eBay Niche Product: Swirly Catalin Items

November 6th, 2007 | Niche

Today I'm starting a new category called [tag]Niche Selling Ideas[/tag]. There are still some little-known areas on eBay where hungry entrepreneurs and observant thrift store & garage sale shoppers can make a killing.

Ok, so what is catalin?

[tag]Catalin[/tag] was used extensively in the 1920's through the early 1940's. Around the time of World War II it was not uncommon at all to find [tag]jewelry[/tag] and other household items made with the swirly plastic. During the war however, materials were funneled to the war effort and Catalin production dropped dramatically in favor of cheaper (less impressive) plastic. Catalin never really made a comeback. It has had an extremely good sell-through rate on eBay for a long time. If you find a piece, it will likely sell - sometimes for surprisingly high prices.

Is this [tag]radio[/tag] really made of Catalin?

Be careful before buying an item that claims to be catalin. Many sellers sincerely believe they have a rare catalin radio. They may list their item on [tag]eBay[/tag] with a question mark because they're not sure. You can usually spot genuine catalin because you'll see many bids on the item. It's still a good idea to train yourself to identify the real McCoy.

Catalin and [tag]Marblette[/tag] are trade-names for slight variations on the original [tag]Bakelite[/tag] chemical formula. During manufacturing, Catalin started out as a clear resin. Then dyes were added to give it various colors. Even with these colors added, light will still pass through Catalin. Use a pretty good light and see if it passes through. If it does, you are certainly on the right track. Light will pass thru Catalin. Even Black Catalin will offer a little translucence. It may appear a little green. Another test used by some is a heat test. Plaskon, Bakelite, Beetle, and Catalin won't melt. Although they may produce an odor when heated, but the smell test alone, and the heat test in general are not conclusive tests for Catalin.

Although some Catalin radios and other items may have been made very thick they may also be thin. Catalin is a poured or cast [tag]plastic[/tag] which allows it to be made thick but in the case of Emerson Patriot radios of the early 40's Monsanto Plastic was the supplier of these Catalin cases and they have walls that are a little thinner than those made by Catalin Corp.

Catalin may be found with dramatic swirling, but also in solid colors. It's really important to know how to identify it, since it's often very valuable. eBay is a great place to study these items.

An important fact regarding many Catalin items is the level of discoloration that takes place. As Catalin ages, and is exposed to the environment and light it will change color, often darkening.

Produced in dozens of colors--solid and marbled--many have changed over time:

white turned to cream corn
turquoise turned to green
pink turned to orange
violet turned to brown
blue turned to green

Professionals exist who can remove the discoloration, but many just like to enjoy them as they are.

Generally Catalin can be found in a wide variety of colors and color combinations. Although radios bring the highest prices on eBay, there are lots of other items you can find. You can find catalin items at [tag]garage sales[/tag], [tag]thrift stores[/tag], and especially at good [tag]estate sales[/tag] at very reasonable prices since many people don't know what they have. An eBayer's dream come true.

Take a look below at some of the items available on eBay right now...