I found a couple lovely hair toys at an antique mall this weekend; several tortise-shell combs with scrollwork fans to poke out of buns. They were labeled vintage, all between $15-20 in price. They looked old and the combs were worn smooth. I couldn't see any lines from pouring plastic into a mold, but they were in a locked case and the employees were way too busy with Christmas shoppers to unlock it when I wasn't committed to making a purchase.

My birthday is next month...if they are still there, I might treat myself to one. Is there anything I should look for when I get a chance to handle one?