Powder Compacts - A Great Collectible Looking for a fascinating collectible? Take a look at vintage powder compacts, mirroring changing times with a variety of styles and designs. Easy to display too!
News-Antique.com - Nov 30,-0001 - If you are looking for a fascinating collectible, easy to display and attractive to look at, then vintage powder compacts are ideal!
Powder compacts are wonderful reminders of 20th Century styles from Art Deco to the stylised forms of the 1980s, taking in 1950s glamour and 1960s quirky pop-art styles along the way. You can collect by style, maker or perhaps on a design theme such as birds or military compacts.
Compacts became popular after World War 1 when it became more acceptable for respectable women to be seen wearing cosmetics. Over the years, many styles evolved including CarryAlls or Vanity Cases where compacts were combined with cigarette cases, purses, rouge and comb to allow a woman to carry everything she might need for a night out in one elegant case. Novelty cases such as the Henrietta 8 Ball or the Pygmalion piano with folding legs became ever more popular by the 1950s and command high prices now.
Well-known makers include Volupte, Elgin and Richard Hudnut from the States and Stratton, Kigu or Mascot from the UK and there are many others.
When buying compacts for your collection there are a few things to look out for. Is the surface condition good, is the mirror clear, intact and firmly fixed, does the compact open and close firmly and does it still have the original puff and powder sifter, if appropriate. If the compact is a fairly popular and an easily obtainable make and design, these factors are important. If it is a less common example, you may be prepared to trade off condition against rarity – the best advice with all collectables is to always buy the best example that you can afford.
Visit Pizazz at www.tias.com/stores/pzz for an excellent selection of vintage compacts for sale.
