Petite point Kigu compact

This Kigu compact was the second I ever risked bidding on via eBay. With it's petite point half stitched flowered top detailing upon a cream background, encased in plastic - as a sewer at heart I was instantly won over. The gold casing finishes the top and inside opens to reveal the infamous Kigu logo upon the powder well flap. With a latch that slides down to open the flap it hinges open to reveal a just as golden powder well. It has seen some wear both the marking upon the bottom of the compact and the clasp closure not fitting perfectly as it once was, the colours and detailing within the flowers alone certainly make it worth keeping. While I can't recall how much I spent on it, it certainly wouldn't have been a lot - I was never one for spending a lot on buying compacts.

Green and loud Rex compact

This is one loud and proud vintage compact. While we possibly over paid for this Rex Fifth Avenue delight - it was $60 at an antiques fair were they tend to over charge, I love not only the colouring, the shape, the compartments inside but that the design is double sided. The green covering with single flowered detailing top with green metal edging is repeated on the bottom.Opening the compact reveals three compartments - the two smaller compartments perhaps being for rogue, finished off with a larger powder well secured down with a hinged closing flap. All these compartments would originally have had puffs and with powder well perhaps a stiff too. "Rex Fifth Avenue" is engraved upon the powder well flap. The understated insides only come to make the top and the bottom scream out more glamour.

Tips for buying vintage powder compacts on eBay

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Like many things, eBay can be a god send for buying unwanted compacts requiring a new home. While compacts being sold via eBay can still go for hundreds of dollars and there are many, many compact collectors utilising the auction website there are always great deals to be had.

Choose your wording // While you might want to type in vintage to your search box don't. You'll find a lot more without it. For example, vintage powder compacts brought up 1077, with 978 subdivided into collectables, in comparison to 4958, with 1617 under collectables using just powder compacts. Sometimes you can skip the powder compact line altogether and opt for vintage beauty and you'll find some hidden away. While you might have to wade your way through some more contemporary compacts and I always find Polly Pockets thrown in, you might just find some goodies hidden away.

Buy it now verses the auction // Me and Joe vary on options regarding the best way to grab a compact. I love the thrill of the auction - of not knowing till the last minute if that compact is yours. Yet you're always running the risk of loosing a compact you really fell for. On the other hand Joe, my partner swears by buy it now deals - while your paying more your guaranteeing that you'll get the item. While I'm still not too convinced either way, make sure you're aware of the pros and cons for both.

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Check and double check // When I'm selling compacts via eBay I upload a lot of different photographs to really capture the condition of the compact and this is what I expect of other buyers. I want to see photographs or have details of the mirrors, the puffs and shifts if they are included and the condition of the compact interior and exterior. If a seller hasn't detailed a compact in enough detail to judge the condition properly then always send an message - a good seller will always make sure you have all the details you want even if they have to go out of their way.

Watching // Watching items on eBay even if your not always going to buy a compact is a great way of figuring out the market and the going rate. When I'm after a certain compact I'll watch a couple of the same [if there is any] just to see what they end up going for. Then you know how much you should accept to be paying. 

Timing // When it comes to finally sticking down that bid, choose your timing correctly and you can find some great deals. Auctions which end during the weekday tend to go for less and are a little less likely to have last second bidders outbidding you. 

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As a place to see what is out there // Finally eBay is amazing for showing you just what compacts are out there and how beautiful they are. While you might get occasionally out bid on gorgeous compacts that sell for incredible amounts never get too disheartened, there are certainly compacts being sold on eBay for all price ranges.

Do you use eBay? Have any buying tips to share - just leave them in the comments box below!

Golden Stratton flower - my first compact

It probably shouldn't be surprising that the first compact I ever called mine was a Stratton. Being the British manufacture of compacts through their popularity Stratton's are the easiest compacts to come across and really do offer a great introduction [especially for their price] to potential collector. While this compact certainly isn't in the best of conditions - the top alone could tell you hundreds of tales of being used and knocked around and the missing pan in the powder well possibly even more. Yet the fact it was the first compact I ever came across allows me to see past it's signs of wear. In fact its the first compact I did some restoring with in finding a replacement powder well. This compact was my grans, I found it in her old make up bag, it grabbed my attention and got me interested in what powder compacts were, their history and their place today. 

Without this compact there would be no powder compact collection. Last Friday marked the third anniversary of my gran's passing. Maybe she led me to finding it. Either way something came out of her passing - a compact collection that I hope she's proud of.

Vogue Vanitie laced square compact

Every collector has favourites, even if they claim they don't. This one is one of mine. This Vogue Vanitie is the one really behind my collection. Sadly this compact was on the way to be thrown out, it was formerly one of my grans, and with clearing out her house certainly family members were on the verge of just chucking it. Luckily I grabbed and rehomed it. What made me fall in love with this compact? The fact that it's just a little bit rare.

Based out of Birmingham in the UK, Vogue Vanitie[s] began manufacturing powder compacts in 1940, continuing until German bombs hit their factories in 1942. It wasn't until a year after the war ended that the company returned and did so until the mid 1950s when it became particularly popular for it's equestrian designs. But what makes my compact a little different occurs with the companies slight name change through their return post war when the addition of an "s" appears on the end of vanities. Any compact without the aforementioned "s" can be dated to 1940 - 1942. It was through the researching this compact alone that got me hooked into finding out more about compacts in general. 

The compact itself is square with a lace topped design and a chevron engraved bottom. Inside a round powder well is found under a circular powder flap, the compact name etched into the top with "made in England" underneath. The once cotton wool like edging to the powder well has warn away and I remember there being remnants of powder remaining in the bottom when I cleaned it up. While it's been used it's certainly in a great condition, it survived a war and being thrown out.

Chicago, Buckingham Fountain Compact

 
I will admit the Chicago reference is why I fell for this compact [that and it was going for a bargain on eBay]. As with most souvenir compacts its unmarked, that's merely the norm but it is old. The metal sift is what marks this compact out - as compacts became more and more mass produced it was cheaper to produce the plastic and mesh sifts. Yet here we have one of the early ways for a lady to get her powder - gently turn the metal disc clockwise and the metal will grate against the powder so a small enough amount will come through the holes. This powder would then be patted up onto the puff and applied like normal.

This compact is made from white enamel with a top disk opening upon the top potion to get to the powder. Within a plastic covering is a small and yet somewhat detailed colouring of the Buckingham Fountain located in Chicago's Grant Park just a short walk away from The Bean. It has a bit of a space age look which perhaps suggests a 1930s age to it and while it has some markings upon the sides it is unused and comes with a puff. Its definitely a stand alone compact and one of my favourites.

Rethinking ways to display compact collections

As any collection grows there's the issue of how to display. Previously I've had my collection on shelves, bookcases, sitting on doilies to generally just laying around whichever room. For quite some time we've had an unused cake stand, vintage, pretty, striking and well unused sadly. It's taken me some time to sudden have the brainwave of actually making use of the stand and using it as a display piece for my vintage compact collection. 

As a stand the cake stand is ideal - it offers different heights and with the increasingly width of the stand going down it's great for building up the display. Smaller compacts can be happily seen at the top, to my oversized compacts on the bottom. 

Don't you just love it when inspiration hits?!

Bourjois - an Evening in Paris

Bourjois is a make up brand is a one we all know and love - and is one with a history. It was one of the first companies to create a powder in 1863 sold in their famous "pots", later introducing make up kits, lightening products and catalogs in 1897 for cosmetics we'd all be familiar with today.  In 1928 it launched it's most popular fragrance Evening in Paris [Soir de Paris] - one which created endless associated products. During the 1930s Evening in Paris gift boxes were produced and filled with beauty essentials, from the perfume, lipsticks, rogue and the powder all carrying the infamous blue colouring of the perfume bottle. It is from this set that this vintage powder compact is part of.

The geometric lines and the strong blue and silver colouring to this compacts top suggests this compact is of a 1930s origin additionally its small size would confirm an early date. Opening up the compact reveals a mirror, tight and clean silver powder well flap with original and somewhat well used puff with the branding visible in silver writing. On the bottom of the compact we can see Bourjois marked along with Evening in Paris. Additionally I've seen similar compacts with reference to being distributed in the USA, perhaps suggesting that is compact wasn't originally sold in America. 

We found this little cutie at an antiques fair in Southfield that now seems a lifetime ago in March this was one of the few comapcts in reasonable shape that they weren't charging the earth for. Sometimes I think the prices at such events would really put people off collecting but they seem to draw in the masses either way. 

Yardley Lavender Sellers Powder and Rogue

 
Today we all may associate the brand Yardley with our grans - with smells of lavender, lily of the valley and roses. Yet Yardley is one of the world's most established toiletry and cosmetic brands. Since the 1770s Yardley became a popular manufacturer of soaps and perfumes, challenging the strong position of the French cosmetic houses by developing their own lines. With their strong grasp over the marketplace their compacts first started appearing in the 1920s, yet the popularity of the brand mean they are easy to come by today. While they are easy to find, they are often made with considerable style, detail and quality. Often they feature a tiny little motif which became the image of the firm - that of three Lavender Sellers, perhaps a mother and her two daughters. This motif became the brand, the success of both resting upon each other.

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1923 advertisement for Yardley's Old English lavender soap

This oblong compact opens by a red plastic clasp, which allow sounds and looks somewhat odd against the metal casing the colour makes a huge statement. Plastic claps look to be a feature of Yardley compacts of this shape - often coming in a contemporary colour to the outer metal ware. The case is marked with the Lavender Sellers motif on the top and Yardley England on the bottom, additionally the brand name is engraved between the two wells inside. 

Circa 1940s this compact has a framed mirror and original puffs, not only this but it came complete with both powder and rogue. Because these compacts were designed to be reused, the two cosmetic holders pop out rather easier with their colour details still attached to the bottom which makes interesting reading.

It is only the rogue [left] which still has Yardley visible in the powder that states it's shade number - that of "Rogue refill no. 1705". What shade this corresponds too I'm unsure but it goes on to state all the available shades as "medium, natural cherry, vivid and poppy". I would just love to see the colour of natural cherry and poppy - they sound really fun! The same accompanies the details regarding the powder - "Yardley Lavender compact powder refill - Natural English Peach, Rachel 1 and Rose Rachel, 33 Old Bond Street London".

While the company was London based they did open and work from New York often marked with an American patent number. However with the refills stating the London address this compact has me considering it's all English in its origin [then again I could be wrong]. While Yardley continues it's perfume and toiletry lines, it's cosmetic lines were discontinued nevertheless they carry on through their vintage compacts.

A Detroit compact - the Trio-ette

Drooling through reference books and searching eBay you start constructing a mental wish list of all the compacts you would dream of owning regardless of money. More often then not, these wish list items are the more noted and valued compacts within the circle of collectors. And the Trio-ette would be one of mine especially because of it's links to Detroit.

The Trio-ette has always been considered as one of the most practical and playful of powder compacts after being launched in 1945. Distributed under the Detroit based House of Plate the trio-ette was a triple based compact - one side holding powder, a branded puff and sift, the other side held rogue and a puff of its own and lastly, the handle held a matching lipstick. This multifunctional approach to women's cosmetics led the House of Plate as describing it as "the amazing new triple compact that blows make up fatigue and bag fumbling". 

Upon it's top is a raised rose design one inspired by Victorian hand held cameo mirrors with bobble edging. The trio-ette was made from Terite - an early plastic and was released in several colours - mock ebony, ivory and tortoise shell as well as in green, pink and blue sold with a gift box and refills available.

In the mid 1940s the tiro-ette sold for $5 and was later reached the UK shores after being sold through a London based mail order company by 1949. Today, references book suggest a commanding a price between $100-$250 with blue, pink and green coloured Trio-ettes selling higher price. Although they can be noted as selling around the $40 mark on Ebay.

If anyone ever comes across one, please point it in my direction!

Silver golden flowers compact by Kigu

Kigu have to be in with some of my favourite compact manufactures. They were created by a master silver and goldsmith - Gustav Kiashak who by the 1920s had a working factory in Budapest. His son emigrated to the UK in 1939 and by 1947 Kigu. Co. was founded. They came to share the British compact limelight predominately with Stratton and were later brought out by them.

Today Kigu compacts are relatively easy to come across on both sides of the Atlantic - one of the first compacts I brought for my collection myself was a petite point flowered Kigu design. Which is why it wasn't too much of a surprise finding this silver toned compact in the garage sale in Royal Oak. Normally Kigu compacts come marked with this, their infamous crowned triangular hallmark often engraved into the tap flap of the powder well;

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This compact however is without such a marking, however a "Made in KIGU London" is etched into the metal under the mirror alongside the branded powder puff. Predominately silver, a band of gold toned flowers hang down the centre of the compact, opening it up reveals a golden compact within. In addition to puff this compact came complete with it's stiff. 

Finding a piece of England in the US always makes me wonder about it's journey to the other side of the pond. Was it brought and sold in America or the UK? Did it make it's way over seas as a gift from an English holiday?

Flowered double sided compact mirror

Collecting vintage powder compacts doesn't mean you should exclude other forms of compacts from your collection be them compact mirrors, photograph holders or cigarette accessories. Recently I've been coming across more compact mirrors which I've been adding in - they still have a history and a beauty in their own right. Today I'm featuring a 1980s silver toned double mirrored compact with blue top finished off with a gorgeous flowered design. As a find at the Royal Oak Antiques and Garage Sale for $3 it was a steal. While it may have slight wear to the ending of the top decoration the mirrors are in a very good condition. Plus I love all things square when it comes to compact.

Oval goldtoned compact with glass stone topping

We seem to be going all out on having pretty compacts on sale on eBay this week as this is the third compact we have up. Goldtone in colouring, it's a gorgeous oval shaped design measuring 3 inches at it's widest point set off perfectly with glass stones [they may not be glass - but you get what I'm meaning]. A couple of the stones have had better days but overall together they still capture the flicking in the light in such a stunning way.

There is some darking to the patina and indentations to the bottom but overall it's a nice compact and certainly a change from the regular circular designs. Like many compacts sadly this one is unmarked and unbranded, while it comes with it's white lining paper and stiff there is no puff. Nevertheless a cute little addition. 

Find out more on eBay

Yellow and blue plastic compact

For me, unmarked compacts end up being some of my favourites. Possibly because it's that air of added mystery and the challenge of trying to find just something no matter how small out about them. This bright yellow and navy blue compact is one we have on eBay this week it's unbranded and unmarked - a right little mystery. It's plastic construction leads me to think it's somewhat early [as in the 1930s] and I have a similar Chicago Buckingham Fountain design which dates from that era. Regardless it's still a beauty even if it's somewhat used and is without it's puff and doesn't that yellow make the blue just pop?

The navy blue section lifts up to reveal the powder well rimmed with a metal edging and remains complete with a plastic looking stiff. It's in a fairly good condition, the bottom is a little marked but that has to be expected with older compacts. To me these marks show the compacts had a life and been used, I'd prefer that over the pristine compacts I will be honest.

Make sure to check this compact out and out other items this week on ebay.