Whiting and Davis set question

T

twolittlebeauties

Registered Guest
I picked up this set and am wanting to list it, but am having some concerns.

There is no marking on the bags at all for whiting and Davis. In fact, the only thing that says whiting and DAvis on them is the blue tag that was inside the amulet bag.

Could these possibly be fake? They are nearly perfect, in fact look brand new.

thanks for any help!

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Those appear to be authentic Whiting Davis bags. These were probably "special occasion" bags that were purchased and tucked away to be never used or only used a few times.

I wonder if someone cut out the original cloth labels that would usually be sewn into one of the interior seams.
 
Some of them have whiting and davis right in the metal frame - but if these are tiny they probably don't. From the photos they look to be on the smaller side - even though W&D bags are typically on the tinier side, they look to be on the smaller end of the range just going by the scale of the mesh. That is just my opinion, though. I wonder if the bag on the right is missing a wrist chain or other sort of chain unless its very tiny.
 
I am glad to know that these were unmarked.

They are small. One is a coin purse size and the other is what I call an amulet bag. although both of them, IMO, are big enough to be marked.

I thought the same thing about it missing a chain. I am sad that it wasnt there. Funny thing was, I picked up the amulet first then went back a week later and got the coin purse! I knew it was the match and snatched it up.
 
Originally posted by twolittlebeauties
I am glad to know that these were unmarked.

They are small. One is a coin purse size and the other is what I call an amulet bag. although both of them, IMO, are big enough to be marked.

I thought the same thing about it missing a chain. I am sad that it wasnt there. Funny thing was, I picked up the amulet first then went back a week later and got the coin purse! I knew it was the match and snatched it up.
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You are right - technically they are big enough to be marked, but W&D simply did not. I would keep all the original docs - boxes, tags, etc together with them. Today, there are other suppliers of metal mesh and you will see things that are made in China (i have seen some poorer quality stuff with a metal mesh panel, but at earlier times, W&D was really the only one, or one of a few that would make it. In fact, W&D at periods of time sold their own stuff, and then like today, also simply sold metal mesh to others to be used for other purposes. Earlier on, it was more likely that if it was metal mesh it definitely was W&D but later not so much. There is industrial and architectural use as well as in fashion. I was surprised to learn once that W&D makes metal mesh for the dudes (and dudettes) to use as safety wear to protect them against sharks!
 
Hmmmm. wondering who would actually get into a big pond with a shark on purpose! LOL

I am also involved in a discussion over on eBay with these items.

People over there are saying they are definitely NOT real.

So let me put the measurements out there as they are to big to be a doll purse.

The reticule measures 3 inches tall by 2 3/4 inch wide.

the coin purse measures about 4 inches wide and 2 3/4 inches tall.

They are an exact match. the lining is the same, both hand stitched in.

One of the girls over there is doing a research paper on W & D and said will get me more info tomorrow. I think I will also look around or some stuff.

If these are real, I do not think they were used, ever. Event he tag looks brand new. I am guessing someone got these and put them into a box somewhere and forgot about them.
 
I have the same gold purse - it's tiny. It was my mother's. It is not signed. The white one is but it is very hard to read.

I have no doubt that yours are "the real deal".

Here they are - pardon the bad scans
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:

Linn
 
Here is an interior shot of my smallest W&D gold mesh bag. It's a purse, not a coin purse, it's 3 3/4" x 4". The interior looks just like yours, down to the way the lining is stitched in but as you can see the tag is there (in the seam) & the frame is clearly stamped (it is stamped on both parts of the frame). Yours do look to be real but not marked. The only W&D accessory I have is a wallet & it has the tag but no markings.
 
Anytime anyone posts any kind of beaded or mesh bag over on the VCA board there are always people who say they are fakes or reproductions.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Your bags are absolutely authentic. I have W&D bags that aren't stamped in the frame. I strongly suspect that yours had interior tags that were removed - probably with very sharp scissors or a razor blade.
 
Originally posted by catseyevintage
Anytime anyone posts any kind of beaded or mesh bag over on the VCA board there are always people who say they are fakes or reproductions.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Your bags are absolutely authentic. I have W&D bags that aren't stamped in the frame. I strongly suspect that yours had interior tags that were removed - probably with very sharp scissors or a razor blade.
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It could have been removed because its so small and it got in the way if there was one just like how sometimes people remove paper tags in shirts that itch. Sometimes there is an opps where it didn't get included. The main thing about "fakes" - is who else could really make the alumesh, metal mesh etc. Its not like a really convincing designer fake bag where leather can be had from a wide variety of sources, etc. It just can't really be "faked" in a way that would make the "fake" cheaper to make. There is no motive to make a "fake" that costs more to make than the "real one".

As far as I see it, the only repros are made by W&D themselves. The modern bags look radically different - but I think they did reproduce one of the pictorial (is that the word?) bags but it would have been tagged differently and had the lining with whiting and davis printed on it.
 
Those look real to me, I have about six or seven Whiting & Davis bags I inherited from my great grandmother... I have a silver one that's exactly like yours with the circular cap on it and the exactly same accordion mechanism... except it's been well loved and scratched! What a great find, I love these bags in gold!
 
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