White Acrylic Box Bag. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. White plastic pearlized box-style purse with goldtone hardware and matching acrylic handle. This style reminds me of a tackle box or a sewing kit. It must have belonged to Judy, because there’s a goldtone cursive “J” on top. Maybe Judy liked to fish. Or sew. Or carry a mighty fine purse.

Collinsiana Tote-Style Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Enid Collins. Classic Enid Collins tote in textured fabric with faux leather ivory-colored trim, featuring everything that makes a Collins a Collins: a montage of beaded designs from her cable car, money tree, night owl, kitty, bird, sol and les fleurs bags. It’s marked with the lowercase “ec” logo on the back and the word “Collinsiana” on the front. I don’t need a big collection of Collins bags—I have them all in one purse!

White Beaded Purse. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Ivory mesh fabric with hundreds of small and large white beads glued onto it, making a fabulous three-dimensional feast for the purse collector’s eyes. The handle is made of upholstery foam, which you can see because the mesh has come apart a bit. The opening is metal, which snaps stiffly open and closed. At first, I couldn’t tell if the beads were sewn or glued, but, after examining them closely—and, I admit, tugging on them—a lot—I determined that the glue they used must be the same stuff that held Apollo 11 together. This purse is forty years old and is in a lot better shape than I am!

Wicker House Purse. 1972. Maker: Simon, Made in Hong Kong, Styled by Mister Ernest. Very well-constructed house-shaped wicker box purse with leather accents and brass hardware. I love the asymmetry of the handle and the window- and door-like patches on either side. One of the patches has, embossed in gold, the words “©1972 MISTER ERNEST.” I have a great picture in my head of what the actual Mister Ernest may have looked like. I’m thinking Project Runway-type designer, but in a leisure suit, with a neck scarf. FABULOUS!

I know I promised to take some purse photos today, but I had to work. So, since some of you have expressed interest in other aspects of my vintage clothing collection, here’s a picture taken about two years ago. I’m carrying a Corde wristlet bag; that’s a Persian lamb coat with fur collar slung over my shoulder; and on my head is a matching Persian lamb hat with a cute little bow. The best part is that fabulous ‘40s evening dress, black with exquisite white glass beadwork on the front. I paid $12 for it at the Salvation Army. You can imagine how exhilarating that was! Even better was that it fit me! I’m not so sure now, but maybe if I hold my breath…

Hi everyone! My apologies for not posting lately. I promise to take some purse pics tomorrow. Meanwhile, check out one of the reasons I've been so preoccupied...my eldest daughter graduated from culinary school this month, receiving her A.O.S. degree in culinary arts and Le Cordon Bleu Diplome. Congrats, Chef Rachel!

Note: In the photo, she is giving me a nice hug, and not trying to squeeze money out of me. I'm pretty sure there isn't any left. Next kid better get scholarships!

Vintage Leather Belt Purse with Ephemera. 1930s. Maker: Unknown. In poor condition, this leather-like bag has a beautiful butterscotch celluloid or Bakelite closure and a loop fastened along the backside (shown in the photo), which, I believe, is meant to be used with a belt. The utterly fantastic part of this purse is its contents. I was so excited to come upon this because I love being able to touch history, some of which, in this case, is falling apart. Among the fragile items in this bag: A leather change purse, a pocket mirror, a Morton’s Salt ad recommending its use as a “dentifrice,” an American Legion Veteran’s Day paper poppy, raffle tickets for an Aladdin Lamp & Shade, a receipt from the Acme Feed Company of Burlington, NC, dated August 5, 1933 for $3.80, and a Peerless Weight Machine cardboard token dated October 29, 1932 with weight—163 pounds—and fortune, “Though naturally generous with money, you have a keen sense of its value and never dissipate it unwisely.”

Homemade Kitschy Kitty Purse. 1960s/70s. Maker: Unknown. Hand-knit cat-shaped purse that’s molded around what looks to be an old margarine container. Kitty has green eyes with luxurious lashes and is adorned with fake flowers and yarn puffball feet and cheeks. When I look at it, I’m just about speechless. All I can say is “I can haz silly purz?”

Straw Mushroom Purse. 1960s/70s. Maker: Bags by Patricia. Funky and fab purse circa the hippie era, made of wrapped and woven straw and featuring a psychedelic design of raffia ‘shrooms, flowers and leaves. This handbag was gifted to me by the lovely, talented and very generous Miss Holly, whose blog, Sweetheartville, I command you to visit. Holly also has a booth in an antique mall. See her post of October 23, 2007 for details.

Chocolate Brown Corde Bag. 1940s. Maker: Genuine Corde. Simple rectangular cord-style fabric bag with goldtone closure. The clasp is unusual in that it’s a U-shaped fork. Which is an odd way to describe it, but I like to vary my adjectives. And nouns. And, sometimes, my adverbs. Daringly taking great chances!

Dark Brown Corde Bag. 1940s. Maker: Genuine Corde, Ador Bag Co. Rich, dark brown-bordering-on-black cord fabric bag with interesting geometric pattern on the front. I have a small collection of Corde handbags and this is one of my older and more ornate ones. In the picture, it’s hanging on my Victorian-era brass dining room mirror, but I usually keep it in my bedroom, on a wrought iron Moorish-style decorative holder, with another Corde bag and the cut velvet bag from the previous post. Purses make great art!

Cut Velvet Evening Bag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Created in the style of Victorian handbags, this cut velvet bag, circa the ‘60s, is done in a raised leafy beige pattern on a dark brown background. It has an ornate goldtone closure and chain handles. I adore texture and this one is very fun to fondle. Does that make me a “pursevert?”

Courtly Gentleman Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Mesh fabric bag with a swirled pattern (front side only) of glued-on multicolored seed beads and green velvet leaves, which have green glitter glued to their edges. In the center is a needlepoint courtly gentleman, resembling one of the Three Musketeers (the guys, not the candy bars). There are also some jewels around the gentleman. I have a feeling this is a Caron of Houston purse, but there’s no label. Caron’s labels were generally glued and not sewn, so they do sometimes fall off due to age. Love these "busy" bags!

Note: I’ll be gone to Las Vegas this weekend and am taking my ‘60s gold casino purse with me. I’ll let you know if a high-roller makes me an offer I can’t refuse. For the purse, that is.

Leather Tooled Roses Purse. 1970s. Maker: Unknown. Stiff dark brown leather purse with a long shoulder strap, probably made in Mexico, featuring tooled roses and leaves on the top and sides. The leaves are tinted green. This bag reminds me of my teenagerhood—the good part, that is. Ah, '70s fashion!

Bejeweled Train Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Souré Bag New York. Wonderful large tweedy purse with ivory vinyl accents and a beaded and sequined train, done in the style of many such Collins-era bags. This beauty makes quite a statement about choo-choos. I’m almost tempted to take a train ride somewhere just so I can show her off.

Golden Box Bag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Gold lamé oblong box-style purse, circa the ‘60s, encrusted in beads, sequins, flowers and leaves. Snap closure. Inside mirror. I have to call it an “unknown” because there’s no manufacturer's tag, but I'm reasonably certain it is a Caron of Houston. Caron is known for its black fabric bags with similar beadwork on the front, but I see these shmancy gold ones listed online every once in a while. It’s sweet, and, unlike envelope-style evening purses, you can easily fit a cell phone and lipstick in it. And, of course, the keys to your Ferrari, dahling.

Roadrunner Wooden Box Bag. 1960s. Maker: Gary Gails. Very small wood box bag made by designer Gary Gails of Dallas, featuring a hand-painted roadrunner, cacti and the hot desert sun on the front. Gary Gails’ bags were often made of wood, in the Collins style, and sometimes have his name as “Gary Gail,” without the “s.” His logo, found inside each bag, is a stylized spade, accompanied by the words “Collectors Item – (hand symbol) Decorated for You.” Many of his bags, like this one, were made in Hong Kong. This little purse is also special in that it apparently was once owned by a girl named Jennifer Womack, who put her name in pencil on the inside, near the mirror, along with her homeroom number, 221. Very sweet.

White Textured Box Bag. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Oval box-style purse in a textured off-white faux leather. It looks like thousands of tiny beads are glued to the box, but I believe it’s a molded design. Reminds me of the cottage cheese you see on old ceilings. Or spackle. Or something else you’d find at Home Depot.

Lucite Clutch with Square Gems. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Marbleized pearl white plastic clutch purse with goldtone hardware and interesting square pieces with inset rhinestones. The pieces are set into both sides of the bag. I saw a very similar purse online and it went for a ridiculous amount of money. I swear, one of these days, I’m going to have to sell off part of my collection and buy something fabulous—like health insurance. (P.S. Happy Birthday to my eldest, who is 19 today. Now go get a job!)

Textured Poodle Tote. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Large tweed tote purse featuring gold leather handles, base and closure. Tons of sequins, jewels and glitter accent this playful poodle frolicking in a flower garden. I paid $28 (on sale, not including sales tax or the gasoline to schlep to the antique mall) for this purse, which is not in the greatest condition—frayed handles, missing gems, loose sequins, etc. $28 doesn’t sound like much for a cool bag, but I pride myself on paying a lot less to get a lot more. This, however, was just so unique, with its maximum mixed media. I have several poodle bags, but I liked this one because, well, it has so much going on. An excellent purse for someone with a very short attention span. Like, um, me.

Floral Needlepoint Handbag. 1960s. Maker: ADG Fashion Imports. Beautiful, well-constructed leather bag with the front completely covered in a floral needlepoint design on a black needlepoint background. This purse was made in Hong Kong, as were a lot of bags from this era, which makes me sad, because of all the trouble we’re having with imports from China these days. I just hope no one ever issues a recall on handbags from the ‘60s. That’d pare my collection down way too much.

Wicker Purse with Poodle Motif. 1960s. Maker: Princess Charming by Atlas. Gorgeous natural wicker handbag with marbleized brown plastic and silvertone hardware. Front features a plastic-covered scene of two playful poodles, one on a leash and one chasing a yellow butterfly. Poodles are adorned with black shells, a common design element among the Atlas purses, because many of them feature a sea-life motif. Some of the shells have fallen to the bottom of the plastic, but it doesn’t detract from the other details, like the sparkly mesh background, rhinestones, flower beads and gold rickrack. Let’s face it—this is just the cutest purse ever. Or, at least, in the Top Ten.

Large Gold Box Purse with Cameo. 1960s/70s. Maker: Unknown. Briefcase-sized bag features a gold faux leather exterior and handle and a goldtone cutwork frame that reminds me of those late ‘60s/early ‘70s perfume-mirror trays. Oddly, and for no reason whatsoever, there’s a painted cameo, featuring a pair of frolicking lovers, glued to the front center of the purse. The cameo is surrounded by clear rhinestones, as if it may have been a brooch prior to being a purse adornment. I have a feeling someone added it later—someone who didn’t think her huge, heavy, gold bag didn’t make quite enough of a statement.

Convertible Tapestry Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Large upholstery fabric-covered purse with removable cover. Underneath is a solid black bag. Acrylic handle and sturdy goldtone hardware. This thing weighs a ton. It was featured in the video I made when I entered USA Network’s 2006 “Show Us Your Character” contest. I billed myself as a freelance writer and vintage clothing aficionado, and there’s an embarrassing scene in which I struggle to get the cover off the bag. I imagine this display of my ineptitude, along with my mannequin losing her wig, is what helped me to win a first-place prize in the contest.

Lucite and Gold Thread Box Bag. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Fabulous vintage box-style handbag with pearlized grey Lucite top, acrylic handle and a lightweight plastic see-through base that shows vertical and horizontal gold threads. Metal frame and hardware. While I don’t have a lot of these types of bags, I get a little chill when I see one in an antique store or at a vintage show. They’re just so ladylike and elegant.

Casino Kit Purse. 1960s. Maker: General Crafts Corp. This is the newest--and the coolest--addition to my extensive collection of kit purses. The very week that I commented that I was coveting a gambling-themed kit purse, I discovered this gorgeous work of art at an online auction. I’m a very lucky gal when it comes to finding treasures. I just hope this purse brings me luck next time I play poker!

Birds and Flowers Kit Purse. 1960s. Here’s another of my vintage kit purses, made by a creative crafter back in the late 1960s or early ‘70s. The purse is possibly from a General Crafts Corp. kit, but there were other brands available for purchase at that time, including Tandy and Sophistikits (made by Collins). This is nicely done with jewels forming the birds’ bodies and other shiny trims and notions for the branches, leaves and flowers. It's different than most kit purses in that it's a closed bag and not the open-ended tote-style, which makes it more pickpocket-resistant. (Pickpurse-resistant?) It’s hard for me to remember what I paid for most of my purses, but this one, which I bought about five years ago, cost me ninety-nine cents, the least expensive purse in my collection. A beauty AND a bargain!

Fruit and Wine-Themed Wicker Purse. 1960s/70s. Maker: Midas of Miami. Gorgeous large wicker handbag with fabric appliqués in the shapes of wine bottles and fruit, which are accented by glitter and faux gems. Gold braid handle and goldtone hardware, plus a satiny green fabric interior. I love Midas bags for their variety and the creativity of the artists who made them. My community is having a “Vino Jazz Festival,” which I wasn’t planning to attend, but now I have the perfect purse for it!

Needlepoint Handbag. 1960s/70s. Maker: JR Florida. Large royal blue woven fabric bag with the front done entirely in needlepoint. The detail is fabulous. It features a yellow chalet with a lawn and foliage, and a lovely pink-blossomed tree in the foreground. I like this purse because my own house is big and yellow, only it's not a chalet. It’s more of a hideout. Where I hide out. Except when I emerge to go shopping for more purses!

Sock-it-To-Me Lunchbox. 1968. Maker: George Schlatter-Ed Friendly Productions and Romart. Inc. Bright yellow oblong vinyl lunchbox with white handle, zipper, and Laugh-In’s Sock-it-To-Me logo appearing multiple times on the front. Yep, I’ve used this as a purse, and, yep, there are some people out there who aren’t old enough to remember Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. I am, but just barely. I swear.

Tooled Leather Clutch. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Lovely Mexican leather large clutch purse with a tooled floral design. What makes this unique is the name “Agnes,” which is etched onto the front of the purse in a beautiful cursive, with leafy accents. Most of my tooled bags are from the ’60s or ‘70s, but I believe this one is older because of the name. I love the name “Agnes.” I have a coffee mug with the name “Agnes” on it. My next pet will be named “Agnes.” I even like writing “Agnes.” OK, I’ll stop now.

Expanding Leather and Bakelite Purse. 1940s/50s. Maker: Bogan. Beautiful black leather purse, trimmed in a gorgeous brown Bakelite frame, which doubles as an expanding device that reveals three inner compartments. Has a leather strap and a leather closure, which reaches up from the bottom to snap at the top. I’m not sure if I’m getting the maker name right, as it looks as if it says “Bogan,” but the writing is stylized, so it's a bit hard to make out. It’s got a fawn logo, so if you know anything about it, please leave a comment or send an email. The bag was given to me by my husband’s mother, a very stylish woman, born and raised in Switzerland. Have you ever seen a purse this nifty? I don’t use it too often because it’s hard to fit a bulky wallet and cell phone inside the relatively flat compartments, but, when I show it to people, it’s always a surprise. Expand-o-matic!

Fabulous Jewel Tone Handbag Bonanza! As promised, here are photos of catalog pages from the General Crafts Corp. Jewel Tone kit purses of the late 1960s. For more detailed information about these handbags, please see my post of June 1, 2007.

I don’t have every one, but I do have a bunch—in the neighborhood of twenty-five (I'm so ashamed!)—including some duplicates (extra shameful!). The first six photos are of the fold-out catalog pages. The seventh photo is of a single-page insert that says the purses are now available in black. The eighth picture is a make-by-number pattern of their peacock model, and the last is the finished product, which I'd be too lame to do myself, but thank goodness there are crafty people out there!

Catalog Pages












Now in Black!


Peacock Pattern


Peacock Purse

Wooden Collins Box Bag with Turtle. 1960s. Maker: Collins of Texas. Brown wooden box with leather handle and painted-on turtle, which is decorated with polished stones. It has the word “Poki” on it—the name of the bag, and, presumably, the turtle—and the Collins of Texas “C”-with-a-horse logo. Like the two previous purse posts, I got this bag at the Long Beach swap meet, where I had a friendly disagreement with the guy selling it. He called it an “Enid Collins,” which it sort of isn’t. This is a later model, made by the Tandy Company, after Enid sold her company to them. Some might consider it a matter of semantics, but, generally speaking, most bags with the "EC" logo—when Enid was still part of the company—are more valuable than the Tandy-made creations. I did some research and saw that the Poki design was made in other colors, using a variety of faux gems and dealybobs. This has double-appeal in that it’s a Collins and is also a turtle collectible. I just happened to think it was adorable.

Floral Trunk-Style Purse. 1960s. Maker: JR Florida. Adorable little vinyl trunk-style purse with pattern of green and blue daisies and sunbursts. Trimmed in green and blue velveteen, with goldtone closure and acrylic handle. I picked this up at the show in Long Beach last week. The seller wanted six bucks for it, but it has some cracks to the vinyl on top and in the back, so I set it down. She then asked for $4, which I accepted, but I felt kind of bad about it, because I’m sure it seemed like I was negotiating when I pointed out the damage, which I wasn’t. Not for six bucks. So I gave her my sincere thanks for letting me have this cute little addition to my collection for practically the cost of a Starbucks’ grande nonfat cappuccino with four Equal. (Yes, I need my chemicals. I’m counting on them to keep me young.)

Storefront Basket Purse. 1960s. Maker: Caro-Nan. I’ve always wanted a basket purse by Caro-Nan, and I picked up this one last weekend at a swap meet in Long Beach, California. It's woven wicker with a wooden top and handle, stained a rich brown; plus an antique-finish goldtone metal latch. It features a painted-on town with storefronts with the words “Museum,” “Pastry,” “Boutique,” “Photos” and more. I’ve seen quite a few Caro-Nans with real store names written in to match real towns across the U.S., making them very collectible for those who want hometown memorabilia. Some have “titles” on the underside of the wooden lid in addition to the Caro-Nan signature. Many of them have different signers, indicating that Caro-Nan employed a variety of artists to make their basket bags, which also have golf, bird, tennis, sailing and other themes. This bag has a red quilted lining and a penny glued to the top for luck. I think I was pretty lucky to stumble across this one, which is in great shape.

Travel Theme Kit Purse. Late 1960s. Maker: General Crafts Corp. This is another in my collection of vintage Fabulous Jewel Tone Handbag kit purses, made in the Collins style by some talented crafter in ye olde days of yore. This tote is green and features a travel motif that includes a sequined Eiffel Tower and the words “Paris,” “London” and “Rome,” along with various and sundry faux gems and dealybobs. Alas, this bag is in need of some repair as the latch cover—which I still have—has broken off. Wear and tear is common with these style bags—latches break, jewels fall off, grommets pop, etc. I’m from the ‘60s, too, and I have similar issues. My jewels and grommets burst all the time. Sometimes noisily, which would be embarrassing if I had any shame left.

Hello, fellow vintage aficionados! I’m so sorry I haven’t been posting—I’ve been tied up with work. (Work = money to spend on purses!) I promise to get back to my regularly scheduled posting, but, in the meantime, thought you might enjoy these two photos. The first one is a sub-collection of mine: vintage lipstick mirrors. I have others strewn about the house, but this is the bulk of my collection. My favorite is the pink-and-blue rhinestone-encrusted beauty on the right. Also on my vintage vanity, partly pictured, is an old pin cushion next to a pair of '50s red polka-dot gloves. On the left, you can barely see the corner of my framed wedding invitation from (gasp!) 1985. Scroll down for my comments on the second photo.



Remember when I joked about the bipartisanship of my wicker donkey and elephant purses? They were on my vanity chair, but I'd moved them aside so I could take some pictures. When I looked over at them, I realized they were leaning next to each other, grinning as if they were best of friends. Had to capture it for you.