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
"Handbag Chic: 200 Years of Designer Fashion," by Desire Smith
http://tinyurl.com/ysd3f2
"Handbags," by Judith Miller
http://tinyurl.com/293c3y
"Handbags," by Roseann Ettinger
http://tinyurl.com/2boto4
"Handbags: A Peek Inside a Woman's Most Trusted Accessory," by Barbara G.S. Hagerty
http://tinyurl.com/ypcnlc
"Miller's: Handbags: A Collector's Guide (Miller's Collector's Guides)," by Tracy Tolkien
http://tinyurl.com/23ty2p
"100 Years Of Purses 1880s To 1980s : Identification & Values," by Ronna Lee Aikins
http://tinyurl.com/ytcxkx
"Purse Masterpieces: Identification & Value Guide," by Lynell Schwartz
http://tinyurl.com/2bdyzh
"Vintage Purses: at Their Best, with Price Guide," by Lynell K. Schwartz
http://tinyurl.com/ypkxc4
"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!
Handbags History & Information
http://henriettashandbags.com/handbag-history.html
Check out this page at Henrietta's Handbags & Purse Patters for lots of info about history, what to look for, etc.
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.
Vintage & Collectible Handbag Archives
http://www.tpoint.net/~esmee/bag_lady/archives.htm
The Bag Lady maintains this site for "edification and delight of interested parties." Lots of pics!
Vintage & Collectible Handbags
http://www.worldcollectorsnet.com/handbags/index.html
This page at World Collectors Net offers some interesting tips on collecting bags.
From Hermès to Eternity
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/09/hermes200709
Article in Vanity Fair magazine about the famed French company.
