Most of my favorite lucite handbags are either unavailable, too expensive, or have imperfections. For one or more of these reasons I do not own one or have one in my collection of vintage accessories so far.
But lucite fascinates me because of its unique designs, the finish using a variety of materials added to it, and the history of lucite itself.
It does not mean that I never will. But serendipity has not shown itself to bring one into my life.
For now since I do not possess one, I am writing this blog post in recognition of my favorite lucite handbags. You can read more about them in this earlier blog post 1950s Lucite Handbags.
Types of My Favorite Lucite Handbags
I am aware of numerous types of lucite handbags. There are clear ones with and with out an etched design. Then there are clear or colored ones with another material on them. Third there are solid opaque ones. Last there are translucent colored one.
Clear and White Lucite Handbags Below are examples of clear or white lucite handbags with or without an etched design in them. White and clear Lucite handbags.
Brown or Dark Red Translucent and Opaque Lucite Below are examples of brown and dark red translucent and opaque lucite. examples of brown translucent lucite handbags
Colored Opaque Multicolor Lucite Below are examples of colored 3D Lucite or other materials in them. Colored Opaque decorated and 3D Lucite
Solid Colored Opaque Lucite Below are examples of pure opaque colored lucite handbags. Three examples of colored opaque lucite handbags Red is supposed to be the most rare and therefore the most valuable. I prefer it in opaque rather than a transparent red lucite.
I have only found one Furla bags in person. In fact it is a round and fire engine red. It is similar to the one pictured here. Therefore, I had to have it.
My discovery of a Fabulous Furla Handbag is part of an interesting story. First of all, FURLA handbags were unknown to me. Not only that, I had no idea of its value. Most unusual was my introduction to this Furla bag. It was by coincidence that I found it when I attended a local community Thrift sale.
My First Furla I loved it, especially the unique round shape and bright color. First of all, it was fire engine red. Second of all, and rarely found, it was round. How rare is a round red handbag?! I had to have it.
History of Furla
That was the first time I heard of Furla. In fact, it was the only time for many years to come. When I did hear their name again, it was because I discovered a totally different kind of Furla bag online, such as the Jelly, Candy, and Re-Candy collections. In fact, they could not have been more different from their original rich leather predecessors that launched the company almost 100 years earlier in 1927 in Bologna Italy by Aldo Furlanetto.
Questions and Answers
Since much has changed since the founding of the wholesale leather goods company in 1927, a number of questions about Furla came to mind. Fortunately I found some answers in the article, Furla Bags-Handbag, Your Next Shoes
Question: Is Furla a luxury brand? Answer:Yes, sort of. “One of the biggest debates around Furla is whether the brand falls into the ‘luxury’ category. It’s not on the same level as Gucci or Chanel, but it’s not at the level of Longchamp or Kate Spade.
Furla sits comfortably in the spot known as ‘accessible luxury’. While their bags won’t break the bank, they’re investment pieces that will last you a lifetime, with impeccable Italian craftsmanship.” Furla Bags-Handbag, Your Next Shoes
For example, these are accessible luxury bags more prestigious than Coach, let’s say, Kate Spade, and Dooney & Bourke, for example. Luxurious Furla soft leather bags costing over $500.
Question:How Can you Tell if a Furla is a Fake? Answer: 6 Best ways to identify fake Furla bags
“When we think of counterfeit bags, it’s usually top-tier luxury brands that jump to mind. The counterfeit or ’super fake’ market is larger than ever and becoming more prominent thanks to social media platforms like TikTok.
Brands at the attainable luxury price point are also finding themselves becoming victims of the counterfeiting industry. As a timeless brand with versatile designs, it’s no surprise that Furla has joined this list.
The best way to ensure that you’re purchasing a genuine Furla bag is to buy directly from the brand or an authorized stockist like Saks Fifth Avenue or Farfetch. If you’re planning to purchase a Furla bag pre-loved from a website or store, you want to know what signs to look out for.” Furla Bags-Handbag, Your Next Shoes
Second Generation Furla
There are actually two things that contribute to the collectability of Furla bags. The first is the Furla-Brand concept that was established when Aldo’s children Carlo, Paolo and Giovanna joined their father in the company. In fact, this was in the 1970s. Then the second aspect is part of the next generation which is described below.
Believed to be birthed in this century the Yellow school bag is a knockout.
The Next Generation
Question:What brought about the dramatic addition changing the style from solely traditional quality leather goods to include nylon and rubber? Answer:This latest collection is attributed to Giovanna. It has actually breathed new, vibrant life into an already outstanding accessible luxury European handbag and accessories dynasty. Most importantly, this latest collection includes an emphasis on recyclability and sustainability. In fact, the fun Furla designs collection follows for viewing.
Furla Bloom Bag Made with a paperlike fabric and biodegradable from New Arrivals
Furla Candy Bag A purple Furla Candy bag on ebay.com
Furla Jelly Bag Great looking Furla Jelly Bag in light blue on Poshmark.com
The Latest Furla
Furla Re•candy Bag The Furla Re•candy Bag is currently one of the hottest fashion statements amongst young and Gen z women. In addition, this new Re•candy is totally recyclable. This is all due to the fact that this fine leatherware company has also a growing focus on recyclability and sustainability. Furla-Re•candy exhibit at the 2022 Milan Fashion Week featured in a Town & Country article, photo courtesy of Furla.
My pocketbook collection is sizable. In fact it is so substantial that I can not put it in one place.
No Room for Storage I can’t store it either. Therefore I have come up with a unique solution. Since I can’t store them, I decided to display them. And this post is a tour of the collection display I created.
What They Are I have limited my collection to a few brands that are my favorites. Some of them were expensive when I could afford such a luxury. But now I have become a thrifter in my collecting habits.
An Economical Hobby It comes as a surprise even to me how economical my hobby has become. These days it is required that any addition to my collection be a fraction of its original cost. Even with that constraint, I have been able to get quite a lot of very nice pre-owned and vintage bags.
Where I Get Them – New from Catalogs My collection’s history could be described as a pyramid. For example, it started with a few new retail bags available through colorful mail order catalogs. These included Coach, Dooney & Bourke, and lastly Kate Spade.
Outlet Store Malls In fact, the above collections now have outlet stores with discounted new handbags. Once I even treated myself to a bag from that venue.
Where I Get Them – Pre-owned But since then I have progressed to pre-owned bags. It is like hitting the lotto because this method includes an abundance of online stores like Poshmark, Etsy, eBay, Mercari and more. Least I forget thrift stores, fundraising events and even garage sales.
apartment layout for pocketbook collection tour
THE TOUR
Here, There and Everywhere My pocketbook collection is displayed in just about every room in our apartment. In fact, one is welcomed immediately to my collection upon entering our foyer.
Exclusions Actually the only two rooms excluded from the display tour are the kitchen and bathroom. This is for sanitary reasons that I have not hung any of them there. But let’s continue with where they are.
Repurposed media racks make perfect display unit for some of my vintage handbags
1.Hallway Racks Welcome to our apartment and the first pocketbook collection in the display. As you can see, they are showcased on two sets of video cassette racks repurposed ideally for this task.
2.Small Hallway Petite Bags This part of the collection consists of small, mostly monochromatic patent leather vintage Coach bags. In fact, they were mostly thrift store finds.
Hallway Tour Continued These are actually the second set of bags displayed to welcome tourists in the small hallway on the way to the bedroom. For contrast to the purses, their background is a vintage red and gray tablecloth.
3.Bedroom Corner Here a colorful and varied part of my collection resides. For example, there are Very Bradley bags, Arcadia bags, and a variety of other bags accompanied by matching hats.
4.Bedroom Wall This is where the second largest part of my collection on tour is located. Specifically, the east facing wall is where it is located.
Mostly Dooney & Bourke bags with a great plaid cloth behind
5.The Living Room/Studio To conclude the tour one moves on to where it all started. Before being the display’s focus, this was a living room. But now it isn’t a traditional living room at all.
Where the Tour Originally Began
The End Is the Beginning
The end is where I originally started displaying pocketbook. In other words, it is how the tour began. I’d ask, “Would you like to see my pocketbook collection?” And into the living room a guest and I would go.
This wall displays most of my Coach Bag collection as well as others and is the view on my studio wall
Where Will It Go Next? As I mentioned earlier, the kitchen and the bathroom are not part of my pocketbook collection tour. In fact, they never will be. Since they are the only rooms without a display, I don’t know where I will go next. But I never imagined what I have accomplished so far. Therefore you never know where I will go next.
My Pocketbook Collection Passion seems to come and go. But the fact is that it never completely disappears. The reason is that it resurfaces whenever I find and then fall in love with another irresistible brand.
First was Dooney & Bourke. Then was Coach, next was Kate Spade, and now is Arcadia. In fact Arcadia ia a very newly discovered brand for me. My latest pocketbook collection passion is Arcadia Handbags. But will it stay or share the ‘come and go’ fate of Coach and Kate Spade? Well, at least it is tops for now.
Passionate Purple From the first images, one can see two NWT bags. These ‘new with tag’ bags come in great colors and designs. Luscious colors are usually available on newer bags, specifically the NWT.
A rare Arcadia Design and color on Poshmark
Mouthwatering Mustard Another of my current favorites is quite a unique Arcadia. In fact it has almost as much smooth leather as it has embossed patent leather. The asking price is almost $300. But the new with tags ‘NWT’ bags are way outside of my price range.
Latest Discovery
Just when I think I have found my favorite Arcadia handbag, another even more beautiful comes along. What could be more beautiful and stylish than a pink and black Arcadia handbag?
Again,the bag I love is not affordable. So what do I do? I have found a solution. There are several online stores that carry Arcadia as well as other bags. In fact, they carry a wide range of ‘pre-owned’ price reduced bags.
Pre-owned Bargains
These online ‘buy and sell’ shops include Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, Mercari, and occasionally Priclist. In fact these sites can offer some terrific pre-owned bargains that I have benefitted from. But I also have made a number of purchases that had to be returned due to unacceptable conditions. Actually getting approval to make a return can be a nuisance. So it’s best to check out thoroughly what you want to buy before you take out your credit card.
Secondhand Shop with Caution
This is because conditions for returning purchases are very strict. So it is essential to examine the online photos and description before purchasing any pre-owned items. A new handbag can be an expensive purchase. Therefore a greatly reduced pre-owned price can signal minor or significant wear and tear.
Arcadia pink mini bag with dust cover
Here’s A Bargain Here’s a great looking pre-owned bag. I love it. Take note of the scuff in the bottom left corner. In addition, read the description that confirms it.
“Arcadia mini shoulder bag. Pink Patent Leather with Tan leather trim. Dust cover. Minor scuff as shown. Otherwise good condition. Made in Italy”.
If that is all okay with you, remember to add tax and shipping. Then your total for this bag that will never look new is over $40. To me that is a bargain. Besides I do love pink. So I might go for it. How about you?
Pre-owned but Not a Bargain
Meanwhile here’s another pre-owned bag. It looks great from the front. The price is great too. So why is it so cheap? Now look in the photo of the corners confirmed by the description. It looks terrible. The photo is transparent but the description is not. No bargain here.
“This bag is gorgeous and has gold detail with leather trim. The corners have some wear but everything else is like new.” I don’t think so!
Beware the wear and tear on this ‘gorgeous’ ‘like new’ bag.
NEWLY DISCOVERED HANDBAG TREASURES MAKE MY SEARCH EXTRA FUN
I keep a close watch on what is new as well as what is newly available in the world of handbag treasures. Let’s say this is sort of the-bag-of-the-month club. Sometimes there are bags I have never seen before. Then I jump for joy.
Other times, there are bags I love so much, they bear repeating. There are even handbag treasures that are so affordably special that I have been able to purchase them. Dasein fits right into that category. This brand is featured at the conclusion of this post.
HANDBAG TREASURE BRANDS
There are several brands that I adore. Besides this, I have special ways that I keep track of my passion for my favorite brands. To start, let me introduce the brands:
Faux patent leather handbags are currently at the top of my favorites list of accessories. There is, in particular, a new brand handbag that is affordable, comes in brilliant colors, is shiny, roomy and their clever name Dasein, translated from German, means ‘Being there’. The hang tag image below explains the significance of their name with ‘About Us’.
This is the front with logo (left) and back with About Us (right) of the Dasein faux patent leather handbag hang tag.
THE HANDBAG STORY
As discussed in previous blog posts, Designer Purse Gems , I love handbags. In fact, I have a collection approaching 80 bags. It started out with ones I purchased decades ago. Then moved on to thrift store vintage bags. After that I started researching valuable vintage bags. But they started to get pricey. Suddenly and mysteriously, I discovered a company that I had never heard of before, Dasein. The name stands for ‘being there’.
Shiny Patent Faux Leather Handbags Barrel Top Handle Purse Satchel Bag Shoulder Bag for Women
I was amazed at their appearance, practicality, affordability, attention to detail, storage bag accessory, and brilliant colors. Most of all, I loved the name, ‘Faux Patent Handbags’.
DASEIN JOINS MY HANDBAG FAMILY
Because it was autumn and Halloween was approaching, it was easy to choose the color for my first Vegan Leather Dasein Handbag, autumn leaves or pumpkin orange.
A photo of the Orange Vegan Patent Handbag. This is from Amazon.com. Bags are available directly from Daseinbags.com
MORE
Clearly, I had to adopt more Dasein bags. The many qualities I described above made having more irresistible. The choice was not difficult. Although the color was not as much in season as autumn orange, turquoise went well with my fall into winter wardrobe. So there I was ordering one more.
Above is the Turquoise Vegan Handbag available from Amazon.com and Daseinbags.com
THEN A MISTAKE
What would I do next? Would I quit with two? Try for a third? Go for another style or another brand? How about PINK?!
Although on the pale side, I hoped the pink displayed by both retailers would still be pretty.
CORRECTION AND CONCLUSION
All was not lost. There was one more option, a leopard pattern vegan patent handbag. Actually, it appears very chix on the internet. So I ordered it. Hopefully, it will be as cool as my first two and not another pale pink disappointment.
This is the only Dasein handbag in this style that has a pattern. I hope it is a winner.
I am hoping that the wonderful color fashionistas will follow suit with more brilliant colors for the Spring pr Summer of 2022. These include other brilliant hues such as yellow, hot pink or magenta and the 2022 Pantone Color of the Year, Very Peri.
It is a well known fact in the fashion industry that haute couture can only be afforded by the very wealthy. Thanks to the world of ‘knock-off’ fashion, the extraordinary becomes affordable. Therefore, this blog post provides some really surprising financial examples of this in the handbag industry.
Anne Hathaway’s famous blue sweater that Meryl Streep lectures her about in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
As Meryl Streep deliberately explains to Ann Hathaway in, ‘The Devil Wears Prada‘, the extraordinary births the ordinary. Meryl Streep describes the origins of a shabby blue sweater that Anne Hathaway is wearing. Its history is from glamorous haute cuttiere. Anne Hathaway is totally oblivious to this. At this stage in the movie, Anne has no idea that the the ordinary is inspired by the extraordinary.
WILD ABOUT HANDBAGS
Although I am not devotee of high fashion clothing, I am wild about handbags. Therefore I have been studying the world of glamour in this industry. One of my favorite companies is Rebag. I have been introduced to luxury handbags through their social media and website. This adds to the knowledge I already have to what I consider affordable quality handbags including Coach, Dooney and Bourke, and Kate Spade.
Luxury Gingham bag on left and two less expensive bags to its right
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS
Since I have only been able to encounter handbags in the hundreds in person, I can only surmise the difference in the cost of those in the thousands.
My favorite Coach vintage bag is called the Willis bag. Because it is a classic, variations of it have been made over many decades. A recent version, in green, and two original designs are pictured below.
They are all high quality Coach products but their age can impact the price by several hundred dollars. Due to its rarity, the vintage Willis is about twice the cost of the new one.
Three Coach Willis bags are pictured here. The green one is the latest version. Photo from Coach. The two on the right are classic version. Photos from Etsy.
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
I had no idea that there were handbags that were more expensive than new automobile or even a house. Even those designer bags have imitators or want-to-be handbags. The designer bags include the Hermes Birkin bags which are six and seven figures. Their inspired versions cost a few hundred retail like the totes from Coach and Kate Spade.
Three pink totes ranging from nearly a $1 million Hermes Birkin Bag, a five figure Prada bag to a Coach tote on sale for about $100.
WHIMSICAL
Both very expensive and less expensive handbag companies make whimsical purses. Great whimsy inspires affordability. The most famous of this is Judith Leiber handbags. They are very whimsical as well as expensive. In similar fashion, Kate Spade came out with its frog bag. The former retails for a few hundred dollars. The latter goes for between about $5,000.
A Kate Spade Wicker Frog Bag next to A Judith Leiber Frozen Marguerita Clutch. The Judith Leiber is over 10 times as expensive as the Kate Spade bag.
ALMOST TWINS
These two totes are so similar. In fact, I took a double take when I discovered the Burberry Remington tote. It’s hard to believe that it can cost up to five times as much as the Kate Spade on the right when this designer ‘knock’ goes on sale.
Two bags that look so similar. The Burberry on the left can be five times as expensive as the Kate Spade on the right when it goes on sale.
GUESS WHICH BRAND THIS ONE IS
Sometimes the affordable bags are so well made that one can’t tell the difference between luxury, ‘working girl designer’ (like Coach and Kate Spade) or a total ‘knock off’. This example is from the best knock off company I have found. If you’re curious, the answer is in the Sources and Resources section.
Guess which brand this is. The answer is in Sources & Resources.
CONCLUSION
As a handbag collector and flea market stalker, I am always on the prowl for that special but accessible bag that the seller is practically giving away. Wouldn’t it be great if someone was selling an extraordinary purse for next to nothing. That is my dream. So I continue to search and collect in the hope my dream comes true.
