Lot of Plasticflex Plastic Tile Purses. 1940s. Maker: Plasticflex. Four Plasticflex brand bags (with red apple motif on tag because they were made by the company Robert Appel, New York). They all feature lightweight plastic tiles fastened together with cloth or leather lacing to form a zip-top purse. The brown clutch has an acrylic or Lucite pull. The ivory clutch has red and green laces (which are flaking with age), a red zipper, and a red crochet handle, possibly added later. The brown and white one has narrower tiles. The ivory one also has narrow tiles, and the addition of handles, which are rare for Plasticflex purses.

I love these because I love the combination of plastic and unusual or beautiful shapes. I don’t know why. I think it’s a tactile thing. I just want to touch them. I also collect early plastic and celluloid jewelry and have a lot of necklaces, pins and bracelets from the ‘40s and ‘50s. Which would require an entirely new blog!

To see more detailed pics of these bags, please check out The Vintage Purse Gallery.

Plastic Covered Purse with Square Dance Motif. 1950s. Maker: Soure. Ivory-colored fabric tote-style bag with intricate drawings of 19th century square dancers. The front has two ladies centered with their gentlemen off to the sides. The women’s prairie dresses and the men’s jeans are embellished with raffia. There are also decorative beads, buttons and rhinestones, and the bag features musical notes and partial lyrics. The back of the purse has a man and a woman dancing. Even the bottom of the bag shows partial pictures of a dancing couple. Plastic handles and an ivory-colored interior. Interior zip pocket and interior open pocket. Some yellowing and cracking due to age.

This is my most recent acquisition and I couldn’t be more excited about it. I love Soure bags, and this is one I’ve never seen before. That doesn’t mean others like it don’t exist, but if I’ve never seen it, then there can’t be too many out there. Let me know if you have one, too!

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Rectangular Popsicle Stick Purse. 1940s-70s. Maker: Unknown. Handcrafted rectangular Popsicle (or craft) stick purse with rope handle, partial lining, hinged top and interesting diamond design on the front. Era unknown as these were popular for quite a long time and people are still making them. They are often listed for sale under the categories of tramp art, folk art and prison art.

I have two with this design (see pics below). One’s a little darker than the other, probably because the sticks were lightly wood-stained after construction.

The third photo shows my collection-within-a-collection. Amazingly, I get more hits—mostly from Asia—on this blog to view my Popsicle stick purses than any other handbag. Could be because someone posted one of my photos on his or her site and added a link to my blog, which I appreciate. If you want to use any of the photos here, please e-mail info(at)wendydager(dot)com.

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Lucite Purse in Unusual Diamond Shape. 1950s. Maker: Wilardy. Fabulous and rare diamond-shaped grey marbleized Lucite bag with unusual handle.

Of course I have a story about it! My husband found it many years ago, when I first started collecting purses, in a decrepit old store/warehouse/barn in Hemet, California. He paid $12 for it.

The first picture below is of the purse itself. The second picture is my dad and his cousin some time in the mid-1950s. My dad was cute, wasn’t he? And his cousin's dress is gorgeous! But… CHECK OUT THE PURSE SHE’S CARRYING! It’s similar to mine, and not just because it’s Lucite. It's kind of hard to make out, but look at the distinctive shape.

I’ve posted these pics and other never-before seen photos on my new website, The Vintage Purse Gallery, a virtual purse museum featuring my vast purse-onal collection.

I’m in the process of developing a traveling exhibit, so please let me know if you are affiliated with a museum or other venue that may wish to put some of these beauties on display. And don’t forget to like The Vintage Purse Gallery on Facebook!

Check out our new site!

NEW! We are in the process of creating THE VINTAGE PURSE GALLERY, a virtual museum featuring photos of the incredible purses collected over two decades by author and speaker Wendy Dager.

We are also offering a traveling exhibit of some these purses. If you are affiliated with a museum, gallery or other exhibition venue, please e-mail info(at)wendydager(dot)com for more information.

If you would like to advertise on THE VINTAGE PURSE GALLERY, please e-mail info(at)wendydager(dot)com.

Vintage Purse a Day will remain on blogger and continue to be updated. Thank you so much for your patronage. We love our visitors and we love vintage purses!

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!