Philadelphia Bakelite

Back when I first got bitten by the Bakelite bug, one of the more collectible variations that I learned about is a type of hard-to-find plastic that's bears the nickname: Philadelphia Bakelite. So what is it? From what I've gathered, Philadelphia Bakelite is a specific color-combination of Bakelite brought together on the same item, be it a button or a bracelet. Not all connoisseurs and collectors agree on what these colors are, but generally the combination includes butterscotch and/or creamed corn, chocolate brown, green and either orange or bright cherry red. Some experts will also insist that a true Philadelphia-style button entails a requisite shape. The two buttons, which I've posted today, are both Philadelphia Bakelite with the green tone being the hardest to identify since it's a bit faded. Notice that the circular button is uniquely multicolored—boasting five distinct tones with a dash of creamed corn that is absent in the square-shaped button.

Here's a bit of history for those interested: Tracing the story of Philadelphia Bakelite back to its origins, in the 1960's a fluke discovery inside a Philadelphia warehouse brought a stockpile of old bracelets to light. The pristinely preserved bracelets were vintage Bakelite (in the aforementioned colors) going back to the 1930's or 40's. Collectors naturally went wild and the phrase "Philadelphia Bakelite" was born. The title has stuck to anything Bakelite that matches the required color combo. And as far as I know, that's the story of Philly-style Bakelite.

-Sherbert McGee