Need help--endangered wildlife/leather question

P

persephone60

Registered Guest
So, I recently picked up these shoes at an estate sale. I grabbed them because they were well made (and didn't look at them too closely), but when I got home and looked at the box, I saw they were described as "turtle pumps."

First, I'm not sure if the shoes are real turtle skin or faux/stamped. There's a chance they are made of real turtle skin (they are well made, and I found some info online saying there were a lot of turtle products in the late 60s, which I think is when these shoes were made). However, I don't know a lot about leather, so I could very well be wrong.

So, now I'm trying to determine what to do with these shoes. I know that most turtle products have been made from sea turtle, and I know that sea turtles are now on the endangered species list. From the information I can find online, it looks like items made of endangered species can't be sold, even if they are vintage. So, it looks like I can't resell them if they're real, but that I can if they're faux? Does anyone have any thoughts on whether they are real or faux turtle skin (or a way to determine this)? What would you all do?

Here's a pic:
 
With alligator and croc, one way to tell is to see if you can find a scale with the edge lifting and if you can, it's real.

The general rules in the US for selling endangered species products is that vintage products can be sold locally but cannot cross state lines.
 
Thanks for the info.

Since I sell on-line, the issue of crossing state lines definitely pertains to me. But I can always donate them somewhere local if I decide not to sell them.

And it doesn't look like there are edges to the scales that could be lifted. But maybe that doesn't apply to sea turtle leather?
 
If you take them to a shoe repairer, they could tell you if they were a skin or embossed leather.

I had embossed leather in that style in the early '80s: white pointy toed stilettos, I had completely forgotten them until I saw your shoes. I painted mine pale turquoise to go with a '50s dress to wear to my mother's funeral. I copped a lot of flack for not wearing black but my mum loved colour, and so do I.

Nicole
 
Nicole, thanks for the advice! I have a few pairs of shoes that need to be taken to the shoe repair place to have work done, so when I go, I'll take these along and ask.

And that's a fantastic story--thanks for sharing. (I think it's fabulous that you wore something both you and your mother loved.)

--Stephanie
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top