THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL POST! Make sure you read the whole thing and scroll down for pics.

Wicker Las Vegas Casino-Motif Purse. 1960s. Maker: Faye Mell. Natural wicker purse with cloth front encased in plastic. Behind the plastic are matchbooks from old Las Vegas casinos. It also has miniature playing cards, a fake ten-dollar bill and a tiny roulette wheel. Rhinestones, sequins and brass hardware complete the look. Tag says "Handmade Exclusive Faye Mell Design Fleurette, Inc. Miami, FLA."

Faye Mell Designs by Fleurette of Miami is one of my very favorite designers of the mid-century. I was surprised to learn, via the website Findagrave.com, that Faye Mell moved from Florida to Los Angeles, very near me, in her later years. I'm disappointed that I was never able to interview this talented lady, who passed away in 2010, but glad to know that she received a nice tribute on this page.

Here’s my purse in natural wicker.

I also have a variation of it in brown wicker.

And black wicker.

Let’s not forget the gold lamè.

Did I mention I have TWO in gold lamè?

Don’t hate. It’s not nice.

Wicker Basket Purse with Bird and Plants. 1950s-60s. Maker: Midas of Miami. White-painted wicker oblong box bag with green velveteen front. It features a three-dimensional (tummy stuffed for the effect) painted bird with red rhinestone eye. It is surrounded by felt and glitter-paint marsh-type plants, a few of which are also on the top of the bag. Gold trim on the front, along with the usual gold-braided Midas handles and goldtone hardware. Green satin interior with three pockets, including one that zips.

As regular readers of this blog know, Midas is my all-time favorite purse manufacturer. Here’s another example of a bird-themed Midas of Miami bag. They’re getting harder to collect—not because they’re not easy to find—but because the prices are going up. However, if you find one you like that you’ve never seen before and are afraid you’ll never see again, then my suggestion is to BUY IT. You may end up regretting it if you don’t!

  

Pearlized Lucite Clutch. 1950s. Maker: Unknown. Lovely smaller Lucite bag in swirly, shiny, pearlized white, with interesting freeform closure and six tiny goldtone button feet. It’s an unusual combination of curves and flat surfaces, and it snaps closed via a tiny hole in the closure that meets up with another of those small goldtone buttons fastened to the top of the purse.

I have a nice-sized collection of Lucite bags, but I don’t use them as often as my more practical purses. Part of it has to do with their fragility and smaller size, but they can also get very heavy once you load them down with your essentials. This little beauty is in very nice shape and I think I only paid $5 or $10 for it!

Petit Point Key Chain Purse. 1960s. Maker: Unknown, but marked Germany. Super cute black satin purse with delicate petit point floral design and gold-tone—now more brass-colored—hardware. Big enough to hold a lucky penny.

This is the smallest vintage purse I own. Looks anachronistic next to my Honda key, but a good representation of exactly how I feel when I wear Doc Martens with a vintage skirt!

Handbag with Needlepoint German Shepherd. 1960s. Maker: Jolles Original. Beige mesh fabric—almost like needlepoint matting—purse with needlepoint German shepherd dog and hundreds of tiny, glued-on seed beads in white, dark brown, umber and red. The detail, shading and color on the dog is fabulous and he has a glittery rhinestone eye. Goldtone hardware, chain handle and feet. Black satin lining and interior pocket.

Jolles purses are among my favorites, because their designs are so striking. This is the first German shepherd I’ve seen, and the price was excellent, so I had to have it. When you scroll down, you’ll see that Jaeger the Border Collie mix is fond of it as well!

Vibrant Green Purse with Beadwork and Silhouette Couple. 1950s/60s. Maker: Martin. A rich green—cross between lime and olive—tote-style handbag with a metal closure and half-oval fabric handles. It features a fun design of a ‘50s couple—she in full skirt and ponytail, he in collared shirt and ducktail hairdo—in silhouette, flirting under an old-fashioned streetlight. It’s got glued-on multicolored seed beads framing the cloth appliqued design. Lined in black fabric, with an inner zip pocket and another non-zip pocket, it is gold-stamped with the manufacturer name “Martin.” It looks as if it’s never been used.

Often, I’ll see online sellers saying their vintage bags are “one-of-a-kind” or “unique,” even though, as a longtime collector, I’ve run across them numerous times. This one, however, is a purse I’ve never seen before. I don’t know if someone bought a plain bag and custom-appliqued it, or if it came from the manufacturer like this. Also, I’ve never heard of the manufacturer, so if you know anything about Martin, please e-mail me at info(at)wendydager(dot)com.

Now, the coolest part… it set me back five bucks. Yep, there are still deals to be had—you just have to look for ‘em!

Persian Motif Gold Lamè Faux Leather Handbag. 1960s. Maker: Unknown. Huge, shiny gold faux leather purse with gold clasp, gold feet and tapestry front. The tapestry features a design of four men and (possibly; it’s hard to tell) three women, dressed in ancient Middle Eastern or Persian garb. It’s adorned with faux gems including coral, Persian turquoise, rhinestones and gold beads. No maker tag, but I’ve seen Persian-motif bags made by Sourè and Delill.

Not surprisingly, I found this wonderfully gaudy purse in a Las Vegas antique mall. Most of the items were terribly overpriced (and many were reproductions being sold as vintage—a major peeve of mine), but this bag was a good deal. And I don’t already have one like it!