Poster Art

Vintage Blacklight

Vintage DESIGNER Black Light Pink Glass Beaded Strand Necklace $29.00

Vtg Uranium Green Glass Creamer Nice Glow in Blacklight 3.5″ FREE US Shipping $29.99

VINTAGE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN CATALOG no. 805 BLACK LIGHT POSTER 1975 NR! $70.60

Hambly Studios Silkscreen Vintage Black Light Poster #7 1960′s $500.00

1971 RARE FUNKY ENTERPRISES CC SALES VINTAGE BLACKLIGHT POSTER GARDEN EDEN FUZZY $49.99

Auth Vintage 1970s Pro~LIFE~Anti War BLACKLIGHT Poster $44.99

Vintage 1971 Marvel Comics Beeyok Third Eye Blacklight Poster $48.00

2 VINTAGE TO RETRO UNSIGNED CAMEO BROOCHES, COSTUME BLACK & LIGHT BLUE JASPER $9.99

MIND BLOWING Vintage MURANO Bowl OPALESCENT Glass URANIUM Glows in BLACKLIGHT $230.00

Vintage RARE Ben Franklin Vaseline Glass – black light – iridescent Figurine $38.50

Vintage Blacklight Velvet flocked Poster Beware of Dog $35.00

Hambly Studios Silkscreen Vintage Black Light Poster #4 1960′s $200.00

Vintage 1970 ANTI – WAR Black Light Poster $69.99

NEW MENS SKINNY SLIM VINTAGE NECK TIE RETRO CHECKS 2.25″ Red, Black, Light Gray $3.99

Vintage 1971 Stoned Agin! Blacklight Poster $59.99

VINTAGE Womens Striped T-shirt Black/light beige. SZ M / L $6.50

Vintage Black & Light Blue Glass Beads Banana Shape 18mm 3/4″ 7 pcs $6.68

Vintage Disney Orgy Black Light Poster Rare late 60′s $99.00

Rod Stewart Black Light Poster Vintage 1970′s $99.99

MICK JAGGER ROLLING STONES POSTER VINTAGE BLACKLIGHT $49.99

JAMES BROWN VINTAGE 1972 BLACKLIGHT POSTER, RARE $49.99

VINTAGE ’80′s – 2 COTTON SPANDEX SKIRTS SIZE XL, CREAM & BLACK, LIGHT WEAR $7.99

Vintage MAN IN THE MOON Blacklight Iron On Roach 74′ $9.99

Black Light Bulb Vintage Hippie Psychedelic Head Shop $24.99

Black Light Bulb Vintage Hippie Psychedelic Head Shop $24.99

Black Light Bulb Vintage Hippie Psychedelic Head Shop $24.99

NEW IN BOX Mr Light Giant Black Light Bulb VINTAGE 100 Watt Standard Base 120 Vt $11.69

Insanity Nice Day Smile Smiley Face Vintage Blacklight Poster 1970 Silkscreen $69.99

IN THE EVENING STUNNING 1970 VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER $24.95

STOP WAR VINTAGE 70′S HEAD SHOP BLACK LIGHT POSTER SCARCE $9.95

LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT 70′S POSTER $9.95

NIXON #2 THANKS I NEEDED THAT VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER 1972 $24.95

MATRIX BLACK LIGHT/SILK SCREEN VINTAGE 70′S POSTER $9.95

Vintage Adidas Red & Black Light Backpack $9.99

Vintage Man and Woman in love embrace Black Light poster $42.75

VINTAGE PRO ART INC. BLACKLIGHT COBRA POSTER $7.99

YOU TOUCHED MY HEART #3 VINTAGE 70′S BLACK LIGHT POSTER $4.95

THE ANCIENT MARINER VINTAGE 70′S BLACK LIGHT POSTER $9.95

WE WANT YOU TO CLEAN UP YOUR ROOM VINTAGE 70′S BLACK LIGHT POSTER $24.95

ZODIAC SUN VINTAGE 70′S HEAD SHOP BLACK LIGHT/SILK SCREEN POSTER SCARCE $24.95

WE SAW SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TODAY #4 VINTAGE 70′S BLACK LIGHT POSTER $4.95

THANK YOU FOR TOUCHING MY LIFE #2 VINTAGE 1970 HEAD SHOP BLACK LIGHT POSTER $4.95

Vintage Italian Baluster Carafe – Blown Glass Glows a Blue Hue Under Blacklight $24.99

THE ADVENTURERS SEXY LOVERS VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER SCARCE $9.95

PEACE ON EARTH YELLOW BLACK LIGHT VINTAGE 70′S POSTER $9.95

BEING AROUND YOU TURNS MY WORLD ON #1 VINTAGE 1970 BLACK LIGHT POSTER $4.95

Where Have All the Flowers Gone Bourne Hip Products Vintage Black Light Poster $139.99

VINTAGE FENTON CUSTARD VASELINE GLASS BELL GLOWS UNDER BLACK LIGHT $7.99

MURANO Gorgeous BOWL Incredible MODERN Glass VINTAGE Uranium GLOWS in BLACKLIGHT $350.00

Huge MURANO Vaseline BOWL Sculpture 8 lbs VINTAGE Art Glass GLOWS in BLACKLIGHT $990.00

Vintage 1975 Elton John Blacklight Velvet Poster Nice $262.50

vtg 1968 San Francisco WONDERLAND poster MIDDLE EARTH Celestial Art black light $100.00

vintage Radium Stretched Vaseline Glass Bowl (Glows under blacklight) $42.85

Vintage Hawaiian Palm Trees Sunset Black Light Wall Clock $19.99

Vintage Heavy Metal~BLACKLIGHT 1973~ALICE COOPER~Poster $46.99

Vintage Barbie 6 Pairs of OT HIGH HEELS White, Black, & Light Pink JAPAN $9.99

Vintage Black Light Blacklight Poster Riding Easy 1969 Easy Rider COOL!! $22.50

Vtg Black Light HEAD SHOP Art Poster Biker Haight Ashbury Sunset Strip Disney $30.00

Rare Original Vintage 70′s Funny Black Light Poster WEIGHT LOSS DURING SEX Guide $54.95

VINTAGE DEPRESSION VASELINE GLASS DISH & CUP, URANIUM GLASS GLOWS IN BLACK LIGHT $4.99

Vintage Uncle Sam & Peace Sign Black Light Mobile $9.99

PURPLE SUNBURST VINTAGE HEAD SHOP BLACK LIGHT/SILK SCREEN POSTER #1 $14.95

VINTAGE SAGITTARIUS BLACK LIGHT POSTER DATED 1969 PRO ARTS OHIO $0.99

PEGASUS – Vintage 1986 Velvet Black-Light Large Poster #190 $19.99

TOGETHERNESS – Vintage 1976 Velvet Black-Light Large Poster #197 $19.99

VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER-BOBBY SHERMAN- CIRCA 1970 $45.00

LITTLE OPIUM ANNIE-VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER 1972 $195.00

VTG 70′s HORSE on Cliff Blacklight Iron On Transfer $7.99

Vintage Blacklight Mobias Poster Bill Johnston The Third Eye Psychedelic Mobius $65.00

Led Zeppelin blacklight poster vintage 1988 new rolled Myth Gem black light 821 $49.99

SUPPORT YOUR CONSCIENCE HEADSHOP POSTER BLACKLIGHT VINTAGE $125.00

GALAXY ROBERTA BELL 1967 HEADSHOP POSTER BLACKLIGHT VINTAGE ORIGINAL $75.00

PEACE ARCTURUS COMA TOM KORPALSI POSTER BLACKLIGHT VINTAGE HEADSHOP ORIGINAL $150.00

I HAVE SEEN THE LIGHT STEVE SACHS 1968 HEADSHOP POSTER BLACKLIGHT VINTAGE $250.00

Vintage Stroh’s Beer Advertizing Black Light-1989 $47.95

VINTAGE METAL DESK LAMP GOOSE NECK BLUE BLACK LIGHT FLEXABLE PORTABLE TABLETOP * $29.99

Vintage Black Light Poster © 1969 Who Rolled Mary Jane Psychedelic Zig Zag Man $99.99

Vintage Psychedelic Black Light Poster New Horizons Parker Celestial Orbit 1969 $249.95

1971 Star City Dist Vintage R. Crumb Velvet Black Light Poster Stoned Again #106 $99.99

Antique Vaseline Glass Candy/Condiment Dish, Vintage Green Depression Blacklight $20.00

WASP Vintage Logo Black-Light Velvet Poster Last One $9.99

RARE VINTAGE 1971 BLACK LIGHT POSTER ‘SMILE’ (ARTIST McCULLY) $9.99

Antique Vaseline Candlestick Holder Set, Vintage Green Depression Blacklight $20.00

Vtg 1970 THE VIKING HB 82 BLACKLIGHT POSTER HOUSTON BLACKLIGHT POSTER CO, TX $39.99

Vintage Blacklight Galaxy Poster Psychedelic Roberta Bell NOS The Third Eye 1967 $45.00

Vintage Blacklight Poster Psychedelic Western Graphics Illusion NOS $45.00

RARE VINTAGE BLACK LIGHT POSTER Once A Knight SEXY NUDE ORIGINAL 1971 $74.96

LED ZEPPELIN SWAN SONG STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN VINTAGE VELVET BLACK LIGHT POSTER $175.00

MOTORCYCLE GANG SKULL RIDER GRIM REAPER VINTAGE VELVET BLACK LIGHT POSTER $25.00

Vintage 60′s Black Light Poster Surfs Up Pacific Screen $58.88

Vintage Marvel Sub-Mariner Spider-Man Poster Third Eye Black Light 1971 $149.99

Vintage Head Shop Political “Legalize Marijuana” Acme Supply Black light Smoking $99.99

Joe Petagno, Dick Tracey,Vintage Blacklight Poster 1973 $149.00

Awesome Vintage Vinyl Black Light Black Lite Aquarius Sticker Decal 1960’s $6.99

Dr. Strange The Search Third Eye Vintage Black Light Poster Marvel Creases Good $279.99

It’s Psyklop – Hulk Third Eye Inc Vintage Black Light Poster 1971 Marvel Comics $399.99

Thwoom Third Eye Inc. #4002 Vintage Black Light Poster 1971 Marvel Comics $299.99

Vintage Black Light Poster – Ship of Piece # 139 by Insanity $0.99

Rare VASELINE Uranium BOX Hard-to-Find VINTAGE Glass 2 PIECE Glows in BLACKLIGHT $199.00

NEW KIDS NERD VTG VINTAGE SUNGLASSES BLACK/ LIGHT BLUE KD04 $8.95

Vintage Blacklight

Collecting: Is It Bakelite or “Fakelite”?

Contemporary Bakelite reproductions made to look like known jewelry designs from the past, and fakes in designs never originally made during the historic Bakelite heyday, are causing even those who consider themselves to be expert, knowledgeable buyers to make purchasing mistakes. New reproductions and fakes are being made from a chemically similar material, and also from old Bakelite pieces and rod blanks.

Fakelite
Collectively known as ‘Fakelite,’ many false items are now able to pass various ‘tests’ devised by collectors to identify Bakelite. Because of this they are frequently misidentified as old originals. Fakelite has become increasingly problematic for collectors of genuinely old Bakelite jewelry pieces, as the potential for dramatic loss in value for their collections of authentic pieces is very real. It is important for everyone who buys or sells Bakelite jewelry to be on guard and to take the time to become educated on the issue.

If you are in denial that there are people out there seeking to profit by actively, and knowingly, marketing reproduction Bakelite jewelry as if authentically old, consider this solicitation found on a site that facilitates trade with companies in India:

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Buy Lead – WANTED : Bakelite bangle bracelets: US based Company seeking supplier of Bakelite Bangle Bracelets that pass the United States testing processes with Simichrome and 409 All Purpose Cleaner. Seeking Bakelite Bangle Bracelets in all widths, and 2 1/2″ (inside diameters), Carved if available.
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As the above advertisement indicates, new Bakelite formulas and fakes made from them do exist. So, the old tried and true method of ‘testing’ is not reliable for providing certainty about an object’s age and a ‘positive’ reaction shouldn’t be used alone for authentication.

Plastics Can Be Duplicated Today
Though this Quality Assurance article mainly concerns reproductions of Bakelite, vintage plastic items made of anything from Beetle-ware to Lucite can likewise be copied. And they probably will be, as soon as prices for older collectibles made of other plastics besides Bakelite rise high enough to begin to be more tempting. Where vintage plastics are concerned one would be a wise to remember modern chemists can duplicate the original formulas used to create any one of them.

Look For Appropriate Features
Other than using actual Bakelite as a base material, modern manufacturers can also make molds from original pieces in order to re-recreate popular figural pieces. They may add convincing hand-carved details, or simulate original colors. So, ideally, in order to authenticate an item accurately, it will meet multiple specific considerations that one expects to see in a vintage plastic jewelry piece.

Just as a knowledgeable collector/dealer of glass or pottery will observe other factors besides an obvious maker’s mark, the collector of Bakelite jewelry should try to train their eye to do the same.

Check aspects such as the appropriateness of design and its execution. Anachronistic artwork or findings are always a tip-off that an item is new. An example of an anachronism would be the presence of a motif popular in modern times but which was not popular, and so never used, during the time period suggested for the production of the item.

Expect Signs of Age
No matter how well taken care of, a truly vintage item logically must have at least some small signs pointing to true age. Not unlike older furniture, old Bakelite pieces tend to develop patina, by virtue of simply having been exposed to air and light for many years. For instance, you might look for the indication an outside surface is darker than an inside surface. Old Bakelite colors oxidized over time and mostly they are not the same today as they were when first produced.

A buyer who perhaps has not handled many authentic pieces might not know where to look for ‘patina’; or they might not be aware of what it shouldn’t look like. This can mean they may not be able to recognize its total absence on the new piece in their hand. Fakers rely on this. Be suspicious of pieces lacking patina, which show absolutely no sign of age or use.

Often, to explain the complete lack of patina, fakes will be represented as old Bakelite jewelry that has been stringently cleaned. While it is possible for this to be true, it is not logical. Most collectors prize original patina and generally would never drastically strip a piece in their possession. And if true, at the very least the value of the stripped piece has been diminished by the practice, because now there is nothing left to help surely differentiate it from a newly made item. For this reason stripped Bakelite should be considered to be very much lower in value than an identical piece still in possession of its original patina.

A Bakelite Jewellery Checklist
Each of these points may help provide a solid clue to identification of individual items:

1. Good patina – or the lack of it;
2. Shiny, spotless, brand new looking pins, findings or hinges;
3. Pins, findings or hinges that appear to have been falsely aged – much too rusty or abused;
4. The presence of attachment methods or findings never used on period items;
5. The overall ‘look’ of a piece seeming ‘too contemporary’ in color or style, or entirely different from anything documented in books dedicated to vintage Bakelite jewelry;
6. The presence of an anachronism, as defined in the article above;
7. Mold lines or seams – old Bakelite doesn’t have them;
8. Chalky white recessed surfaces in carved areas, announcing recent, poorly finished work;
9. Very sharp edges on carvings, another sign of recent work;
10. Glue that glows. Glue was not typically used in the manufacture of older Bakelite jewelry, but it may be present in some design elements on pieces from the 1950′s or if undisclosed repairs were made to older pieces. Use a blacklight to check whether glue is present, and if so, if it is old or new. New glue will glow brightly, while old glue does not.

Help Keep the Market for Bakelite Jewelry Honest
Because of the concerns we’ve mentioned, shops may find it easier to market authentic items by being sure to fully describe all characteristics that help to define them as truly vintage. This can also help to educate newer collectors about signs of authenticity. To that purpose, the checklist above can be used to remind you of other important features you’d want to mention in a listing besides just adding the single statement that an item, ‘Tests positive for Bakelite.’

For instance, mention the presence of patina or show in a picture exactly how any hardware or decorative aspects were attached. State whether or not a piece shows any evidence of mold seams. A knowledgeable buyer will want to see all sides, including the inside surface, of items like bangle or clamper-type bracelets, which to date have been the most widely faked objects. Describe any discoloration or signs of wear, like scratches. Show close-ups of carved details and make sure all photos are clear and not blurry. Check for larger views if available.

Note that testing of any kind was not included in the above checklist. This is because, while familiar chemical testing may still be useful for determining if an item is in fact made of Bakelite, for too long such testing has been relied upon as sole ‘proof’ an item is old. And that is a claim that simply cannot be supported by known facts

Realistically, authentication as to age for any type of item should never rest solely on a single feature or characteristic, or only on the claim an item came from an ‘estate.’

An item should be able to date itself. And it will do so, if you know what to look for and you allow it to ‘speak’ to you about its past.

About the Author

Karen Frishman serves as Director of Marketing for Ruby Lane, an online mall hosting individually-owned shops specializing in antiques and art, vintage collectibles and jewelry. Visit Ruby Lane

Vintage Preheat StrobLite Fluorescent Blacklight