Vintage Vanity Bags and Purses: An Identification & Value Guide [Hardcover]

Roselyn Gerson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 270 pages
• Publisher: Collector Books (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089145599X
• ISBN-13: 978-0891455998
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #810,151 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Few purses, Many Vanity Bags, January 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Vintage Vanity Bags and Purses: An Identification & Value Guide (Hardcover)

I have a large collection of vintage handbags which a local museum wanted to display, so I needed to establish values. This book was of no help as it is mostly vanity bags. I ordered this book because the other books listed for sale were too old to have current prices. I am still seeking a CURRENT book with prices to value my 100+ purses! Do not buy this book unless you want to learn more about vanity bags, as there is next to nothing about vintage (beaded or mesh) purses in this book!

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars "Vanity Bags, BUT NOT PURSES", January 15, 2000

By 

Phyllis Goodwin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vintage Vanity Bags and Purses: An Identification & Value Guide (Hardcover)

I was disappointed, but it was my own fault. If I had seen the book before buying, I would have realized there was almost NOTHING about vintage purses, whuch is what I am interested in. However, there are more pictures of Vanity purses than I ever IMAGINED existed! The book is literally bursting with pictures of EVERY type of vanity bag imaginable. I found very little text except to describe the pictures, but if you collect vanity bags, you're certain to find a picture in this book similar to something in your collection. Unfortunetaly this wasn't much help for me.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Gerson is a ground breaking author., January 4, 2002

By 

L. Schwartz "thefairmirror@rubylane" (Northeast USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vintage Vanity Bags and Purses: An Identification & Value Guide (Hardcover)

I feel that Ms. Gerson's book is truly ground breaking. Having written "Vintage Purses at Their Best" and "Vintage Compacts & Beauty Accessories" I can identify with how difficult it is to list, photograph and place values on items that are rare and unique--especially when there has not been much written on the subject previously.
Ms. Gerson was one of the first to do this.
In all fairness to her, I believe the title of her book "Vanity Bags and Purses" implied "Vanity Bags and (Vanity) Purses"--therefore creating some unintentional misunderstandings.
I would recommend any of her books to collectors and dealers alike.