Winnetka Show Friends and some new acquisitions!

As always the Winnetka Illinois Antiques Show is fun filled and a pleasure to exhibit at. My associate Sean Mclaughlin looking dapper behind the counter and myself....not taking a very good picture..but all suited up is a rarity! A great new cluster of threee matching carved bakelite hinged bracelets in khaki green, brilliant orange and buttercream are but one group of new items acquired here....watch for more new things!

Come visit us at the Winnetka MODERNISM + Antiques Show

See Route 66 West's new acquisitions! Come visit us at Winnetka next weekend! Oct 21-23 at the Winnetka Community House...spring for a fab evening and cme t the glamorous cocktail reception opening Thursday night October 20! Here are just a few of our newly acquired treasures!

Chris Colfer--KURT on GLEE wearing bakelite pins!

Well look whats up...who's wearing 2 kinda well known bakelite painted mallard duck pins on Glee Episode "I am Unicorn" a few weeks ago..its KURT, otherwise known as Chris Colfer..sporting 2 sporty duck pins....takin bakelite savvy style and making it ..HIS OWN!

Did someone mention LARGE BOLD bling-y ehinestone pins?

A bevy of beauties...all available at Route 66 WEST...big bold brooches.....Schreiner, Juliana, Kenneth jay Lane and the like...all are sexy and unabashedly faux retro style.....some have bales and can be worn as pendants....others not...Ask prices and ye shall receive!

Brad Elfrink Magical Bangle on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320764965920

Ill let the ebay ad do all the talking for me here...just take a look!

Cellulose Acetate: Another Collectible Plastic not to be overlooked!

Although bakelite is most often deemed "The Plastic Jewel"//and commands all the buzz and big headlines when big prices are realized for it..or articles and books like my own "The Bakelite Collection" tout its wonderfulness....cellulose acetate, the material utilized here for the petals in these plastic floral brooches of the 1960's should definitely not be overlooked as collectibly worthy. Ressembling transparent colored cellophane and formed by heat into curvilinear shapes and formats make it a delicate, fragile plastic material much less sturdy than the thermoset forever solid bakelite...and it is classified as a thermoplastic...i.e. a plastic than can refer to a liquid state after being a solid, while bakelite will never return to a liquid form and has molecular bonding of a tighter, more permanent nature., The double headed green pin is signed Vendome, as are many of the pins which have metal work stems.. but all are made similarly. They are embellished with a variety of different accents: clusters of stones, pearls, individual large and/or small stones and enamelwork. Others have imitated the 60's inexpensively made flower pins.....including the revered House of Chanel and the designer FABRICE...so dont overlook these beauties: Cellulose acetate flowers--many different shapes, sizes and colors available..so write me and ask!!!

To Wong Foo and Madmen and vintage costume jewelry from Route 66!

I couldnt find a straight on shot of Patrick Swayze as Miss Vida Boheme in "To Wong Foo Thanks for the Memories Julie Newmar" wearing this dainty, but classic Miriam Haskell necklace which I provided for the film, but the shot shows it just a bit. I provided several Haskell necklaces and earrings for Miss Vida in this classic, kitschy 1994 flick....including a more eye popping Smoke crystal pendant suspended from 2 double starnds of smoke crystal graduated faceted beads,..as well as a classic simple 2 strand baroque pearl necklace, worn several times in the movie. My friend Connie Parente provided some of the more sparkly statement necklace and earring sets worb by Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo and other ladies in the cast.....and it was among my first sorties into the world of cinema prop rental or sale. I have since, done many more of them, including all the bakelite worn by characters in Woody Allen's "Radio Days" and "Hannah and her Sisters" as well as more recently for the hit show MADMEN for busty, beautiful actress Christina Hendricks as super hot bosomy redhead "Joan..the office manager". Her gorgeous volutptuousness and red hair were a natural for another of my more tailored areas of jewelry sales and study, copper art jewelry, highly relfective of mid century modern 1950's and 60's styling. Heres a picture of her not in character, but wearing a Matisse/Renoir copper and enamel necklace for a fashion shoot capitalizing on the shows super cool RETRO appeal!