Its Popularity Peaked In The '30s — Now It's A Valuable Thrift Store Find That Doubles As Storage

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Like fashion, home design trends tend to recycle roughly every 20 years. As such, specific vintage decor surges in popularity on a similar timeline. In a lot of cases, these vintage items are more valuable now than they were upon their initial release — not least because they become rarer as time goes on. Vintage celluloid vanity boxes are one such collectible. These highly decorative storage boxes, which peaked in popularity in the 1930s, contain beauty accessories and are often adorned with decorative patterns, paintings, and velvet-, silk- or satin-lined interiors. While there are some vintage brands that are always worth buying at thrift stores, pretty much any vanity box by any maker in good condition has some value. The celluloid material these boxes and their contents are made of is what makes them special.

Vintage decor collectors love celluloid items because of the material's fascinating history. Celluloid is one of the first plastics ever mass produced — alongside Bakelite, a denser, less flammable material that appeared in the early 1900s. From the late 19th century to around the 1940s, manufacturers of home living products embraced celluloid as an affordable alternative to pricey animal-derived materials like ivory and tortoiseshell. A wide range of items were made from the material, from hairbrushes and detachable collars to dolls and dice. The stunning vanity boxes so coveted by collectors today sit at the larger end of the celluloid products produced. Perhaps part of the appeal is that the boxes are multi-functional — these valuable vintage trinkets you should always look for at thrift stores and estate sales work as both decor and luxurious storage for jewelry or other small items.

Celluloid vanity boxes are popular with resellers looking for a reliable profit — particularly if the contain their full set of beauty tools. You'll find listings for these pretty vintage cases all over the internet. For example, OpenedApples on Etsy is selling an eight-piece Art Deco celluloid vanity box for around $80, while you can get an empty, unlined celluloid box dated to the 1930s for about $46 on eBay. You'll also find higher priced vintage celluloid vanity boxes online, such as the Antique Victorian Celluloid Vanity Box sold by Ruby Lane for $225. You can avoid these higher prices by searching thrift store shelves for celluloid vanity boxes rather than purchasing them from online resellers. Designer items go for substantially more — this Paul Frankl celluloid round vanity box from the late 1920s on 1stDibs originally had a list price of $4,250, though the piece is now unavailable.

If you're lucky, you can find these celluloid vanity boxes and even entire sets at thrift stores, where prices are more budget-friendly than what you see in vintage stores, antique stores, and online reseller listings. Of course, if you're hunting for treasures at the thrift store, you'll have to learn how to authenticate potential finds. Celluloid most typically comes in shades of white to yellow and resembles ivory. However, there are also a decent number of pastel celluloid vanity sets with a swirled pattern in the same hue, but darker. Decide, too, whether you want the box for your own home or you hope to pass it on. Carefully checking the item for damage is one of the best thrifting tips for selling thrifted items for a profit.