Dyed Sheepskin Tote. 1970s. Maker: Unknown. Rectangular hippie-era purse made of sewn-together super-soft sheepskin squares in beige, brown, dark brown and rust. The circular handles are faux tortoiseshell. My friend Barb gave me this bag. While I love all my purses, it’s always nicer to know their provenance.

Collins Horse-Themed Bucket Bag. 1960s. Maker: Collins of Texas. Linen-type fabric bucket bag featuring a horse print that makes playful puns. “Ol’ Paint” has a painter’s palette, “Appaloosa” has three-dimensional apples, the “Quarter Horse” has a real 1966 quarter sewn, via a plastic patch, to its rear, and the “Strawberry Roan” has three-dimensional strawberries. It’s not in the best shape, but it’s an adorable Collins bag that I haven’t seen before. Reminds me of my Collins poodle purse, which you can check out here (scroll down).

See-Through Plastic Clutch Purse with Coordinating Change Purse. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Clear plastic clutch purse with goldtone hardware and chain, plus faux pearls, rhinestones, and a milk glass and bead appliqué in the center. The plastic is about the thickness of your standard inflatable pool raft. It isn’t quite a match to the clear plastic change purse with larger rhinestone accents that have been fastened, Bedazzler-style, to the exterior. The clutch came with the change purse, as well as the circa ‘60s matchbook from the Golden Gate Casino in Las Vegas, which is still around and bills itself as Las Vegas’s most historic hotel and casino.

This purse has yellowed with age, and, not to be gross, but it’s—well—sticky. It needs a cleaning, but I’m afraid to do it, because I don’t want the pearls to fall off. Seems sturdy enough, but you never know about old glue. Any suggestions are welcome.

Wicker Butterfly Bag. 1960s. Maker: Tropic – Miami, Florida. Sturdy natural wicker box bag with goldtone and faux tortoiseshell hardware, and a plastic window that features a whimsical three-dimensional butterfly motif. The butterflies are felt, with gold rope antennae, gold glitter glue and hundreds of tiny beads. Butterflies were a very popular motif for this era, and there are lots of people who adore the colorful little winged creatures, but my 17-year-old gets very freaked out by them: “MOM! Have you ever seen their FACES? UGH!” Interestingly, butterfly faces rarely appear on purses.

Unusual Coil Cord Purse. 1940s. Maker: Unknown. Incredible cylindrical purse with ivory “telephone cord”-type coils glued to its fabric sides. Top is reddish-brown molded plastic with a unique beads-in-a-ring clasp (see photo). Metal rims at the top and bottom are painted to match the plastic. There’s a mirror inside the top and a white plastic handle.

This is quite possibly the most unusual coil cord purse I’ve ever seen and certainly the most unusual in my personal collection. Reminds me of a mini-ice bucket. Bring on the champagne!

Floral Basket Purse. 1950s-60s. Maker: Midas of Miami. Wicker picnic basket-style bag with ecru velvet on the top and front, featuring three-dimensional appliquéd embroidered flowers, bows, embroidered and velvet leaves, gold glitter glue and gold swirl trim. Has the gold-braided handles that are typical Midas. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but I love, love, love this designer. It’s quite possible that I need some professional help.

Needlepoint Roses Mesh Purse. 1960s. Maker: Jolles Original. Brown mesh fabric bag with appliquéd needlepoint roses, green velveteen leaves, faux gems and green ribbon accent across the top. Also has multicolored beads glued on in a swirled design, resembling sprinkles on a birthday cake. When I first saw this purse, I thought it was a Caron of Houston bag, as its mixed media style is so typical of Caron, but most Caron bags have a black stretch knit fabric base beneath all the glitz. The shape of this bag is common for Jolles, whose designs often feature appliqués, including poodles, a very popular motif for this era. I love this one, though, because the tiny beads look so… tasty. Yum.

Four Seasons Kit Purse. 1960s. Maker: Some crafty ‘60s housewife. Beige textured linen bag with beads, rhinestones, faux jewels and other shiny dealybobs that come together to create individual designs representing the four seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall (all you have to do is call) paying homage to Mr. Sun. Also has wooden side panels, envelope closure with goldtone twist hardware, vinyl handle and little metal feet.

Constructed from a kit, possibly manufactured by General Crafts Corp., a popular brand of that era. I have lots (and lots) of these purses (see previous posts), but what’s really nice about this one is that it has a top for full closure, instead of just being open, tote-bag style. The top protects your vintage wallet, embroidered hanky and rhinestone-covered lipstick mirror. You DO carry those with you at all times, don’t you?

Plastic Box Purse with Embellishments. 1950s. Maker: Theresa Bag Co., Lyndhurst, NJ. Small, rectangular, scalloped-sided, hard plastic purse featuring a milky pearlized lower portion, pearlized oblong handles and a clear top. The top has been embellished with pristine lacquered shells, faux pearls and leaf appliqués. I’ve seen more than a few Theresa handbags over the years, but this is a rare one in that it is embellished on top. It’s possible that the toppings were added later by one of the bag’s owners, but I don’t think so. Some people call these purses Lucite or Bakelite, which are trademarked names for thermoplastic acrylic resin, but I prefer to refer to them as plain ol’ plastic. Not that there’s anything plain about this adorable bag.