Hi everyone! First time posting (and very new to this world) so excuse my ignorance. Can anyone help me with dating this purse? I’m thinking that it’s 1960s. I’m also wondering what the style of bag is called. Do you find that it’s common for the labels to fall off vintage bags or was it just normal for mass produced purses to not include labels? Is there also a sure way to tell if a bag is real leather compared to vinyl?
Yes, it does look like 1960's. I can't help with your other questions, but I wanted to thank you for the clear images that help so much with identification. Marian
Great photos. I agree with '60s. Usually, but not always, leather handbags were lined in leather or suede. Usually if you "sniff" 'the bag you can tell by the smell if it is leather or vinyl. In addition I just did a search and here are some great tips: https://www.chicagotribune.com/life...her-handbag-tips-answer-angel-0501-story.html
A fair number of purses from that time actually had the name printed on the inside, somewhere above the inside pocket, frequently in some sort of gold lettering. It tends to wear off with time in certain cases. I have had many without any labels or printed name though.
I'm still working on trying to tell leather from other materials in purses. To complicate matters sometimes straps and pulls are non-leather on leather purses. I have a local shoe repair man who runs his families business so he grew up around leather goods. He is always so kind when I bring in a bag to tell me if it is leather or not. He can just spot it he has been in the business so long. One trick he did tell me that works with pebbled bags. If the bag is leather and you stretch it the pebbles pull out. On a manmade material the pebbles will not disappear when you stretch it.
