Would you pay $160,000 (including tax) for a handbag?
I wouldn't either, even if I had the money. But there are, apparently, individuals who can't resist a designer bag, even if they have to max out all their credit cards! (Check out The Bag Snob link listed at the end of this article.)
For the vast majority of us who can't afford new designer bags, there is VINTAGE!
Though bags have been around in one form or another for millennia, the handbag really came into its own at the end of the 19th century. By the 1920's, beaded and mesh purses were all the rage, and many that originally sold for just a few dollars can now command prices up to $2000 or more.
The 1950's and 60's witnessed innovative uses of modern materials like Lucite and plastic, and exceptional items from that period can easily sell for up to $5000 and more!
Of course, as with most collectibles today, the Internet has changed the dynamics of the secondary market in handbags and purses. In "the old days," collectors were content to "trade up": they would buy a wanted item in almost any condition and replace it when a better specimen came along. Now, the huge market opened up by the web has taught collectors that, with the exception of extremely rare items, a perfect or near-perfect piece will eventually show up, if they just exercise a little patience.
This is exceptionally true of the market for vintage bags. No one wants to display or use an obviously damaged handbag. And few are willing to pay top dollar for any but authentic designer bags, unless the bag has an exceptional aesthetic quality (i.e., they really, really like it).
Thus, there is no reason your yard sale or estate sale "find" will make a great profit if it is not in great condition (no broken or missing parts, unsoiled, etc.) or is "unsigned" (no label or stamped name on the clasp or elsewhere). And, of course, bags by the top designers during every period over the last century are much more valuable than any copies.
Note that today, signed bags by such designers as Hermes and Louis Vuitton are in such demand that there is a huge market in counterfeits, so be wary if you decide you wish to collect contemporary pieces.
Of course, an unsigned bag is not automatically considered a copy - the designer label could have fallen off. A little research could authenticate your find, and turn, for example, a Lucite handbag worth $20 or $30 dollars into a "vintage Llewyln 1950's Beehive Handbag" worth $500 to $750 or more!
To that end, the following resources are recommended for the further examination of this extremely popular collectible:
Books:
"Beads on Bags:1800's to 2000," by Lorita Winfield, Leslie A. Pina, and Constance Korosec http://tinyurl.com/27wtg8
"Whiting and Davis Purses - The Perfect Mesh," by Leslie Pia and Donald-Brian Johnson http://tinyurl.com/22awyf
Websites:
The Bag Snob: A Selective Editorial on Designer Bags http://www.bagsnob.com
Weblog about the current world of designer bags. Check out their Snob File Archives or hunt for articles via their list of designers. You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter. http://www.bagsnob.com/the_holy_grail_of_bags
Would you like to see a picture of a $148,000 handbag? Here it is!
The Museum of Bags and Purses (Tassenmuseum Hendrikje) http://www.tassenmuseum.nl/default.aspx?pagename=home
Dutch museum devoted to the "history of the Western bag from the 16th century to the present day." Great photos of period pieces. (Site is available in several languages.)
The Purse Forum http://forum.purseblog.com
More than 73,000 members discuss just about everything to do with "the hottest "it" bags of the seasons". Especially check out their "Authenticate This" and "Designer" forums.
Michele Alice is EcommerceBytes Update Contributing Editor. Michele is a freelance writer in the Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts. She collects books, science fiction memorabilia and more! Email her at makalice @ adelphia.net eBay ID: Malice9
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