# Price of REAL tortoiseshell glasses?



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

In France there is a possibility of buying REAL tortoiseshell glasses, handmade.

This seems to be an illegal material in many parts of the world and therefore I believe it to be quite expensive. Yet I have been looking for years for such glasses as I find them very appealing and do not like the fake plastic ones.

What would be the price of such glasses? $1000? $2000? $3000? Anybody has an idea?


----------



## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

Wait, so you're asking how to purchase such glasses illegally? There are import issues with tortoiseshell, so unless you have someone on the ground in Brussels advising you, this might be on the wrong side of the law.


----------



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

RJman said:


> Wait, so you're asking how to purchase such glasses illegally? There are import issues with tortoiseshell, so unless you have someone on the ground in Brussels advising you, this might be on the wrong side of the law.


No it's completely legal, just that I can't find anyone making them anymore here in Brussels. In France I have found a manufacturer who provides handmade glasses in real tortoiseshell, yet I'm just wandering about the price. (But in some other countries it's indeed illegal.)


----------



## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

euroman said:


> In France I have found a manufacturer who provides handmade glasses in real tortoiseshell, yet I'm just wandering about the price.


So... why don't you ask the manufacturer?!


----------



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

Indeed I'll be phoning them this week... just thought that some other people on this forum would have experience with this... if those glasses are extremely expensive I could have dropped the project right away...


----------



## Srynerson (Aug 26, 2005)

You may want to try PM'ing member HansCastorp. He had a pair of (legal) tortoiseshell eyeglass frames made last year.


----------



## Chuck Franke (Aug 8, 2003)

I believe there are stocks in existence from before the ban.
I seem to recall a post on this very subject once before... can't find it but I'm no Medwards 

Ah, srynerson cross posted - that's the thread I recall... see if I can dig it up


----------



## Srynerson (Aug 26, 2005)

Chuck Franke said:


> I believe there are stocks in existence from before the ban.
> I seem to recall a post on this very subject once before... can't find it but I'm no Medwards
> 
> Ah, srynerson cross posted - that's the thread I recall... see if I can dig it up


Unfortunately the responses to that thread have all been lost.


----------



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

OK no problem but thanks for your response anyway, I appreciate it... (that there are stocks that still exist form before the ban is indeed what I can imagine)


----------



## indylion (Feb 28, 2005)

*check ebay?*

Ebay has some real tortise shell frames


----------



## rip (Jul 13, 2005)

euroman said:


> No it's completely legal, just that I can't find anyone making them anymore here in Brussels. In France I have found a manufacturer who provides handmade glasses in real tortoiseshell, yet I'm just wandering about the price. (But in some other countries it's indeed illegal.)


There's a reason for its illegality, in case it hasn't occured to you; they are generally made from an endangered species. If that doesn't bother you, it should.


----------



## manicturncoat (Oct 4, 2004)

You can get them legally made in Paris but the price depends on the type tortoiseshell you use, it becomes more expensive the lighter the shade of the tortoise shell you use. The prices start at at well over €1000 and reach €8000-€10000 for a pair of glasses. Coffignon on Boulevard des Malesherbes can make them with different types of tortoise shells.


----------



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

Many thanks for all the answers. I will head towards France for a fine pair of glasses!


----------



## euroman (Feb 26, 2006)

For those of you that might be interested, the price of a fine pair of handmade glasses in real tortoisesehell is $3500 (for my classical style glasses in a light brown color) in Paris, France.

In general, for black tortoiseshell the price would be $1000 and for the lightest yellowish tortoiseshell one would have to pay up to $9000.


----------



## rnoldh (Apr 22, 2006)

manicturncoat said:


> You can get them legally made in Paris but the price depends on the type tortoiseshell you use, it becomes more expensive the lighter the shade of the tortoise shell you use. The prices start at at well over €1000 and reach €8000-€10000 for a pair of glasses. Coffignon on Boulevard des Malesherbes can make them with different types of tortoise shells.


8,000-10,000 Euros for a pair of glasses!!!

How much do they get for Aardvark or DoDo Bird?


----------



## Tomasso (Aug 17, 2005)




----------



## Will (Jun 15, 2004)

Tomasso said:


>


I believe those are Francois Pinton sunglasses, worn with his omnipresent white shirt and Albert knotted black necktie.


----------



## guitone (Mar 20, 2005)

rip said:


> There's a reason for its illegality, in case it hasn't occured to you; they are generally made from an endangered species. If that doesn't bother you, it should.


Buying something endangered only encourages illegal activities, surely you can find a replacement or you can find a vintage pair.... As a guitar player I face the same thing with both toroise (for pickguards and picks) and elephant ivory for nuts and saddles, and I will not touch either. You really need to take a stand and if you decide to buy this material I would be very discrete and not discuss it, it is very upsetting to many of us.

PS, getting them legally made in Paris does not mean the material is legal, paper work can be falsified to make it look like pre-ban material. There is a black market for these materials. If you need to have it that bad, and I hope you don't, I hope you realize that no matter what the paper work says you cannot be certain it is pre-ban material...just something to think about.


----------



## RJATL (Mar 11, 2006)

When I saw this thread I thought of what some other responses have mentioned. That is, what the availability and pricing of vintage tortoise shell frames might be. Any ideas?


----------



## HansCastorp (Jul 29, 2005)

I have never seen a (good looking) pair on eBay. My new ones were 7.500 Euro. But being the rather daft ***** that I am, I broke them only two month after I got them. So, in fact, I would be most delighted to find out WHERE I can get a pair (or re-pair) for 3.500.


----------



## RJman (Nov 11, 2003)

HansCastorp said:


> I have never seen a (good looking) pair on eBay. My new ones were 7.500 Euro. But being the rather daft ***** that I am, I broke them only two month after I got them. So, in fact, I would be most dleighted to find out WHERE I can get a pair (or re-pair) for 3.500.


Chr--t. I think I better take some time away from the forum.


----------



## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Who's the geezer with the ugly shades?


----------



## tintin (Nov 19, 2004)

Actually, many auction houses have put up entire tortoise shells for sale. They date back to the 20s and 30s and I've seen two hammered down at between $800-1,000. No harm in buying what's been dead for 70 years is there?

Anyway, if you know someone who crafts glasses with tortoise shell, get off your butt, go online and search the big auction houses for a tortoise shell (and I mean the whole shell). Buy it for a $1,000 bucks and offer it to your eye glass maker in exchange for three or four pair. From an entire shell the guy could probably make 20-30 prs. Probably more. These shells are about 4 feet long and three feet wide. Some people (probably republicans) hang 'em on their walls. I must admit, they look very nice on a maroon or dark green wall and are probably a helluva investment.


----------



## Artisan Fan (Jul 21, 2006)

> Some people (probably republicans) hang 'em on their walls.


I know a few Democrats that hang them on the walls.


----------



## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

Just curious: Is there a particular species of tortoise from whose shells eyeglass frames are traditionally made? Are all tortoise species endangered? I'd really like to know, as I've never heard of all this before.

Also, is that a photo of Aristotle Onassis?


----------



## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

All marine turtles are endangered. This is a combination of overhunting the mature individuals, human theft of eggs and beach nesting site loss so people can do their margaritavile thing behind shell sunglasses admiring the natural world.


----------



## Guest (Feb 22, 2020)

I


euroman said:


> In France there is a possibility of buying REAL tortoiseshell glasses, handmade.
> 
> This seems to be an illegal material in many parts of the world and therefore I believe it to be quite expensive. Yet I have been looking for years for such glasses as I find them very appealing and do not like the fake plastic ones.
> 
> What would be the price of such glasses? $1000? $2000? $3000? Anybody has an idea?


I have a 200 year old pair of real turtle eyeglasses.
I'm trying to find out their value since the temples fold at half way.


----------



## Guest (Mar 4, 2020)

RJman said:


> So... why don't you ask the manufacturer?!


Who is the manufacturer?


----------

