enid collins

Here in England few people have heard of Enid Collins ,but, go to her native USA and she is as famous as the Queen! (At least in the world of handbag and fashion collectors!)

Enid Collins is one of the most sought after handbag designers in the world of vintage handbags and with good reason, her handbags are nothing short of fabulous and are a must have item for any handbag or clothing collector, with an interest in fashions of the 50s 60s and 70s .....

Enid Collins was born Enid Roessler and she spent her youth in San Antonio, Texas. No doubt drawing inspiration from the local color and scenery for her spectacular handbag designs. She studied fashion design at the Texas Women's University in the 1940's. Soon after she met and married a young, up and coming sculptor, Frederic Collins and they settled on a ranch outside of Medina.

The couple set up in business togeather making handbags by hand, in linen, leather and papier mache, they were hugely popular, but the slow manufacturing process made them very expensive, so Mr Collins soon found a way of bringing down the costs by simplifying the design.

The husband and wife team developed two main types of handbag, one was a small solid rectangular box bag and the other was a stiffened linen bucket style bag, with leather lid and handle and a wooden base.

Enid Collins bags come in many different designs and they all have a name and are signed with the Enid Collins logo. The bags often feature plastic or glass jewels and hand painted designs, with proverbs and animals often being the central theme.

Another addition to these well made handbags was the little tag which looked handwritten and read: "Please don't drop me on a hard surface, or handle me carelessly! I'm hand-painted and decorated for your pleasure. With a minimum of T.L.C. you'll find me a lasting joy to carry. Love, Your Box Bag."

Enid Collins continued to produced the handbags through to the mid 1970s, when she sold the company to the Tandy Bag Company, they continued to produce the bags for a short time and then ceased.

If you ask an American handbag collector about Enid Collins, they will tell you that every one should have an Enid Collins bag in their collection and once you have one, don't let it go! Enid Collins bags are all highly collectable, with the early examples fetching the highest prices.

The later Tandy bags can be spotted by the horse on the Enid Collins logo. Enid Collins bags were so popular, that they were copied, however, the copies tend not to be signed and are easy to spot.

If you are wanting to start collecting Enid Collins bags or you'd like to add one to your handbag collection, we have a great selection here at Steptoes Dog Online Antique Store, so just visit our handbags department and take a look, you can find them in the box bag department and the general handbags department - enjoy!