Enid Collins Vintage Handbags

Enid Collins Vintage Handbags
American designer from Texas, Enid Collins began producing these amazing bags in 1959. She became the proprietress of the same name brand. Non-standard, bright, cheerful, with a good dose of humor and self-irony – with her bags used to fall in love at first sight. Initially Enid Collins made bags with her husband Fred, right at the ranch. Only later, as the popularity of handbags grew, production was moved to a separate studio, and then appeared two factories in different cities.

Traditionally, handbags were of two types: wooden boxes-clutches and “buckets” (reminiscent of linen bucket bags with a wooden bottom). Noteworthy, Wooden bag (box bag) was Enid’s invention. Each bag was hand-painted and decorated with crystals, sequins, rhinestones, mirror, and glass beads. There are over 100 different designs, and each of them – the history and vivid image.

Enid Collins Vintage Handbags

Birds is the main inspiration for Collins – peacocks, owls, roosters, pigeons, blackbirds, parrots, and others. Also, each bird has its own emotion, and each bag was truly unique.
Noteworthy, in 1970 Enid sold the business to Tandy Leather Corporation, which continued to manufacture bags branded Collins of Texas. For a while she went to work for Tandy, but the company did not want to depend on a single designer. Tandy began experimenting with the design, and at times even successfully.

How to distinguish the original Collins bag, made before 1970? Earlier markings included full name of Enid Collins (often with the year), or the logo “ec” or a lowercase “c”. Handbags released by Tandy have marking “Collins of Texas” or capital letter “C”.

Enid Collins Vintage Handbags