January vintage haul: Lucite edition

Happy New Year lovely people!

With the new year and spending nearly 70% less on rent than I did at my old place, I have a bit of extra cash to spend on myself. It's been a while. After bills (which all seem to happen on the first of the month) and food, I sometimes want those lovely little goodies that I see if I can afford a gentle splurge.

My goal this year is to ramp up my brooch collection. When I moved, I overhauled my jewelry, utilizing the case I have them in to the fullest.

On Christmas Eve, I spent the evening with a beer and organized. It was fun.

I'm really into carved lucite brooches and want to expand my collection. I did add a few this holiday, and thought you all would like to see some.

This horse I've had for a while. He's big.

But not as big as this leaf! Geeze! It's HUGE. I love it!

For the longest time, I have always wanted a goggly eyed brooch and now I have one. She was my first and I've named her Mildred.

A few years ago I nearly bought an owl brooch like this one (but yellow) for $100. This guy I got for much less than that.

This has to be my most rock solid purchase. It was $40 and the weight, size and color are fantastic.

I have a few lucite/wood combos and though they can be beautiful, they are not my favorites.

Lucite hat pins. Do they not look like they are judging you because of how awesome they are!?

Other plastics!

So cute and in such good shape. I got it for a great price.

These are available in so many colors!

I have a thing for the sailfish brooches. I've had this one for years but it just crunched one day in my hand and crumbled. A friend is restoring it now.

I guess I like the idea that the mold has been revamped and reused in many different decades. The bottom left is more detailed and most likely earlier than the top left. The center one is either earlier than the bottom left or later. The Upper right is most likely later, and I'd take a guess that the lower right is 80s because its pressed metal and those horrible colors :)

I also picked up this beauty for $15. It's pendant (I thought it was a brooch) but it's got such presence.

Then there are the times when you just want the same thing over again (as noted by the sailfish above).

I had to! I *think* the black is bakelite. I *think* like legit bakelite.

Those little scatter pin poodles are super cheap and readily available. If anyone knows where I can find more milk glass pins to the left, I'd be very thankful.

These two are the same size and the bottom one I own. I bought the top one in a lot, fully intending to sell the bottom one if the condition were not as good as the new one. Turns out the lot of brooches was just not that great so I sent them back. Still, it was kinda cool to say I had two of these.

There is also this little guy. I found a second one in red but have yet to get it…if I do.

Looking all over the web for vintage plastics is daunting. I've tried to keep my collection narrowed to carved lucite (in animal form). The way it looks is distinctive so you don't have to worry about getting duped too much.

Here is a really good guide for the basics of vintage plastic jewelry should you ever decide to start a collection.

Pattern collecting is sooooooo slooooow right now. It was time to rev up another collection.

Again, happy new year and if you see some cool brooches you think I might like, please let me know!

Later, lovely people!