Sunday, April 20, 2014

Identifying the Common Plastics in Vintage Toys, Pins and Other Collectibles

Mears
1902 Celluloid baseball pin
1902 Celluloid baseball pin
Just as buyers want to know if an antique table is made of oak or maple, a wedding ring is gold or brass or a statue is steel or bronze, serious collectors of antique plastic toys, trinkets, figures and jewlery want to know the type of plastic in an item. If you start selling old plastic items on eBay, bidders will ask you the identity of the plastic. Some vintage plastics, including Bakelite and Celluloid, are highly collectible these days.
Beyond general interest, identifying an item as being made from certain plastics shows that it is indeed old, or at least consistent with being old. Bakelite and Catalin, for examples, were discontinued decades ago and will only appear in an an old toy or piece of jewelry.
Track and Field trophy with a Bakelite base
Track and Field trophy with a Bakelite base
This brief article shows how to identify the five most common plastics used to make many vintage and antique collectibles:Celluloid, Bakelite, Catalin, Casein and Lucite.
How to tell plastic from other materials?
Most people have a good feel for what plastic feels like, but glass, crystal, rubber and other materials are sometimes mistaken for plastic. This is particularly true if the item is small, such as a button on a coat, or embedded into a larger object.
Lucite beer tap
Lucite beer tap
Plastic is warmer to the touch than glass, crystal and most gemstones. Just put the object to your cheek to test. Plastic is also usually much lighter. Glass items, such as a wine glass, will have a distinct sound when clicked with the fingernail that plastic does not. Plastic often has a seam, but rubber and glass can too.
The sometimes used hot needle test will often reveal the identity. A red hot pin won’t pierce glass or gem,stone, but can enter plastic and often gives a distinct plasticy smell. Rubber will give off a rubber smell. Wood will often give off a burnt wood smell. The hot needle test is a destructive test, so it should be done with care, if at all, and only in discreet areas, such as on the bottom. Many collectors do not use the hot needle test as it can leave a small hole.
Celluloid football bulldog
Celluloid football bulldog
** Plastic #1: Celluloid 

Friday, April 18, 2014

Political buttons for sale + Louisville, KY APIC Show this Saturday!

PoliticalParade.com has just added many new items for sale including Benjamin Harrison, Cleveland, Henry Clay and much more.

A special link for the newest items on our web-site:
                            *New Listings*

We are actively buying collections and accumulations. Please let us know if you have anything to sell! If you are on Facebook, please visit to join the PoliticalParade.com group by searching for “PoliticalParade” to receive special previews and other info.

Also, please visit our eBay store “PoliticalParade” for 2100 more items:
                              *Political Parade eBay Store*

We will be attending this weekend’s show in KY, feel free to ask for info:

April 19. PACK Political Button Show, Louisville, KY – Sat 9am – 3am, Holiday Inn Louisville East, 1325 Hurstbourne Pkwy, Exit 15 off I-64, behind IHOP.

Thanks,

Michael J. McQuillen

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Vintage Eisenhower Straw Campaign Hat



Estimated Price: $100 - $200
Description: Eisenhower vintage straw campaign hat w/18 political pins & paper, Ike on top, hat measures 12 x 14 in., genuine Panama leather hand woven in Ecuador on rim
Condition: Good for age, hat has slight wear, buttons good

Ron Rhoads Auctioneers


Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Taking offers for large estate collection of Presidential Engravings.

I came into this large estate collection of engravings.  Abraham Lincoln, Martha Washington, and inaugural engravings.  Will sell all or by the piece.












Please contact for more information 352-292-2736 or email me at tdklim1966@gmail.com.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Anderson Americana Auction 171 On-Line and Open for Bidding

Anderson Auction 171 is on-line and open for bidding. Auction 171 features more than 2,200 great items from American history. You can see the auction and place your bids at www.anderson-auction.com Printed catalogs will be mailed this morning to subscribers.

Al Anderson, David Lindeman


This colorful William Jennings Bryan pin is almost like looking at a kaleidoscope on paper. It’s a 1908 celluloid jugate with an spectacularly colorful design showing Bryan with running mate John Kern and Lady Liberty. The 1 3/4 inch celluloid is dented on the collett and a little uneven at bottom, but it’s rare item with amazing color.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Warren Harding & Calvin Coolidge Election Year Political Pin with Ribbons sells for $6,625.00 on Ebay




APIC 2014 Denver National Convention Update

OVERVIEW REGISTRATION AND RESERVATIONS

We are really excited about APIC members' tremendous early response to the forthcoming APIC National Convention to be held in Denver in late July and early August. We have every reason to believe that our Denver Convention will be one the best ever. We have a packed calendar of events from Tuesday, July 29th, through Saturday, August 2. We will have two live auctions, a silent auction and the walk-in Denver rules auctions (Seattle is not a good word to use in Denver – NFL fans understand this). The bourse will be open Friday evening and well intoSaturday afternoon to attract walk-ins. There will be Chalk and Awe, the World Series of Trivia, a Buffalo Meat Dinner, a Saturday Night Entertainment Extravaganza (featuring Dixey City Limits and other great entertainment) , Denver Mint Tours, High Tea at the Brown Palace Hotel, Square Dancing, Seminars, a Presentation by a renowned Colorado History Professor, Chapter Meetings, an Old Fashioned Bull Session and Much, Much More.

The tremendous response means that our room reservations to date are months ahead of projections. Table reservations are increasing a quite a clip as well. Therefore, if you have not as yet registered for the Convention or have not yet reserved your hotel room, we encourage you to do so now.  We would not want you to miss the experience at the convention hotel, the Crowne Plaza Denver International Airport and the $99 per night rate.  Also we want to be sure that all APIC members who want bourse tables get them.

Remember also that we will have free shuttles running most of the convention week that can get you to many of the museums, shopping, restaurants, sights etc. This should make it very family vacation friendly! Come early – stay late – you’ll be glad you did!

MEMBER AUCTION – CALL FOR ITEMS

We are lucky to have Wes Berger and Hal Ottaway heading up the Members Auction. They already have some great items consigned, but we can use many more high quality items. Please contact Wes (pinsforwes@yahoo.com) or Hal (hottaway@cox.net) if you have items to consign.


EXHIBITS – CALL FOR ITEMS

We are also fortunate to have Bob Banwart heading up the Exhibits Committee. The themes we have selected for this convention will include:

Golden Age Elections of 1896 - 1912
Denver National Conventions - 1908 & 2008
Bimetallism - a national frenzy
Rocky Mountain Politicians – Presidential and Local Candidates
(Quality displays outside our Denver Convention themes will be accepted on a case by case basis.)

 If you have items to exhibit, please contact Bob ASAP (rbanwart1@hotmail.com) .

SCHEDULE

Schedule

July 26th
Saturday
Room Hopping
All Day
Sightseeing & Touring on your own
All Day
July 27th
Sunday
Room Hopping
All Day
Sightseeing & Touring on your own
All Day
July 28th
Monday
Room Hopping
All Day
Registration Opens
3-5pm
July 29th
Tuesday
Room Hopping
All Day
Registration Open
9-11am
3rd Annual Chalk and Awe
10am
High Tea Shuttles leave for Brown Palace
1:15pm
Georgetown Train Ride and Mining Tour Outing
TBD
Square Dancing Demonstration
6-7pm
2nd Annual World Series of Political Trivia
8pm
July 30th
Wednesday
Room Hopping
All Day
Registration Open
9am-5pm
Seminars
9am
Seminars
10am
Chapter Meetings
11am
Heritage Auction
12-3pm
Exhibit Setup
3-5pm
Exhibit Setup
7-9pm
President's Reception
5pm
July 31st
Thursday
Bourse/Display Setup
7-9am
Registration Open
8:30am-5pm
Bourse Open to registered APIC members only (kids free)
9am-12pm
Exhibits Open to registered APIC members only (kids free)
9am-12pm
Bourse Open to All (kids free)
12pm-4pm
Exhibits Open to All (kids free)
12pm-4pm
Denver Rules Auction (additional auctions may be held as needed)
2pm and ?
Member Auction Preview
6pm
Member Auction
7pm
Old Fashion Bull Session - Beer Provided
10pm until ?
Aug 1st
Friday
Seminars
9am
Seminars
10am
Seminars
11am
Bourse/Exhibits Open (kids free)
12-4pm
Denver Rules Auction
2pm
Bourse/Exhibits Open (kids free)
6-9pm
Denver Rules Auction
7:30pm
Happy Hour/Local Music
9pm
Aug 2nd
Saturday
Awards Breakfast
8am
Registration Opens
9:30am-2pm
Denver Rules Auction
11:30am
Bourse Open (kids free)
10am-3pm
Dinner Option #1 - Ted's Montana Grill
4:30-6pm
Dinner Option #2 - Ted's Montana Grill
6-7:30pm
Happy Half-hour

Entertainment Extravaganza featuring Dixey City Limits, other live performers and presentations
7pm-??