.

Now, gang, that's a WHOPPER of a sale for me - you can make some BIG savings on this one! I don't do this too often so take unfair advantage of me today - please. I like it. It hurts so good, quit it some more.

Here are a couple of recent additions:

Eisenberg Ice Christmas Tree pin - it's ALWAYS the right season to add to your Christmas tree collection! This one is an earlier one - it is SIGNED and on it's original card. Many of the later ones you see are only carded, not marked.

Ciner enamel hinged bangle bracelet - blue and green harlequin pattern - just perfect! Also have a white enamel one available.

Here's the white Ciner enamel:

CURRENTLY ON EBAY

Edwardian/Deco era Filigree Necklace!

Please check it out and place a BID (or at least put it on your watch list - maybe I can make The Pulse with it for REALLLLLLLLY great exposure!

This is a super necklace and it's in WAY better condition than most of these that we find!

Ain't it purdy?

REGARDING THOSE JEWELRY LOTS.......

Today will be the last opportunity for Bonanzlers to purchase those jewelry lots. They are cheap as DIRT - the dress and fur clip lot is only THREE BUCKS per item. The other one is 19 pieces for $25.00. Please. What MORE do you want? There are some GREAT pieces in that one! Pictures below:

Dress & Fur Clip Lot:

19-piece lot - mostly designer jewelry - Trifari, Coro, Musi, more - only $25.00

Last but not least, let me mention this lovely My Twinn doll that I'm selling for a friend! Sorry, don't know what her name is but I believe she's an "all Denver" doll and she's in good, clean condition. I don't see any damage to her face, her hair is a tiny bit mussed but she's in otherwise REAL nice shape - and she comes with the sweet little My Twinn nightie she's wearing - more photos available if you desire - just drop me a note! Oh yes, she has some minor discoloration in the ear holes - in a very small area.

MY TWINN DOLL

Have a WONDERFUL spring day - hope your weather is warming up as beautifully as mine (finally) is - supposedly last night was the LAST of our really cold nights!

Let it snow, let it snow.....

It's Saturday, March 28 and we've got over 6 inches of snow on the ground with more coming down. Below you can see a photo of my notorious VW Beetle. Note that the shrubs that appear to be so near are normally about 5 feet up in the air rather than nearly brushing the side of LeBug. It's a very heavy, wet snow. We can use the moisture. That's an upside if it

So, today it's going to be snug and warm in the house with no possibility of me getting out in this. It is still coming down out there!

DRESS CLIPS - redux - What they ARE!

I was just informed by someone over on Bonanzle that they did not even know what a dress clip was!

WELL! Here are a few back photos:

That lever on the back lifts up and it's "loaded" with a curved piece of flexible metal inside that holds it taught when it's closed.

Dress clips come in all types - metal, plastics, Bakelite, rhinestones, you name it!

Another similar mechanism is called a Fur Clip or Pin Clip and it's similar to the dress clip:

The fur clip mechanism sometimes has a c-closure that one or both ends can be inserted into.

When you see a patent for one of these, it generally is referred to as a "pin clip" for the obvious reasons. It's got pins and it clips (or clamps) down. It's spring-loaded in a similar fashio to the dress clips.

Dress Clips-The Dilemma of HOW TO WEAR THEM!!!

Recently I have listed quite a few Bakelite items at STUFF. This time I included some authentic vintage-made earrings including a very rare pair of true End of Day Bakelite ones, a few dress clips and some newly created from vintage stock earrings as well.

Very rare True End of Day Bakelite Earrings
True End of Day Bakelite = a minimum of THREE DISTINCT COLORS

As I list dress clips I am all too painfully aware of how difficult many people find dress clips to be: to sell and to figure out appropriate ways to wear them.

Unsigned Bakelite Dress Clip

If you will go back and take a peek at some photos from the glamorous old days of the movies - 1930's, early 40's - you may notice that there are an awful lot of dress clips being worn in various ways.

For example - you can clip one onto a sash at your waist - or even onto a regular belt if it's not too thick.


You can clip one onto an Omega and wear it as a pendant.

Rare, Resin-washed Bakelite Palm Trees Dress Clip

Or try clipping it on the pocket of your jeans.

Pocket of a blazer? Check!

Apple Juice Carved Bakelite Dress Clip w/Plastic & Metal Embellishments

Tie a pretty ribbon around your neck, tie a pretty bow and clip one on at the center of the box as a pendant - or turn the bow around to the back and clip over the center front and wear it at almost any length your little heart desires!

And here's one of my personal favorites that most people never think about - you can use a safety pin from the back side of your jacket or blouse or dress, slide it in and out with enough of the pin showing on the front that you can slip that clip portion through and clip it on there - just wear it like a brooch! Then, of course, close the safety pin on the back side and no one will know that it's not a "regular brooch".

Got a pocket on your skirt? Another good place to clamp a dress clip down.

Worried about losing your dress clips? I know a lot of people worry that they are not secure enough. Well, just get out a little tiny safety pin and pin the back securely where the safety pin can not be seen and there you go!

If you have any other suggestions on how to wear dress clips please drop me a line either through my blog or via my shop: Stuff on Bonanzle!

Bakelite Testing Redux: Primum non nocere aka: First, Not To Harm!

Good Saturday Morning to all!

This morning I was listing a few small Bakelite items in my booth "stuff" on Bonanzle

There are a lot of people who consider me to be quite the expert on the subject of Bakelite. I do know more than many but I'm certainly not on the same level as some true experts. I've simply got a lot of experience - good and bad - in having learned how to tell what is and what is not Bakelite. It's been well over 25 years since I bought my first piece of Bakelite. Once I got hold of my first pieces, I was hooked.

During my foray on the net this morning looking around for one of those very clever lists of cutesy names that we love to employ in our descriptions of vintage Bakelite colors, I discovered, quite to my chagrin, that there are an awful lot of blogs, personal and purportedly professional web pages and discussions in various forums that are dispersing a whole lot of downright mis-information on this subject.

The thing to remember whenever you are going about research as to what material you have, always remember: Primum non nocere or First, Not to Harm.

That alone - if you will only take the tiniest bit of responsibility for your actions and stop to think for even a moment - should translate quite readily into this:

Do not ever under any circumstances do a Hot Pin Test on any item for any reason.

Ever.

I will elaborate just a tiny bit more: If you think you are very stealth and it does not matter, that you did it on the inside "where no one can see when it's being worn", try to sell it to a serious and knowledgeable Bakelite collector without disclosing it.

When they discover that you sold them a piece of jewelry that has had the dreadful Hot Pin Test done on it, you should expect to be forced to accept a return, give a refund and never have the privilege of doing business with that collector again.

It is a huge deal with collectors. I know none who will buy pieces with HPT marks unless they are priced at about 5¢ on the dollar of their value and it's one they are really desperate to have in their collection - and even then, they will do so with great trepidation.

Very important to understand: That HPT mark devalues the item as much as 90% when it's done and it can never be undone.

Some other points I would like to make to you if you are a relatively new Bakelite collector:

If you are not really an expert, do not buy from anyone who does not offer you a 100% money-back guarantee that they are selling you authentic Vintage Bakelite. If you buy something you think might be Bakelite, contact me if you can't figure it out. I'll be glad to help you try to learn how to make an honest evaluation.

Making purchases from a reputable seller is essential for investment quality items such as better vintage Bakelite items.

We'll talk more later on about some of the things to avoid when shopping for items to add to your Bakelite collection!

And always remember to stop and think before you buy. Learn how to accept personal responsibility for your purchases if you are in too big a hurry to read a description. Ask questions. Read books, talk to other people. Verify your "facts" before accepting them. Keep asking questions if you are not sure.

Just because you read it on the internet does not necessarily make it right. But, please: trust me on this one - the hot pin test is a really bad one. That's a fact!

Newly listed Bakelite at Stuff on Bonanzle:

Bakelite Carved Grape cluster Dress Clip:

True End-of-Day Bakelite Earrings - three colors:



Set of three Bakelite buttons:

Come see me on Bonanzle!

Check out my Squidoo Lens on Testing Bakelite!