Don't Skip The Thrift Store Toy Aisle: You Might Find A Valuable Collectible Like This

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The next time you are in a thrift store, make sure you do a thorough sweep. The most valuable items to seek out at a thrift store are sometimes the ones hiding in plain sight. While you might be avoiding the toy section, someone else could be realizing it's their lucky day. As TikTok user @thriftingtreasure learned, that inconspicuous box in the middle of abandoned stuffies and rough-looking Barbie dolls may be hiding Bakelite. Bakelite, an extremely collectible type of plastic produced between the 1920s and the 1940s, is something you should never overlook at a secondhand shop! Today, people love to collect this one-of-a-kind plastic. Some of the rarest pieces and colors are highly valuable.

But why is Bakelite considered such a treasured find? That comes down to its creation. Prior to experiments conducted by Leo Baekeland in the early 20th century, there was no such thing as plastic. After 8 years' worth of trial and error, Baekeland produced and patented the first ever fully synthetic plastic. Made from a combination of the chemicals phenol and formaldehyde, Bakelite revolutionized everything from automobile manufacturing to novelty jewelry. And a major aspect that makes it valuable is that better plastics were developed not long afterwards, making Bakelite obsolete. Plus, the rarity of many of these pieces, especially certain unique colors, has made Bakelite highly collectible. While the value of something made with Bakelite plastic varies greatly, vintage backgammon sets with Bakelite chips are listed on eBay for prices ranging from $100 to over $1000 depending on the size and condition of the set.

A highly moldable plastic, Bakelite was also used for telephones, poker chips, billiard balls, and more. In a thrift store toy aisle, you can imagine how easily a simple bracelet or a nondescript box can be overlooked. While you can rely on a Google reverse image search for a fast and easy way to tell if your thrift store find is authentic, there are a few main ways to identify real Bakelite plastic. Bakelite is noticeably heavier, makes a unique sound when bumped together, and any chips should not reveal white plastic. A simple method you can then apply at home is to dip part of the plastic into a cup of hot water. Bakelite should give off a bitter, sharp smell, unlike odorless plastic.

Buying Bakelite in person, where you can see, touch, and smell it, is always a best practice. By checking the unassuming areas of the thrift store, like the toy aisle, you can potentially stumble upon this highly collectible and often valuable find. You never know where someone might stash a box full of poker chips or old billiard balls made out of this rare synthetic plastic. When it comes to Bakelite jewelry and other knick-knacks, don't overlook this small thrift store find, as it's more valuable than you think.