Can you help me date this item??

[BonnieJean]

I'm hoping someone can date this purse I got today at a local thrift store. Its a tooled leather purse with several compartments and it even flips around to make a different type of purse--I think it can convert from a handbag to a clutch. I know its older because of all the brass and there's a beautiful piece of glass around the "latch" (in the latch photo, it looks like a piece of the glass is missing, but its just the camera angle). It appears to be in pretty good shape. There is a stamp on the inside that says, "Made in Mexico Gitana Genuine leather". This purse reminds me of the one I used to play with when I was a girl at my grandmother's. I'm just curious to know more info because I haven't found much in my research so far. (I hope the pictures aren't humongous--my first posting of pics)

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I saw a purse like that in a little vintage shoppe down the street from my house. I'd never seen anything like it, it is so neat.
All I know is that they were a popular Mexican bag, which you already know because of the label. The woman who owns the shop said they were made in the mid 30's to early 40's, but she hasn't been all that reliable on dating things. What I do know is, she was asking a lot of money for it, and the one you got looks like it is in better shape than the one she had at her store. I think she referred to it as "hand stamped" leather, but I'm not sure if she meant the label or the actual decorations.
I'm sorry I couldn't be of much help, but I did want to compliment you on the purchase. It's a beautifyl bag, and cool how it tranforms. I really like vintage finds that are from different cultures.

 

[BonnieJean]

Thanks, Daisy for that little bit of information. I was wondering if it was valuable because I had seen a few other "handtooled" bags on a few antique shops websites and they were pricey. But I didn't see anything like this one. They had a special today at the thrift shop--all purses were $.99 and when I saw this bag at the top of a large pile, my heart nearly skipped a beat. I almost sent myself into a panic attack! It seems everyone else finds all the good bargains, but I think I may have finally landed one!

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just did a search on "Hand Stamped Mexican Handbag", and quite a few links came up. I did find this, it looks exactly like your bag, and does have a date of 1940's in the description, and they refer to it as "hand tooled", so I did a search on "hand tooled mexican handbag", and really couldn't find anything but auctions for them. Wish I could find you some more pertinant info, but at least these have dating on them.
http://www.goantiques.com/detail,mexican-hand-tooled,729514.html
http://www.cyberattic.com/stores/loujust4u/items/412187/item412187cyberattic.html
Hope this gives you a little more help.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Thanks, Daisy for that little bit of information. I was wondering if it was valuable because I had seen a few other "handtooled" bags on a few antique shops websites and they were pricey. But I didn't see anything like this one. They had a special today at the thrift shop--all purses were $.99 and when I saw this bag at the top of a large pile, my heart nearly skipped a beat. I almost sent myself into a panic attack! It seems everyone else finds all the good bargains, but I think I may have finally landed one!

Sorry to keep posting on your thread, but I just had to say WOW! 99 cents for that bag!! I'm going shopping with you the next time I need something vintage. You definitely made money off of this one. Congrats....

 

[BonnieJean]

Thanks again, Daisy, for the search "hints". I hadn't tried hand stamped Mexican bag. And the links did help, although they still aren't quite like mine. I have another late 30s leather clutch that the brass is turning green (needs a little cleaning) and its in a lot worse shape than this one. I've been keeping my eye out for some vintage "day" purses and this one will be just perfect. You can never have too many purses or shoes!

I rooted around the large box of purses hoping to find another treasure, but I think this is the only one for today. Now I can't go into town without stopping at least one thrift store, because you never know what you will find. I'm afraid I've contracted that terrible disease, "vintage bargain hunter"!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I agree with Daisy--I would say it dates to the 40s-50s. When I worked in a retro shop we had a couple of similar purses that our purse expert dated to the 40s. They are quite popular out here

 

[hotrod_elf]

Please helpme date this dress

Yesterday I bought this dress from a shop. I was wondering when it was made. Are there some clues I can look for? There is only one lable, it says Lot then size 181/2. It does have shoulder pads and there is a stamp that is a diamond with an E in the middle. I know the dress looks 20's-30's but I didn't thinkthe material was right. The outside shell is a taffata type material with cream/pink embriodery. the lining is pink. The ribbons I don't know the name of the material but it looks like normal heavy ribbon material. Any help is greatly welcomed. Thank you

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[Amelie]

it looks like something from the 80's to me. They played a lot with vintage styles around there, and the material looks very much like the kind they would use

 

[Babydoll]

I was going to say 60s based on the style/sizing (18 1/2 versus a modern 12-ish), but for me the colors are wrong for the 60s. It doesn't scream 20s/30s to me. The lines are wrong.

 

[LadyStardust]

it looks like something from the 80's to me. They played a lot with vintage styles around there, and the material looks very much like the kind they would use

That's what I thought immediately. I think the heavy fabric + heavy pattern/design give it away. Most 20's dresses I've browsed/had either do heavy fabric/light pattern or the opposite, but never both, as far as I know.[huh]

 

[hotrod_elf]

I don't think it is 80's. The construction seems older. If 80's.... wouldn't there be a modern lable? There is no evdince of any lables. I wish there was a lable to help. What about early 70's or early 60's?

 

[Babydoll]

Is that a metal side zipper?

 

[Girl Friday]

Actually it looks like a dress my mom made for me for my prom, a la Molly Ringwald. :eusa_doh:

Cute though!

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

I'd like to cast a tentative vote for the 80s as well. Pictures of the tag would help, if you could provide them. If the zipper is metal, that throws off the estimate; however since there are shoulder pads it indicates 80s...I can't imagine it's 40s.

 

[Lauren]

It's from the late 50's to early 60's. In the late 50's earlier 60's the drop waisted styles were very popular with the resurgance of movies like Auntie Mame and Singing in the Rain. The sizing is very much of the time period as well. An 18 1/2 I'm guessing would be somewhere around a 37" bust. If it's close to that it will also give that away. These styles came back in full force around the 80's, but to my knowledge they were not making 1/2 sizes as much then.

The surefire way to tell if it's 80's is to look for a modern care label with fabric content and how to wash it. Clothing labels can tell a lot about age, both care labels and company labels.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

late 50s

I have several dresses with the tag Lot then a size often if I'm lucky a half size. My mom wore many drop waist dresses in the 50s into 60s including our wedding dress but she made all her own clothes from the styles shown in the fancy stores in Atlanta at the time. The 50s dresses I have have similar details to your dress. I got mine from thrift stores. Yes, they did use shoulder pads in the 50s for shaping and to have the dress lay correctly on the wearer. The fabric, the trim and the lining also tell me it is mid to late 50s. 80s? Banish the thought!lol I bet the dress looks lovely on someone.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Well thank goodness it's not 80s! lol

 

[hotrod_elf]

Yes I was really hoping not 80's. There are NO lables other than the tag that says LOt and size. I got it from Stephans in L5P in Atlanta. I can turn it inside out and take a picture. The zipper is metal. Thank you all for your input.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Ah, Little Five Points. Are you gonna wear it for New Years' Eve?