Fresh to Market Vintage: 08/14/2022

I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics.* This week’s fresh to market vintage has some plastics. Different kinds, of course.

Telling vintage plastics apart and then describing them appropriately is, shall we say, taxing. Is it plastic or rubber? Is it lucite or acrylic? Bakelite or catalan? Hard plastic or soft plastic? Resin or who knows what? The more plastic you handle, the easier it is to make an educated guess. For bakelite and catalan, you can test to see if it is what you think it is. For other plastics, sometimes your instincts and experience are going to provide the best answer you can give.

We have three plastic pieces in this week’s fresh to market vintage: the clamper bracelet, the napkin holder and the mah jongg set. They all have distinctive characteristics that made it possible to identify the material used, as do the ceremonial staffs. Wood grain may be copied, but the natural beauty of wood is hard to fake.

Molded Floral Clamper Bracelet

This style of jewelry was quite popular in the late 1940s and 1950s. Created from detailed molds and often painted or studded with gemstones. Many of the originals were made of celluloid. These bracelets often came with matching earrings. This one has loads of detail including edelweiss flowers and tiny florets dotting ribboned edgings. The clamper style makes it easy to get on and off.

Molded Floral Clamper Bracelet, $34.95

-Pam, Vintage Renude

Groovy Mushroom Napkin Holder

This item reminds me of going to college in 1970. Many of the stores in Amherst, Massachusetts, catered to the students’ need for room decor. It seemed that every establishment had mushroom theme clothing, jewelry and all sorts of small to huge dorm room decor. I love the balloon shape and psychedelic colors of this plastic or lucite napkin holder which coincidentally could also hold mail. I loved the Peter Max posters which hung on the wall, the music, the friendships, the new found independence and feeling groovy.

Mushroom Napkin Holder, $49.99

-Mary Ellen, AuntHattiesAttic

Odd Fellows Lodge ceremonial staff, qty 2, c 1920s

Two wooden beehive-topped ceremonial staff from the IOOF (International Order of Odd Fellows) attributed to the Beresford SD lodge, circa 1920s. The beehive is one of the symbols used by both the Odd Fellows and the Masons and signifies prosperity and the rewards of hard work.

Two Vintage IOOF Lodge Staff, $95

-Linda, Selective Salvage

Vintage Mah Jongg Set in Case

Mah Jongg is one of those games like bridge where if you are a player, you are a PLAYER. There’s a weekly game on your calendar and you hardly ever miss it. This vintage set makes me want to learn how to play. The tiles are very cool and the catalan holders are dreamy. Having all the bits and pieces stow away tidily in a case is even better.

Royal by Crisloid Mah Jongg Set, $195.

–Laurie, NextStage Vintage

That’s this week’s fresh to market vintage. Another week of unexpected treasures and finds. We have some interesting posts coming up in the next few weeks on a variety of vintage topics. If you subscribe, you’ll never miss a post. You’ll get our newsletter by email once a week with links to all our posts. It’s fast and easy!

*If you thought you recognized the words at the start of the post, it’s a quote from the 1967 Mike Nichols film, The Graduate.