Does anyone know if these are Bakelite cuffs? I don't see any logos or brands on the cuffs.
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Put Formula 409 on a cotton swab and touch the bracelet with it. If it is Bakelite the swab will turn yellow.
You can rub the bangle against something rough like denim jeans until it's quite warm. Smell it, if it smells chemically like formaldehyde, it's Bakelite.
I use Attosa's method. The warmth and smell. If it is Bakelite, it gets warm very quickly when rubbing it between your hands or fingers.
While the 409 method works, some folks reports it damages the piece, especially the reds and oranges.
Post back what you have!
Ok I tried the rubbing against denim - it smelled like burnt hair ?
Simple test - rub piece against jeans/pants/skirt and if it gives off a chemical smell it is probably Bakelite.
Here are a couple of links that show other test to try as well as some that should not be used.
www.youtube.com/
www.citrusavenue.net/
Sounds like the real thing! You will probably do best selling to a reputable jewelry dealer. That way buyers can see and small for themselves vs selling online. Thanks for posting back!
oh thanks! So any jewelry store or like a vintage seller?
Yes. Whoever in your town would consign or buy outright and then sell vintage jewelry.
For example, we have a place called Buffalo Exchange that buys vintage jewelry (also clothing, shoes, purses, etc.). They will give you 1/8 to 1/4 of retail (retail [retail is what THEY will sell it for] is anywhere from 10-100 dollars). They pay cash on the spot!
The value span for retail is regional....this type of jewelry is popular in some places which means they can sell it for more, so you will get more, other places it is not popular, so they sell it for less and you get less.
I suggest finding 2-3 places to pitch it to for sales and take the best offer.
If you are an experienced eBay seller, you could try selling it there, and you could get the "retail" value--but because it can go up to $100 if you are a new or inexperienced seller, I don't encourage starting your first sales with an item of potential value. There is too much fraud and scams that happens with new sellers anymore, which I find very challenging when working with people who are just learning to sell. I encourage new eBay sellers to start out with very small sales with items that they are experts in...not something they are just learning about...like you with this type of jewelry.
Then you can build up your presence and the scammers usually leave sellers with 25+ selling feedbacks alone.
Post back what they fetch where you are!! I hope they are high end and you fetch a lot!! Blessings!
There are several sites that one could recommend but if you have never sold on any of these sites, it would be good to follow Pghgirl's suggestions as fraud dealing with jewelry is very common with newer, inexperienced sellers.
Etsy and Ruby Lane are also popular sites for vintage jewelry but if you are wanting 'big' money for your pieces you will have to convince knowledgeable 'buyers' that your items are genuine Bakelite.
One 'test' - rubbing on denim - may not be enough to convince someone to pay more than $10-$25 as this is not a test you can take a picture of.
There are a lot of jewelry sites that recommend using the '409' test as you can show the results in picture form.
You can read about this and other tests on this site.
www.lespaulforum.com/
No to poshmark unless you are already established there and have a following. Their system is very complicated and if you don't have a following, it is almost impossible to sell there. You really need an in person site to sell them.
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