FAQs

I hope you have enjoyed this website dedicated to celluloid purses. This website is a work in progress and is not perfect. As I learn more, I update it. If you find an error, whether grammatical, typographical or factual, please do not hesitate to e-mail me.

If you have any questions, please see below. Hopefully the answer can be found here.

Q: Do all the purses on this website belong to you?
A: Unless otherwise noted, the purses pictured here do belong to me.

Q: I own celluloid purses and would like to share pictures of them with your website readers, what should I do?
A: Fabulous! I’d love to share your celluloid purses on this website. What I will need is two pictures: a close-up of the frame and an overall shot of the purse. If you just have the celluloid frame, you can send one picture. If possible, please photograph the purse against a plain background. This allows the purse to really stand out. Gray, dark blue and black backgrounds work the best. The pictures should be at least 600 pixels wide. You can then e-mail the pictures to me. Please let me know if you would like me to list your name with the picture or if you prefer to remain anonymous.

Q: Do you appraise purses?
A: Thank you for your inquiry. I do list a guide based on my research. That guide is based on scarcity of the frame, desirability of the purse theme and what type of bag the purse has. You’ll notice it is a 1 to 10 scale with 1 being the best. It is not a dollar value scale.  I do not appraise item values. You should seek out an accredited appraiser who specializes in purses near your home. Check with your local antique shops, they sometimes carry cards of local appraisers.

Q: I have a celluloid purse that needs some repairs. Do you know anyone who does repairs?
A: I do not have anyone I can recommend who repairs celluloid purse frames. But, I can reccomend someone if the beaded bag attached (or unattached) from your purse is in need of repairs. Terri Lynkins, who is also a member of the Antique Purse Collecting Society, does a wonderful jobs on beading repairs. Contact her directly through her website.

Q: Are there any books on celluloid purses?
A: Sadly, there is not a single book devoted to just celluloid purses. However the following antique purse books do have photographs and sections that talk about celluloid purses.

I also strongly suggest that you become a member of the Antique Purse Collecting Society. As a member of the APCS you can draw on the wealth of information from other collectors, many of whom wrote the books listed below.

APCS member Ellen Foster gave the wonderful presentation on celluloid purses that inspired this website. Her presentation has the largest single collection of celluloid purse pictures that I have seen. A CD of the Power Point presentation is available for APCS members to purchase. So, what are you waiting for, join today!

And here are some antique purse guides that include pictures of celluloid purses. I’ve given an abbreviated listing of how many celluloid purses can be found in each book. For complete book reviews, see the APCS website. Yet another reason to join!

• Celluloid, Collector’s Reference and Value Guide.By Keith Lauer and Julie Robinson. Published in 1999.
  This book is primarily devoted to collecting celluloid boxes, vanity items, toys and more. It does have about 21 celluloid purses pictured. But the real value of this book is its section on the history of celluloid and the care of celluloid. This book has several photos to help you spot celluloid disease.
• Purse Masterpieces. By Lynell Schwartz. Published in 2004.
  This book has an entire section devoted to celluloid purses and contains about 100 photos of celluloid purses and frames.  This is part of an overall book on antique purses so you’ll also see many other purse types.
• A Passion for Purses. By Paula Higgins and Lori Blaser. Published in 2007.
  This book features about 15 celluloid purses and about seven celluloid dance purses. Again, you are buying this book for a historic look at all types of purses. The nice thing about this book is it features several unusual celluloid purses and most of them have extraordinary beaded bags. There are some very high-end celluloid purses in this book.
• More Beautiful Purses. By Evelyn Haertig. Published in1990.
  While this book has less than 10 celluloid purses, I do love how it is organized and the overview it provides for collecting all types of purses. However, the book is hard to come by as it is out of print.
• Restoring and Collecting Antique Purses. By Evelyn Haertig. Published in 2000.
  The book has approximately 15 celluloid frames. It is a very small sampling. If you purchase the book, buy it for the sum total of information on purses, but not specifically for celluloid purses.
• Vintage Purses at Their Best. By Lynell K. Schwartz. Published in 2004.
  This book has about 15 celluloid purses. Again a small sampling, so you’ll want to buy the book for all the purse types that are displayed, not just the celluloid purses. However, this book does contain photographs of an extraordinary 1920’s celluloid purse featuring a three-dimensional Cleopatra purse frame.