I've been wanting a lucite bag ever since viewing part of Leigh's collection on the Rag Brag. I found this one this morning! <img src=http://members.sparedollar.com/fuzzylizzie/miami.jpg> <img src=http://members.sparedollar.com/fuzzylizzie/miami2.jpg> I need help with cleaning. It's in great condition, but it's a little dirty. So what's safe to use on it? Lizzie
Here is a good page on cleaning lucite purses: http://www.mysticbunny.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/purses5.html
Oh, and she has some awesome purses on that site under "dream purses". One is a Florida, like yours. My fav is the coffin purse! Marie
Oooh! Thanks for the site Marie. That person suggests just soap and water. And the dream purse section also has my blue plastic bees purse in white! Lizzie
Oooooooh, Florida Handbags are some of my favorites! And of course I am a sucker for a glittery bag. You done good, gal. Do not use household cleaners as the one web site suggests. In my opinion, the only cleaner to use that will not degrade the lucite is Novus Plastic Polish/Cleaner #1. You can usually find it locally at places that sell plastic signs and fixtures and such, or order it direct from the company at http://www.noscratch.com/novus/number1.shtml or at various places on the web. Novus Plastic Polish #2 is great for buffing out minor scratches. Never use #3 however, as it's too gritty and harsh for lucite.
Forgot to say, Simichrome paste is good for cleaning and polishing the metal fixtures, but you need to be very very careful not to get it on the lucite. I usually use a q-tip and it takes forever. You can usually buy Simichrome at auto parts stores.
I was wondering why you caution us not to get Simichrome on the lucite. Does it damage the plastic? I'm just curious because Bakelite collectors have been using it for years to clean and polish their plastics. Thanks, Kari
There are differences in plastics and the way they're produced that affect the things they can be treated with. Simichrome can remove the finish and sometimes the coloring on lucite as well as degrade the material. Lucite is a Methacrylate --- a type of plastic produced by casting which allows it to be produced in sheets that can later be bent under heat and/or chemicals to create shapes such as those used for lucite purses. Some of the companies that produced lucite purses (particularly Florida Handbags and Patricia of Miami, which were produced by the same company) used some majorly unstable chemicals in the process. In fact, some of the chemicals they used were outlawed in New York, so that's why they moved their manufacturing to Florida, which had much more liberal laws. It's also the reason they had a huge fire in one of their production facilities that burned hot enough to melt the steel I-beams.
Thanks so much for the very detailed explanation! I'll be sure to keep my Simichrome far far away from the lucite pieces. --Kari
So, Cosmic... have you thought about A) writing an article on lucite bags for the VFG, and B) authoring a book on the topic?
Hey Jonathan, A) Hmmmm, where have I seen that mentioned before? :P B) I'd love to, but it's been done twice already, and there's been a rumor circulating about another one being published soon. It's such a nichey market, I'm not sure how many books it can support nor how profitable it would be for a writer or publisher.
Thanks again Leigh, for all the help... and for the inspiration! And I'll join in on the pressure for you to write an article for VFG on plastic purses. I'll be glad to help you - not with facts, but with the actual writing, if you'd like. Lizzie
The thing is to take the books that have been written, improve upon them, clarify info, add tidbits, provide better, original pics, and provide what might not be available in those books, like care of etc. Also, publishers don't think about saturating the market until they have a dud seller. They will keep printing books on the same topics, like designers and shoes, but won't touch an unpublished topic until someone else does it first. I know, I have a manuscript on a unique topic that they won't touch because nothing else has ever been published on it and they are afraid it won't sell. I think they are wrong, but they don't care what I think.
