Kovels’ Top 11 Picks for Fun and Exclusive Handbags!

This week we celebrate National Handbag Day with a wide-eyed look at some of the top exclusive and expensive designer purses on record. The term “purse” originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. We’ve certainly come a long way from that! The word handbag began appearing in the early 1900s. Now, handbags, purses and totes all fall into that same category of something used to carry your “stuff” around.

You can buy — and sell — vintage brand-name purses at auctions, flea markets and online. Some of the top high end designer brands that we think are the best to collect and that will retain — and even increase — in value are: Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Hilde Palladino, Lana Marx, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Mouawad, Prada, Tom Ford, and the ever-sparkling Judith Leiber. Some you will recognize; others, not so much. But if you see them in a thrift store or at a flea market … snap them up! Also, beware of fakes.  If the price is too good to be true, there may be a reason.

If you are looking to buy one or if you have one you want to sell, be sure to check out Popular Apps & Websites to Buy or Sell Collectibles, Household Goods, and More on Kovels.com and the booklet Kovels’ Collectors’ Guide to Handbags for tips.

So — prepare to have your mind blown by some of these purses and prices! Here are 11 of the most exclusive, high priced (and fun!) handbags that have sold at auction, resale or retail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Online Buying and Selling 

Online marketplaces are a great place for finding or selling collectibles, unique furniture or toys and games of your youth. Some websites — like The RealReal, Poshmark and ThredUp — are excellent sources of couture and high-end fashion. Vintage fashion, name brand purses (i.e. Coach, Judith Leiber) and even Hermès scarves are selling well. A […]

What’s In and What’s Out? Terry Kovel Knows

What are the top collectible trends of 2020? The top collectible is almost-new, limited-edition sneakers autographed by an important player or worn in a special game. While sneakers are tops, here are our personal Top 5 “In” collectibles for 2020, based on auction prices and decorating trends. And while we are at it, we will list what we consider the Top 5 “Out” items.

1. 1950s Midcentury furniture, especially by famous makers
2. Vintage store stuff, large neon signs, metal signs, displays, cabinets (big is best)
3. Large colored glass vases and figures in modern shapes
4. Couture purses by Judith Leiber, Hermès, Chanel, etc.
5. Futuristic toys, robots and spaceships

 

What’s out you ask? They are most likely the items you saw in your grandmother’s china cabinet, including (our Top 5),  Hummel figurines, French Provincial anything, limited-edition plates made after the 1970s (a few early Danish Christmas plates still sell), dinnerware with small flower decoration (Haviland style), and unidentified landscape oil paintings.

Happy collecting!

 

 

 

 

 

Judith Leiber Purses: A Marriage of Sparkle, Imagination

Handbags by designer and businesswoman Judith Leiber (1921-2018) are unique in both shape — often mimicking animals, toys, food items, and even buildings — and whimsy. Most were made with a rigid metal shell, often encrusted with Swarovski crystals, rhinestones and semi-precious stones. A selection of Leiber’s small conversation-piece purses, called “minaudières” meaning “to be […]

Judith Leiber Purses

Q: When did Judith Leiber start making her jeweled purses. I have my mother’s purse that looks like a pile of books. Is it valuable?

A: Judith Leiber purses were first made in 1963. She sold the company and the name in 1993 but continued designing until 2004. Her jeweled handbags in great condition sell for hundreds of dollars. The pile of books purse has sold for $700.