Bakelite Bangles: Price & Identification Guide [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: carved bangles, dot bangles, laminated bangles, Scrubbing Bubbles, Lea Stein, Three Shultz (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Focusing on bakelite bangles - this illustrated book covers testing for authenticity, how to judge quality and features a reference guide. A chapter devoted to the contemporary artistic works of Ron and Esther Shultz is also included. It should be of interest to both collectors and dealers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: kp books; illustrated edition edition (July 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873418093
• ISBN-13: 978-0873418096
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #874,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Bakelite Book Yet, November 28, 1999

By	Rose Cain (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This is by far the best book on Bakelite that I own. (I own every Bakelite book that is currently in print, and several that are out of print.) The hundreds of photographs of Bakelite and other plastic bracelets are colorfully crisp and clear, and the captions are informative and well-written. The text is intelligently organized, and covers quite a bit of information that has either never been addressed or has been incorrect in other books (a hot pin DOES penetrate genuine Bakelite, thank you Karima! ) The sections on Bakelite lexicon, including color names, are especially welcome. The author knows everything on this subject and has presented it wonderfully. If you will own only one Bakelite book, this is the one.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great bakelite bangle guide, August 22, 2001

By	c. lopez (san francisco, california) - See all my reviews

absolutely loved the huge volume of beautifully photographed bangles. wonderfully written, definitive guide. i was amazed at the loveliness of the photos considering this is a paperback book. i really couldn't expect better quality in a hardback book. a great buy and a must-have for collectors of all levels. karima parry really knows her stuff and it shows. and the price guide really helps. some of the other books i've looked at overinflate the value. she gives a realistic range, from what i've seen in buying vintage bakelite over the years.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO GREAT VINTAGE PLASTICS!, July 11, 2004

By	Hillary (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

I have recently amassed quite a collection of bakelite, having started collecting lucites, and branching out to the more sought after famed vintage phenolic plastic we all know and love as Bakelite, and all the other manufacturer sub-names it was produced under. I bought a few references recently, but none have compared to Karima Parry's wonderful "Bakelite Bangle Price and ID Guide".

First thing you will do is eat up all the eye candy this nice large and attractive volume has to offer, and after you finish drooling and wishing, you can read all about the different types of plastics, their history, chronology, and how they differ. Ways to identify the difference between Bakelite, Celluloid, Lucite and how to spot newly worked "fakelite" as well. The author is very knowledgeable and is also willing to share her knowledge with other collectors of this engrossing hobby. I look through this book so often, and find myself reading a different section each time, and sometimes just admiring all the wonderful shots of some of the most gorgeous coveted pieces in the bakelite realm. Karima also shows a nice section on lucites as well as celluloid, so you can get a good idea of these pieces when you might be lucky enough to find one, or consider buying.

I have had the personal pleasure of talking to this author, and she is a wonderful insightful person who took the time to answer all my questions and share her knowledge with me, and I am that much wiser for that, and buying her book. I currently have 3 plastic jewelry references, and hers is by far the best.

For anyone interested in collecting bakelite bangles, other vintage plastics, and gaining a nice working knowledge of them as well as a chance to see the most gorgeous pieces as examples, this book is indispensible. The only thing I would change is the price guide, since it is unfortunately hard to use this to price. I would like to see the dimensions and all the other pertinent information, on the page with the items and not in appendix form at the back. Otherwise, I highly recommend it as a must have for your bakelite reference library.