Lucite bags are vintage fashion accessories made of a specialized plastic popular in the 1940s and 1950s, with Lucite handles. They vary in design, style, and price, with some being expensive due to famous designers and unique styles. They can be found in various retail stores, antique stores, and online. When buying, consider the basic shapes, handle thickness, and color, with red being the rarest and most expensive. The overall condition of the bag is also important, as damaged bags cannot be repaired.
A Lucite bag can be broadly defined as a vintage fashion accessory made of Lucite or a different material and with Lucite handles. The material is a specialized form of plastic that was popularly used to make women’s accessories in the 1940s and 1950s, and is now marketed for use with vintage accessories. Purses made from Lucite can vary greatly in price, from being relatively cheap to being very expensive.
Many people who are part of the retro fashion scene, using vintage fashion elements popular in the 1940s and 1950s, want to own and display a Lucite bag. These purses have been manufactured in many types of designs and styles. For example, they may be box-shaped, square, or oblong; they can be clear or made of various bright translucent colors; and they can be simple or decorated, such as beads or rhinestones. Some are made from materials like wicker or straw, but they fall under the category of Lucite handbags since the handles are made from Lucite.
Lucite was created in the late 1940s as a plastic called polymethyl methacrylate. It is basically a strong, clear or transparent plastic that solidifies after being poured. The material is so strong that it has even been used to build joint replacement structures during surgical repair of damaged joints. Because it is so durable, many purses made from Lucite have survived virtually intact for 50 or 60 years.
A bag made from Lucite can be an expensive vintage fashion item. One of the reasons many of these are so expensive is because they are made by famous design houses, many with unique designs, highly visible metallic colors and silky finishes. The cost of obtaining such a bag can range from relatively inexpensive to quite expensive, depending on the name of the designer, the fame of the previous owner, the rarity of the style, and its condition.
A Lucite handbag has also sometimes been passed down as a family heirloom and ended up on the vintage fashion market after being appraised for value. Such handbags can be found in a wide variety of retail stores, as well as on the Internet at web auction sites and other sites specializing in vintage accessories. They can also be found in antique stores, and some have been known to end up in thrift stores.
Some things to consider when deciding to buy a Lucite bag include knowing its basic shapes, which are usually square, rectangular, ovoid, or trapezoidal. The bag will usually have brass clasps. Handles can be ½ to 2 inches (1.27–5.08 cm) thick. The rarest color is believed to be red, making it more expensive; Less expensive colors include aquamarine, emerald green, light blue, yellow, and pink. The least expensive colors tend to be tortoiseshell and gray, as well as wallets made of clear plastic. Another item in the cost is the overall condition of the bag, as one that is cracked or misshapen cannot be repaired.
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