| (Deland, FL) - It has often been often said that the | | | | fond of old Corona’s because they have they |
| antiques business is the ultimate recycling activity but | | | | have the best fonts. They started by removing the |
| several dealers in Florida Antique Shows/Puchstein | | | | Bakelite or celluloid keys with good fonts and |
| Promotions have taken the idea to the next level. | | | | incorporating them into custom made sterling jewelry |
| They are recycling the antiques themselves or at | | | | using custom made molds. They started with |
| least parts of them into new forms and uses that will | | | | bracelets and have extended the line to include |
| preserve some vestige of the original antique yet | | | | necklaces, earrings, pins, rings, cuff links, money clips, |
| appeal to modern needs and tastes. | | | | badge holders, key rings and many other assorted |
| Three such dealers were set up at the January 22-24 | | | | and clever uses including many made from |
| edition of the Deland Antique Show at the Volusia | | | | suggestions by customers. Pendants and rings range |
| County Fairgrounds in Deland, FL. | | | | from $25 to $45. Bangles are $35 and full bracelets |
| Bruce and Vickie Pantii of Breezy Palm Trading | | | | with multiple typewriter letter keys are $80 and up. |
| Company have a thing about plastic. More specifically | | | | If a customer requests a style or item that is out of |
| they have a thing about Bakelite, the early plastic | | | | stock Roy will make it within thirty minutes out of |
| developed by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland in | | | | extra stock carried to shows. One nice source of |
| 1907. The Bakelite formula was acquired by American | | | | business for the Barske’s is weddings. They |
| Catalin Corporation in 1927 to produce the phenolic | | | | custom make pieces for wedding parties and |
| resins that make the durable plastic.While Bakelite has | | | | showers at the request of prospective brides and |
| many commercial and industrial applications one of the | | | | grooms. |
| most popular uses was developed in the 1930s when | | | | John Atkinson of Boston wasn’t born with a |
| it was used to make costume jewelry. The most | | | | silver spoon in his mouth but he is working on it, one |
| popular and most expensive of those today are the | | | | spoon at a time. Actually he used forks too but skips |
| carved bangle bracelets and figural pins. | | | | the knives because of the hollow handles. He |
| Bruce Pantii said that ten years ago 90 percent of his | | | | converts old silver plated or sterling flatware into |
| sales were vintage items but his customers began | | | | silver jewelry with magnetic clasps. He couples the |
| requesting Bakelite bangles with polka dots but there | | | | interesting design patterns on the handle of forks or |
| just weren’t any left. He decided to make them. | | | | spoons into a custom made bracelet with a clasp. He |
| Now 90 per cent of his business is custom made | | | | started as a finder of matching silver patterns but |
| signed “wearable art” made of pieces of | | | | ended up with boxes of unused or unmatched silver |
| Bakelite. He starts with a plain vintage Bakelite bangle | | | | items. He then realized he could turn a spoon handle |
| and inserts polka dots made from Bakelite stock, | | | | pattern into a key ring and his customers would |
| usually ten inch tubes originally used as stock to | | | | always have a sample of the pattern they were |
| make bangles that he has squirreled away over the | | | | looking for. |
| last twenty years. These new style bracelets retail in | | | | From there he expanded into bracelets and rings and |
| the low to mid hundred dollars for standard widths | | | | will custom make items on request as you wait. He |
| and up to $500 for the wider ones. To make a more | | | | sells silver bracelets for $20 and silver key rings and |
| affordable bracelet five years ago he began casting | | | | rings for $5. He also has a wide variety of patterns |
| bangles from a type of acrylic he calls | | | | to pick from and many are monogrammed. Many of |
| “Vibrulite” and decorates them with Bakelite | | | | his customers want patterns from a certain year. His |
| dots or bow ties. These sell in the $150 range. Pantii | | | | main complaint is that good stock is getting harder to |
| is selling both the medium and the art by recycling old | | | | find. Most patterns from the 1960s were too plain to |
| Bakelite stock. | | | | make decorative jewelry and not as much silver is on |
| Want to buy a really junky old used up manual | | | | the open market today. He has excellent silver |
| typewriter that no longer works? Neither does | | | | pattern reference books and can probably match |
| anyone else. But Roy and Rhonda Barske of | | | | your silver pattern from his inventory and custom |
| Typewriter Jewelry are probably interested. Twelve | | | | make you a ring or bracelet. He also uses them to |
| years ago they started selling antiques and collectibles | | | | date patterns since many of his customers want |
| but couldn’t sell their inventory of used | | | | patterns from a certain year. He points out that |
| typewriters so they decided to recycle them. How? | | | | many people use his service to recycle pieces of |
| By using the letter in the keys. They are especially | | | | family silver rather than passing along entire sets. |