Saturday 19 February 2011

Scarlett loves granny bags!

Being a lover of all things vintage and of course anything 1940's or 1950's (I even had a 1940's style wedding - but that's another story) I of course am drawn to a lady's best friend - the humble handbag!  The older it is the better and I am a sucker for what my friends call 'The granny bag'. 

 Now a few years back you could pick up granny bags for pence in the charity shops as they were seen as being un-fashionable and dated, I of course pounced on them and got some really fabulous bags for no money at all. Now they have become sort after items so the chances of picking one up for little money is getting harder and harder. My local 'expensive' charity shop price tags these type of bags for £20 or more! No chance of me paying that.

I popped into town yesterday and decided to visit one of the 'chain store' charity shops, they have more new goods than they have second hand donated stock! But the visit paid of when I found a hot red vintage handbag:
I was thrilled to bits to find this as I haven't got a red bag in this style, and it was only marked up at £3.99!  She's now been named 'Ruby Sue' and will be having her first outing on my next evening out.

I've been quite lucky in the last few weeks (before I started blogging) with my vintage bag finds and they have tended to be found at boot sales, people selling their grandma's old bits and not realising that they have some fantastic stuff! So I thought i'd share a couple more of my 'granny' bags from my collection with you.

I tend to find that most vintage bags I see are Navy blue, there are two that I use quite often:

The top bag was bought in an out of town charity shop and cost me £2.50 - it was on half price offer as it had obviously been hanging around their shop for too long. The second bag was bought at a boot sale for the grand sum of 50p!!  You can't beat a bargain like that!

I bought this little brown box bag with mock croc details from a boot sale a couple of weeks back:

It cost a £1 and I've had so many compliments on it when I taken it out.  The final bag is not as old as the previous bags, maybe 70's/80's but its so quirky:

Its white weave design with a gold chain strap, one of the more unusual bags I've found and at £1.50 I snapped it up.  This was bought from a stall holder at a bootsale who laughed at it when I picked it up, I think I'm laughing now! hehe!
So heres to granny bags - may I be lucky enough to find many more (and maybe be fortunate to end up with a walk in wardrobe and bag room to display them all!).

Scarlett x


9 comments:

  1. i love your new red bag it is so classy am also jelous of your mock croc bag its great

    bee happy x

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  2. hi :)

    thank you for the lovely comment over on my blog, its great when you 'meet' like minded people!
    im sat on my sofa with a coffee, reading through your lovely blog - a great way to spend a saturday afternoon!

    loving the red and mock croc skin bag in this post, gorgeous :)

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  3. Hi Scarlett! Love your granny bags collection especially the red one, so striking and gorgeous, i do love the croc one too! im amazed that expensive charity shop put a price tag as high as £20!! but anyways same like you, i dream someday that i have a walk in closet coz truly eventho i keep clearing out my stuff and give them to charity shop, my closet is still packed and full! women, that's what my hubby says all the time hehe...thanks for sharing your good bargain bags and thanks for dropping by my blog! x

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  4. Hi Scarlett, thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a lovely comment. I am a vintage bag lover too although don't get to use them too often.My favourite is a black one with a rose tapestry design very much like the ones Cath Kidston has started reproducing.I also have a lovely Mappin and Webb lizard skin one which I have used a few times.I love your red bag, very useable and one of my favourite colours.
    Ann x

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  5. Hi Thank you for stopping by my blog and leaving a lovely comment. Im so glad you did you have a lovely blog and reading your profile you sounded just like me ;-)) I have a passion for those vintage Kelly bags and your red one is a cracker such a gorgeous colour, i also collect vintage evening bags all those beads etc made my heart sing, have a lovely sunday, dee x

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  6. What a great selection of granny bags! They are still quite plentiful in charity shops round here but I haven't seen one as lovely as that red one. A fantastic bargain! xxx

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  7. Awesome vintage bags! I have about 5 vintage bags that I just adore!

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  8. Hi Scarlett, what a coincidence you went to Uni in Northampton. There are still plenty of charity shops on Gold Street but sadly I rarely find a bargain in them these days. Maybe you will visit Northampton some time and pop in to one of our fairs to say hello.
    Ann x

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  9. Oooh I love Ruby Sue! If you guys ever fall out of love I could give her a home ;-)

    Bags are just the best thing. Mmm, bags....

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