A Guide to Collecting Vintage Powder Puffs

Vintage vanity accessories are hot collectors items. Pretty brush and comb sets from the Art Deco era are highly sought after by collectors and can fetch quite a hefty sum ($500.00 or more). If you want to start a unique collection of vintage vanity items and don't want to pay a steep price, vintage powder puffs are just the thing. Here is a guide for antique lovers on collecting vintage powder puffs.

History

Once upon a time, women applied their powder with soft, fluffy 'puffs' made of feathers, cotton, and even fur. Unlike the cosmetic sponges that women use today, powder puffs were made to look pretty in addition to being functional. If you ever watch old black and white movies from the 1930s and 1940s, you will often notice that the leading lady has a vanity table in her bedroom with assorted items that look almost too exquisite to touch. Vanity items from long ago were designed to be displayed, and powder puffs from the bygone era came in many interesting and beautiful styles.

Vintage Powder Puff Styles and Price Ranges

The most common and prettiest of all powder puffs are the fluffy feather, or 'marabou' style puffs. These puffs are made of soft goose down, and were often decorated with either an elaborate handle made of sterling silver (or sometimes crystal) or most commonly, a simple satin bow. These were very popular in the 1920s and 30s, and they sat atop a 'dish' made of glass which contained the powder. Marabou powder puffs from this era run anywhere between the $10.00 to $40.00 dollar price range, and ones still in their original packaging can go for about $50.00 or more. Also, marabou puffs with a long 'wand' style handle are also very sought after and rare, and those can go anywhere from $30.00 to $100.00 depending on their condition.

Another style of powder puff that was very common in the golden era were the 'flat' powder puffs which came in cases of talcum powder. These were large powder puffs made of either soft cotton or in some cases fur, and were often decorated with satin. Some of these style powder puffs had ladies faces painted on the satiny side, and these can fetch anywhere from $15.00 to $30.00 depending on their condition and whether or not they come in the original powder case. Smaller ones designed for compacts were also decorated, and these can run from about $5.00 to $20.00 depending on their condition.

Where to Find Vintage Powder Puffs

There are several really great websites online that specialize in vintage vanity items which sell antique powder puffs. Vanitytreasures.com and DecoDame both carry an exquisite line of vintage powder puffs in a variety of styles, including the sought after 'wand' style powder puffs. Antique malls usually always have a case with vintage vanity items for sale where there is always a powder puff or two, and of course ebay always has many up for auction and for sale at reasonable prices. Personally, my favorite place to find vintage powder puffs is grandma's house. I actually found a beautiful dusty pink powder puff with a sterling silver handle in my grandmother's storage shed in near mint condition and she was more than happy to pass it on to me. Ask your older lady relatives if its alright to rummage through their attics or storage shed and you will be amazed at what you might find.

How to Display Your Powder Puffs

This is really quite self explanatory, but since most vintage powder puffs are made of feathers, they can become very fragile, and the best way to display and care for them is to keep them under a glass case. You can find small glass case displays for sale at stores such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby or if you really want to get creative, arrange all of your vintage powder puffs together inside a vintage cake stand with a glass cover. This is a very unique way to show off your collection, and the sturdy glass cover will keep them safe from the elements.

For anyone who loves vintage as much as I do, antique powder puffs make a very unique and feminine addition to your collection. Have fun on your quest collecting these fluffy little trinkets!