An assortment of bakelite radios is available at 1stDibs. Frequently made of
bakelite,
plastic and
brass, all bakelite radios available were constructed with great care. There are all kinds of bakelite radios available, from those produced as long ago as the 20th Century to those made as recently as the 20th Century. Bakelite radios made by
Art Deco designers — as well as those associated with
mid-century modern — are very popular at 1stDibs. Many bakelite radios are appealing in their simplicity, but
Alexander Girard,
Emerson Electric and
Phillips produced popular bakelite radios that are worth a look.
Prices for bakelite radios can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, bakelite radios begin at $140 and can go as high as $5,900, while the average can fetch as much as $829.
Arguably the world’s most ubiquitous man-made material, plastic has impacted nearly every industry. In contemporary spaces, new and vintage plastic furniture is quite popular and its use pairs well with a range of design styles.
From the Italian lighting artisans at Fontana Arte to venturesome Scandinavian modernists such as Verner Panton, who created groundbreaking interiors as much as he did seating — see his revolutionary Panton chair — to contemporary multidisciplinary artists like Faye Toogood, furniture designers have been pushing the boundaries of plastic forever.
When The Graduate's Mr. McGuire proclaimed, “There’s a great future in plastics,” it was more than a laugh line. The iconic quote is an allusion both to society’s reliance on and its love affair with plastic. Before the material became an integral part of our lives — used in everything from clothing to storage to beauty and beyond — people relied on earthly elements for manufacturing, a process as time-consuming as it was costly.
Soon after American inventor John Wesley Hyatt created celluloid, which could mimic luxury products like tortoiseshell and ivory, production hit fever pitch, and the floodgates opened for others to explore plastic’s full potential. The material altered the history of design — mid-century modern legends Charles and Ray Eames, Joe Colombo and Eero Saarinen regularly experimented with plastics in the development of tables and chairs, and today plastic furnishings and decorative objects are seen as often indoors as they are outside.
Find vintage plastic lounge chairs, outdoor furniture, lighting and more on 1stDibs.