And here's the second day of Bakelite smalls—dwarf buttons I'll be posting throughout this entire week. My favorite of the smalls here are the rootbeer goodie with carved rings and the pillow button in a unique shade of pastel avocado. The little cranberry button is also a cute dab of vintage plastic. In some cases, these wee bits of Bakelite go all the way back to the Roaring Twenties. Amazing!
-Sherbert McGee
As I mentioned last month, I'm going to post a full week of Bakelite "smalls" and here we begin! Buttons measuring approximately half-an-inch across, smalls are are nothing new on this blog; but I rarely feature them for five days in a row and tend to collect the bigger buttons. What's interesting about these smaller-sized babies is the amazing variety. Looking at this assortment, I see an art deco greenie with a grilled facade, a Prystal trefoil in shimmering cherry juice and a butterscotch leaf with decorous carvings. Keep an eye out for more Bakelite smalls tomorrow.
-Sherbert McGee
Just gorgeous. There is no other word for this massive coat button in rich, RED Bakelite. Like a luscious mattress, this queenly button is carved with a quilted pattern. It likely harks back to the 1930's and must've belonged to quite a garment. Glistening in the sun, I like the way the light twinkles in the different patches across this candy-colored eyeful of solid, spectacular glamour.
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
Not your everyday button, here's something truly different. My good friend and go-to button dealer, Doreen, found this oddity, which is no surprise considering the many Bakelite anomalies she's sold me over the years I've been collecting. At any rate, this old chunk of plastic resembles a missing car part or some mechanical piece that fell out of a robot. The chocolate Bakelite is a bulky wave of five grooves—sided by brass attachments that are equally grooved. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought this was a dress clip. But nope! This is a peculiar button from the 1930's.
Visit Doreen's online store:
BUTTONS FROM THE ATTIC
-Sherbert McGee
Here's one of those dark maroon or burgundy buttons that isn't carved, but is stamped or pressed. Of course, I wouldn't feature this button on my blog if it didn't test positive for Bakelite; and hence it does test positive. In this case, this pressed design is a raised diamond that crosses the button from one end to the other. Very sharp. This debonair dude goes back to the Great Depression.
-Sherbert McGee
Back in April of 2016, I posted a whole month of cookie buttons. During that time, a pair of cookie toggles very similar to these showed up with the same creamed corn stripes running through the middle. These toggles are almost identical, but look closely. The ones I posted three years ago are a deep maroon while these are clearly rootbeer. Stubby as bombs and bursting with charm, they tested positive for Bakelite. From the 1920's.
-Sherbert McGee
Well, if it isn't the perfect apple juice button! Glistening like a pitcher of cider, this button is made of Bakelite and easily goes back to the late 1920's if not the early 1930's. A unique button, the surface displays a carved out flower section with four petals and then a bead-like knob made of brass. Also, notice the rough lines of the carved area and how this contrasts with the sleekness outside of the flower. I love the duality of this button's rough and smooth texture.
-Sherbert McGee
