CO L L E C T A B L E S
VI N T A G E HA N D B A G S
Author, television host and antiques expert, Judith Miller explains why vintage handbags are back in style and how you
can bag a piece of nostalgia.
lamorous handbags, like designer shoes, have long Examples can be found for under £50, but bags by known
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held a special place in the hearts of women who designers, such as Nettie Rosenstein, can cost £800 or more.
adore fashionable accessories. More revolutionary in design were 1950s Lucite box bags.
It comes as no surprise then, that the market for good Today, striking colours, unusual shapes and additional
vintage bags is currently very strong; established collectors decoration in materials, such as Bakelite, glitter or metal
compete with the increasing number of buyers who simply can add value to a box bag, as can a maker’s label. Pale blue,
want to make a strong fashion statement. yellow and green versions are fairly rare, while
Bags from the early 20th Century tended to whites, greys and browns are more common.
be small and dainty, but by the 1920s and 1930s Look out for examples by Rialto or Willardy
handbags had grown in size to accommodate as these can be worth around £200-£1,000 or
more money and make-up, as well as accessories more.
needed for the newly fashionable activity of Those 1950s women who preferred a classic
smoking. look might have aspired to a leather Hermes
Increasingly ornate in decoration, bags were Kelly bag, now worth at least £1,000, while
becoming objects of desire for the glamorous ladies wanting something more outrageous
and women who aspired to greatness. might choose one of the hugely popular
Beadwork evening bags, made from glass or novelty bags in the shape of poodles, elephants,
Top: A 1950s lucite handbag
cut-steel beads painstakingly knitted together, by Myles Original, caramel umbrellas and many other unusual objects.
or embroidered onto fabric, were particularly
coloured and striated
Bags from the 1960s and 1970s are no
butterscotch with clear plastic
popular during this period, and are now worth
hand-carved rose and leaf
less collectable, especially Emilio Pucci’s
around £50-£400 depending on condition and
decoration. 1951-53, 8.25in
psychedelic bags and Enid Collin’s wooden
(21cm) wide, $600-900.
quality of the decoration. boxes. While these can be worth anywhere
Geometrical Art Deco designs in strong colours, and from £50-£400 or more, bags can be picked up for far less
carefully worked fi gural scenes, tend to command a premium and might appeal to collectors wishing to make good use of
price, while fl oral and abstract designs are generally easier to their new retro bag.
fi nd and therefore, more aff ordable. When buying handbags from any period, remember
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After the austerity of wartime, the 1950s saw a return
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that a recognised maker, especially a top name designer,
to glamour and frivolity. Bags became brighter and bolder. tends to increase in value, as does excellent condition and an
Beaded bags returned to favour, but shapes and motifs were eye-catching design that epitomises the look of an era or the
updated to suit post-war fashions. style of the designer.


THE PRICE GUIDE C
AND
JUDITH MILLER
WELS INC;
Judith began collecting in the 1960s, Recently published titles include the annual DK Antiques Price
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while she was studying at Edinburgh Guide, the best-selling annual DK Collectables Price Guide and
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University. Since then she has broadened DK Collector’s Guides to Costume Jewellery, Art Nouveau,
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and reinforced her knowledge of antiques 20th Century Glass and Arts and Crafts and Furniture, the only
and collectables through extensive research fully comprehensive reference for enthusiasts and collectors.
in the UK as well as internationally. Perfume Bottles by Judith Miller, published by DK, priced £7.99,
She was a co-founder and publisher is on sale now. Judith is a regular lecturer and contributor to
T@DREAMSTIME
of the international antique buyers’ newspapers and magazines. Her television work includes The
bible, Miller’s Antiques Price Guide, House Detectives (BBC Two), The Antiques Trail and It’s Your
USARIO
and has written more than 100 books, all of which are Bid. Sign up to Judith Miller’s information-packed newsletter
VEL held in high regard by collectors and antique dealers alike. on antiques and collectables at www.dk.com/judithmiller.

EX P A T R I A T E 29
Judith Miller.indd 29 6/10/2009 3:37:28 PM
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