Imagine back in the early 1900s, possibly 19-teens, a young lady at a high society ball needs to 'powder her nose'. This extraordinary compact is what she would have used. She would slide her hand through the wrist chain and off she would go.
This was made by the Marathon Company of Attleboro Massachusetts. According to Wikipedia, the first ads for these Marathon compacts started appearing in 1909. Marathon produced these until the early 1930s. Sorry, I can't narrow down the exact date on this because I obtained it at an estate sale and there was no one to ask further info.
It is often called a 'compact dance purse'. It measures about 2.5 inches at the widest points. I do not know what type of metal the compact is made of, but it is magnetic. The wrist chain strap is large enough to easily slide over the hand, yet small enough that it won't slip off. It's my guess that the chain is either silver plated, or actual sterling silver. It is not magnetic and has no hint of magnetic pull when waving a magnet over it.
The front has a vertical diamond design with a small crest of some type. It also has an engraved letter D in scroll design. (I was told the D can be buffed out by a jeweler). It is a hinged compact with a ball closure. I believe the exact name for that type of closure is a 'case closure eye'. The back has vertical lines much like the front, but does not have the diamond design.
Inside, there is a mirror and a loose powder well. The mirror side is marked Marathon. The mirror is in excellent condition and gives a semi magnified view. The powder well side has a small puff. There are two small prongs that the puff slides under to secure it. I have not removed the puff to inspect the underside because the well is full of powder and I don't want to disturb it.
When purchased, use caution when you open it because there is loose powder that may spill out.
CONDITION:
I see no dents or heavy scratches inside or outside. As you can see in my photo, there are some black dots. I took several of the photos using my camera's zoom feature, so the photos show those black dots much larger than they actually are. Normally I would use a small piece of fine grade steel wool on those dots, but decided to leave the compact as is for the new owner. I have not cleaned or polished it.
Buyer to pay Insured USPS First Class Mail Parcel delivery charges of $7.29. The package will arrive with Signature Confirmation, meaning someone will have to sign for it when delivered. Since the insurance and signature confirmation is for the protection of us both, I split those costs with the buyer.
SIGNATURE REQUIRED at time of delivery.
SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING CHARGES: Twice yearly, and again in November for the holiday season (so three times per year) the postal service increases shipping charges. This is what they call their "Delivering For America" plan in which they hope to become profitable. It's a 10 year plan that started in 2021, so we've got years to go with multiple price increases on shipping charges each year. I try to absorb the new charges and haven't increased my shipping charges in three years. This year unfortunately, I have to if I want to stay in business. I'll try to keep it reasonable and even absorb some of the increases when possible.
I do combine shipping on multiple items purchased as long as all items will safely fit into a single box or envelope. However, my web host is not set up to calculate multiple item shipping costs. At checkout, you will be charged full shipping price on each item purchased and I will refund the appropriate amount of overpayment. If you are uncomfortable with that, you can send me an email with your zip code and stating which items you'll be purchasing and I'll calculate the correct combined shipping charges and send you a custom invoice.
INTERNATIONAL PURCHASED: Sorry, I do not ship to locations outside of the United States.
All items in my listings come from either estate or garage sales. I do not know if they come from homes where smoking or pets were present. Unless otherwise stated, all items are sold in the same condition as when I obtained them.
