This little beauty was also bought at the Redland Bay Life Line store. I found it in the same shop as the one below and thought it the most beautiful little purse I've ever laid eyes on! And look at that colour! The red is just so beautiful and it wasn't dirty either; and the best part I found was that the inside was absolutely pristine!
When Mum and I were driving home, she told me that the hard purses like these ones were called Lipstick Purses. The reason being is because ladies would put their lipsticks inside them and take them to the Ladie's to touch up their lip colour at a restaurant instead of taking their whole handbag or pocketbook. It made it look less like they were putting on make up and more like they were taking a mini-purse with them.
Last week, I was at the Redland Bay Life Line while my Mum was off doing something else. While there, I rummaged through their box of small items and came up with this darling little purse. Her imaged jumped straight out at me as something I just had to have. The inside of the purse is in beautiful condition and I have been using it for a few days and have found it holds a lot of money.
I'm so please I found her; and she cost under $4.00. I do love little purses like these ones when they're in this kind of condition and I don't have to do too much to them; except use them, of course.
I've been trying to think of a way to introduce this one here. However, it's been difficult exactly how to describe it, so I'll tell you who bought it and work from there. My Mum bought this with her first pay packet and gave it as a gift to my Grandmother; who thought it was too good to use. However, it did get used each time they had to go out into the city for an occasion. People commented on how lovely the bag looked. Then, one
day, Mum noticed the pearls on one side of the bag had disappeared and had been lost.
A few months ago, Mum brought this box out of her room and showed me gorgeous, delicate bag and told me the above story. However, I'm amazed the bag didn't suffer more damage than the pearls disappearing seeing what it was made of. I love this little bag and have no intention of parting with it. And thought to share its beauty with you.
These two are from a store I frequent for unusual and gifts when I'm not sure what to buy for people. Whether it be a wedding or birthday, I normally find the perfect gift for the right person right here at Oxfam; and it turns into a favourite very quickly.However, I thought to showcase these two coin purses in this one post as they are both from this the same store and are made in similar ways.
The first rectangular one caught my eye because of its strips and how nicely made it is. I use it once in a while when I'm out and about at the market; but never when I'm doing the groceries. In a purse for that, I need more room; and this purse doesn't allow for that.
The second purse I bought for its uniqueness. Because it's round and its design would have taken a bit of skill to make, I picked it up straight away. Also, I love the colours. They're so vibrant and pretty too! However, I've found this one is better for smaller currency and not so good with folding money and that's unfortunate; unless that's what you're looking for.
I found this little rare one in a charity shop and thought it was a little big for my needs; but bought it anyway as I haven't seen anything like it before. It reminds me of Summer days at the beach and school holidays; and it's funky and cool and wickedly not out of fashion right now either. How anyone could toss out such a lovely little purse, I don't know.
However, here it is at my place! I haven't used it as yet, but I get the feeling it will be used in the next month or so as I'm on my way to the coast for a week and it'll be used to carry my holiday cash during the day for book buying.
This is another coin purse - or pouch really - that my Mum bought for me when she and Dad were travelling around Canada and American. This is made from cow hide and has the most interesting feel to it. It's thick and beautiful; however I hardly ever use it. The main reason being that I'm worried that I would lose money out of it if it's ever tipped upside down in my handbag.
So, this money pouch stays right here at home. However, I do love the way it looks and feels; and that's the main thing. A lot of my purses are purchased on how they feel with me as well as if they're useful.
Now, this sweet little bag was given to me by my older brother who bought it either Thailand or India (I forget which country now). I've used it a few times when I'm out and about; however the top zip doesn't do up, and once it's done up, it's hard to un-zip. So, I leave it undone. I'll have to get it fixed one of these days. What I love about the bag is that one one side, it's got 
lovely red design and on the other is a striped one.
I haven't used this one in the last year. However, I have used it over the Christmas Holiday period as it's an easy one to pack into the bag and doesn't take up too much space. Also, it will go with almost anything. The drawback is that it doesn't carry as much as you would expect.
I have loved this composer since I was very young. And so when my parents went over to Europe, it was something of a special occasion when they visited Saltzburg, Austria. Mum bought a lot of things for me: an umbrella, two kinds of bags, two broaches, a mug, a pill box and cd's; all with W.A. Mozart's face on it. She also brought back for me this wonderful little coin purse that I absolutely treasure!
It's one of my least used ones as I take it out on special occasions and nowhere else in case I lose it or it gets stolen. This one's made of leather with a little keyring and chain attached to the inside of it. I love it and will use it when the right times come along.
I found this gorgeous handbag lurking on a shelf at one of the many Red Cross Shops. It was around $12.00 and once I walked past it, turned around the looked at it again, I knew I just had to have it! And since I bought it a little over two years ago, I have found so many places to take it!
Being black, this little number goes with a lot of my retro outfits as well as my Chanel dress. It's mixes and matches so well that I don't have to worry about what I wear with it, just the occasion that I take it to. And the greatest thing is that it fits my mobile, house keys, a pill box (if needs be), tissues and pen and paper inside it quite neatly and still does up! Very practical and very hot!
When Mum gave me this coin purse, I loved it immediately. It was because it appeared as though it was made by the North American Indians. However, it's not; it says as much on the tag. I love it still nonetheless. This beautiful purse one of two that Mum bought (as I said to her that if she likes the purses she bought me when she has been traveling to buy herself one as well; what has she got to lose?) while she visited the Grand Canyon with Dad. Did you know that this great big 'hole in the ground' has some interesting facts about it? For example: the top of the canyon is older than the bottom; mainly
because it was flipped over when two continental plates rubbed against each other and made the land do exactly that thousands of years ago.
Anyway, this place is amazing. And by what my parents have said about it (and they have had it on their computer as a screen saver a few times) they are planning on going back there. I use this purse a lot due to its zip-up ability and size and that it takes folding money well. The leather is so soft and pretty that I'm always finding myself using it in my everyday life.
When I saw this one in a Salvation Army Store, I had also found two others nearby. There was a lovely baby blue one which was badly damaged and another similar in colour to this one which was stained underneath the metal. So, it was this one that came home with me.
For one thing, this bag is lovely and big. And for another, the bag is well-cared for. I don't have to do much to it except maybe tidy it up a little by wiping out the dust in the corners once in a while. Now, all I need to do is find the perfect occasion to take it out to!
This very pretty and sweet metal coin purse used to be my Mum's. She's had it since she was around fifteen years old and it's still going! Recently, she thought it would be in good hands with me. So, here it is; and doesn't it look lovely? When she gave it to me, I remembered seeing it years ago, but not handling it all that often. Now I have it, it's such a pleasure to be able to use as often as I wish.
It's these lovely metal ones we don't see around anymore that make collecting coin purses all the more the challenge. I don't go looking for them; yet when I find them, it's as though I've found buried treasure and it's been waiting just for me.
This green beauty comes from Sherwood Forest. It's one of the oldest parts of England with the richest and brilliant myths around; and that would be Robin Hood. Nottingham is the city that thrives after all this time - and is also famous from the myths as well - but it's the forest where the action took place, where Robin Hood and his Merry Men, John Little and all the great stuff of stories was made. However, this forest has needed help from its people; and they are assisting in its survival.
My Mum brought back this coin purse for me from the UK to say that she had gone to see Sherwood Forest when I didn't. She told me that place wasn't looking in good shape and she had photos to prove it; and they showed the forest looking very old and dying. But seeing how people are about historical places and sites in the UK, they won't let it die; it's just not like them. However, I do love this purse, I just don't know when I'll use it.
I bought this lovely Roxy one in a charity shop during a shopping day; however I hesitate in purchasing it. The reason behind this was because it's not in the best of shape. The fruit on it is pealing and it's a little dirty. However, its rarity was what convince me to buy it.
I looked it up on Google today and found that it's no longer sold in any shops; and nobody's trying to sell it on e-bay either. So, this little gem of a Roxy wallet has found a home with my collection. As far as I can tell it's from around the late 80's early 90's. The stitching in the Roxy name and emblem are both still in very good condition and clean; so the person who owned this before me looked after it. I've yet to tidy it up properly, but this wallet usable in its current state; which I do look forward to doing soon.
This one was given to me by my mother. When Dad and her travelled around Europe last year, she bought up big when it came to coin purses; and this was one of them. She must have bought about 30 of them and is slowly giving them to me as time passes.
I love this one for how it feels. It's soft and smooth and has an extra pocket for smaller coinage; and just look at that gorgeous stitching! I love how well-made it is. However, I haven't used it in some time. So, it looks like I'll have to dig it out of the basket soon and use it!
I bought this one, and one other smaller one,at a Salvation Army Store when it was closing down; they said there were too many other charity stores around they weren't making enough sales. However, I found this bag in this store along with a smaller on at half the price of what was marked on them; and I jumped at buying them. And truthfully, I think this is where I began collecting unusual handbags. They're out there just waiting for us to pick them up and take care of them. This one has a little damage; just a few scuff marks on the bottom; but that's to be expected. The zip works well and it's held its shape really well; and the one thing I look for in a handbag (especially ones like these) is that the handle isn't peeling away or the stitching hasn't come undone. A bit of 
wear and tear is fine, but if the handle isn't holding up well, I don't buy it as it'll cost more to fix it than you have put out to purchase it.
This two-tone bag is lovely to take out on the town. I've had a few people comment on its condition (how good it is) and were amazed at where I've found it. However, seriously, I haven't bought a brand new bag for years. Second hand has been the way to go for a long time for me; and will be the way to go for some time yet.
I remember the day I found this one in Grandma's white box at Mum's house. It was down the side of one of the elastic areas where you'd keep your brushes or eye shadows; and I almost missed it. However, when I pulled it out, I knew it was special.
This coin purse is from around the earliest I have of before decimal currency. It was used at the RNA here in Brisbane as it's stamped on the 
front (we had to take it outside and use a jeweler's eye to see it) and the money inside it was the fare to get into the Exhibition Grounds here in Brisbane. Yes. This is a very special purse. I currently keep this in a ziplock bag with the others, however, it's always clipped up with the money inside it where I found it. What a rare find!
This may not be a coin purse as such, however it is a purse. I'm not sure when I received this purse, however, I know it was my Grandmother's and she used it a lot. And just look at the intricate beading on it. These kinds of purses were made to last! The clasp on it is still in very good condition as is the interior a lovely white colour.
I don't keep this with my other coin purses mainly because the beading would loosen up and be destroyed. And so, I keep this in a separate box in a dresser drawer nearby. I do enjoy bringing it out on very special occasions, though it's not all that often I get use it. I think it's because I'm terrified it may get stolen or damaged.
Just like a little black dress is a must in every woman's wardrobe - no matter what your budget - a little black bag is a must as well! I picked this one up at my local choir sale one night. I saw it as something cute and compact enough to work with a lot of my dresses and outfits; however, I saw a few other bags there as well. But this one jumped out at me the most.
This one little bag has been used more and more over time as I've lent it out to my Mum a few times for special occasions. It's a good little bag which is surprisingly roomy for something so small.
This one is a typical teenagers wallet from the 1980's that I found in a charity shop some weeks ago. That day, I had forgotten to bring along a coin purse and was happy to find a few in my fortnightly rummage; and chose this one for the shopping trip. It's a little stiff for everyday use; but I'd happily use it if I had to go to town or away for a long length of time.
What I love about this girls' wallet is that it hasn't been used at all; it's in such good condition that the original photo from years ago is still in the ID area. So, somebody has had this for a long time and either just didn't use or like it for one reason or another; or it was stashed away ready to give as a gift and the person it was intended for got too old for it, which is such a pity because it's beautiful!
And here it is. The coin purse that began my obsession with these beautiful little things. I bought this one in New Zealand when I was nineteen out of sheer necessity and loved it from day one. However, when I returned home, I couldn't find anything like it anywhere; yet I didn't wish to throw it out. So, it stayed with me throughout the next few years until I began finding them pop up here and there.
Now, I seem to find coin purses everywhere I look. They are in second-hand shops, at markets, resonance fairs and I can even purchase them brand new. Each of them has their own personality and style; and that's what I love about them. Seeing I've got so many - and the collection is growing - I don't see myself without a coin purse for the rest of my life. They will always be a part of my wardrobe somehow as well as a part of my personality.
I stumbled across this one by pure accident and was recently told whose it was in the last few weeks. My late-Grandfather owned and used this coin purse on a regular basis and it's still looking good; if not well-worn. If you look around some of the tourist shops, you may be able to find these, but they're not made here anymore; they're more likely to be made in China or Thailand. Unfortunately, this one doesn't have a maker's mark, so I can't tell you where it's made.
So, if you do find one just like this - without a maker's marker or a country of where it was made on it - hang onto it. It's fortunate I inherited this one from my Grandfather and he had looked after it. However, you never know where you may obtain yours.
The Union Jack has the most basic colours, yet it consists of around four flags in one; thus the word 'union'. And Mum got me this one from London. However, it's one of the ones I can't use due to some of the beads undoing on one of the stripes. So, I have to keep this beautiful - if not heavy - little purse in a plastic zip-lock bag so I don't lose anymore beads.
And so, until I find another purse just like it, I'm without a London/Union Jack beaded purse. It's unfortunate that this one has to stay in the basket; but I don't want to lose all the beads while I'm out one day. But it's gorgeous to bring out and look at how much work has gone into it.
This has got to be the cutest one out of the lot! I bought this one at Oxfam when it was on sale for $3.00 recently only because it was beautiful; and I was looking for a green one. There were plenty of black and blue mice there, but I wanted a green mouse; and this one was bigger than the others as well.
I've used this coin purse and its only drawback is that it's big enough only for smaller coins and not folding money. So, seeing that's the only problem with it, I guess it's still usable. And so, I'll be slotting only the barest amount of $2 and $1 coins into its darling zipper back for emergencies and using another coin purse for proper usage. Now, that's not a bad idea.
I love this one; and yet, I don't really know when I'll use it. It was bought just last pay and appeared very boring when I picked it up; however it was inside that caught my attention. The jaffa colouring of the inside is beautiful, so I couldn't pass up this one!
I've seen a few of these before and wonder where they come from. The last one I had was silver and it contained sweets/lollies for Easter. However, I'm sure this one was used for something different. I'm not sure. Nonetheless, it's in my house now and will be used in the future some time.
I found this gorgeous one too good to pass up. However, I also found one rather major problem with it; and it's not a good one. Despite it being such a lovely find and very beautiful, I can't get it open; even though you can see a picture of it open here (I had to use a pair of scissors to prise it open for that photo to be taken; dangerous in more ways than one! Can you imagine if I tried that in public?).
So, this one stays in its packet and in the elephant-grass basket with the few others I have and don't use for various reasons (each one is different from each other). However, I wouldn't want somebody else to have this coin purse and throw it out because it wouldn't open. I keep this one because of its beauty; not because of its practicability. So, here's one just for show.
I almost didn't buy this one; mainly because it's bigger than most of the ones I own. But I did. And I'm glad I did. This rather large coin purse has yet to be used and this is only because I'm terrified of losing any of the gorgeous bead work on it. It was found with a few others at a second-hand shop and - as I said - almost left behind due to how big it was.
So, I may yet take it to the coast this Christmas and use it at that markets; where it'll get the most use. How good will that be? It'll also match the feel of the place too!
Now, I thought to do this one next; seeing it's not going to be in my collection for very long. Yes. I'm giving this one away to somebody on another website as a prize for Halloween. It's going to be a fun Halloween Prize Pack.
I found this almost-new 'Goosebumps' wallet at a Life Line store in the condition it's in. I didn't have to clean it out or wipe it down. There weren't any weird or gross surprises in it either. And so, I was pleasantly surprised t
o see this one in the box with a whole lot of purses and smaller bags.
In the prize pack, I'm also including 3 Goosebump books, a bag of lollies, a set of Halloween straws and Halloween stickers (all 422 of them!). And now this wallet is going in to make the pack complete!
This little beauty was also bought at the Redland Bay Life Line store. I found it in the same shop as the one below and thought it the most beautiful little purse I've ever laid eyes on! And look at that colour! The red is just so beautiful and it wasn't dirty either; and the best part I found was that the inside was absolutely pristine!
