The Busyness of Life...

Wow!  It's been four months and I haven't blogged here for so long!

But I have found some great bargains while I have been out and about in my travels.  

I haven't been looking at Glo-Mesh Handbags so much - as I have so many, I don't think I need them so much anymore.  It's nice to have the collection I have in the suitcase; and they're so lovely to use when I want to use them - but that suitcase is so darned heavy!

But I have been updating the wardrobe!  On Wednesday just gone - payday - I went out to Life Line at Logan Central and scored myself a couple of wicked purple tops for around $9.00ea!  Very sweet seeing Winter is coming in and I need something nice to protect my neck now I don't have much hair.  

For those who haven't been keeping up with my other blog - and my Facebook page - I did the World's Greatest Shave, and shaved all my long red locks off!  A lot of it went to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths Promotion for them to make it into a wig for somebody to use while they undergo Cancer treatment.  But it takes 6 ponytails to make one wig.  So, my ponytail will be one of many... but I'm pleased anyway.

I also found a lovely burgundy wrap at Life Line for $5.00 too!  How cool is that?  I'm so pleased I'm finding some lovely clothes and things to wear to match my hair... plus I look much better with make-up on than without it.

And yesterday, I went to Rivers at Springwood and found a box of scarves near the door for $1.00ea!  So, I went through them all and found some lovely colours to go with my clothes; and they'd be nice to use in the car for days when the days are cooler as they're not too big.  I did go there to buy a coatigan (long cardigan) but they didn't have my size; but I came away with things that were much more beautiful.  

So, now you know what I've been up to - and why I've been so quiet lately - let me know what bargains you've found.  Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.

The Glitz'n'Glamour!

Yesterday I was out and about around Logan City and thought to drop in on my local Life Line store to see if there was anything there I could buy for this Summer.  I badly needed a pair of shorts or a skirt; as my last skirt ripped as I sat down in it... and it's now being used as a painting rag.

Well!  I found a nice pair of shorts which fit me like a glove and a lovely little clutch bag.  It's a Glo-Mesh bag and when I opened it, it was a designer one from the Kylie Minogue collection!  Now, how's that?  Me finding a piece of designer wears in a charity store!  Well, I've done it before - twice - and now it's happened again.  And isn't it pretty?  So, what have you found lately that's worth the money?  Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.

A Long Time... But I Found Something!

I've been very busy since the last time I wrote here; however, I haven't forgotten about you guys.  I have been fixing up my house and working on my garden.  And so, I haven't had much time to go to Life Line and look for second-hand things.  

But today, I parked Mum's car (yes, I'm driving again now), and walked up to Life Line and found a lovely red Glo-Mesh handbag sitting in the window!  How lovely!  I immediately asked to see it.  The man at the counter got it for me and I said I'd have it.  I did have a look around the place and found myself 'The Pleasure of My Company' by Steve Martin, but nothing else caught my fancy. 

When I arrived home, I found the handbag was an original red Glo-Mesh handbag.  This means it was made right here in Australia.  This particular handbag wasn't in bad shape either.  I think it had been mended though, but it doesn't matter, the bag is in pretty good shape.  Well, until my next post, happy bargain hunting!

Great Finds

It's my first shopping day back in Logan and I went to the Logan Central Life Line and found myself a lovely little GlowMesh clutch bag.  It's just gorgeous.  And the best thing about this one is that it's made here in Australia - in New South Wales.  I'm thrilled I found it.

I also found a little red purse as well.  It doesn't look like it's been used and is very new-looking and yet it was only $1.00.  Anyway, the clutch bag was $10.00 and so, I walked out of there with a great bargain today.  Until my next post, happy bargain hunting!

Rummage

Have you ever had a good rummage around your collections?  And I mean a really good rummage... not just a poke and thought, yeah, that'll do.  Well, yesterday, I did to have a bit of clean out of any ring boxes I wasn't using.  And you know, I found I had a lot of lovely jewellery that I was given by my Mum.  So, I polished it up and have begun wearing a bit of it.

Then, I opened on of the drawers and found my Glo-Mesh purses.  I forget they're there all sitting in the dark waiting to be used in lovely condition.  So, I pulled them out today and looked at them; loving the feel of them as my fingers ran over them.  And I'm wondering if it would be okay to use one of them as my regular purse.  This thought kind of scared me as I haven't found any Glo-Mesh around lately and it would be good to have just one to replace my old purse - as it's wearing out - and these ones of my collection are my best.
As I took photos of them for my records, I realised it wasn't possible to use them.  Not yet.  They are just too lovely and I don't want to wreck one or lose it because somebody else got greedy and stole it off me (now that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?).  

Besides, they are just lovely little things to have and enjoy, aren't they?  So, have you got anything like my little purses that you can't bare to use or part with?  Leave a comment and let us know about it.  Until my next post, happy bargain hunting.

Two Gorgeous Beauties!

First off, I must say that I have finished my clean out and didn't come across anything that was worthy of a give away... sorry about that. But I didn't wish to part with any of my good purses; but I didn't want to give you guys anything that was horrible not worthwhile either.

Well, I went out today to do my fortnightly shop and was looking at changing over my handbag again. I'm just not comfortable with it; that's all. It bugs me all the time and doesn't seem very easily accessible so I thought to find another one. However, instead, I found two lovely bags and nothing to replace my handbag. Bummer, but I guess that's how it happens sometimes.
It was the Glo-Mesh evening bag I saw in the window I spotted first; and grabbed it straight away. It's brand new, made in Hong Kong and has never been used. And if it has, it's only got a few little marks on the tiles. I looked inside and - instead of being white - the inside was brown; a colour I've never seen before. I looked at the tag and it saying Hong Kong explained why. This bag looked new because it was a recent make and the colours inside had changed from the vintage white/creme colours to a chocolate brown instead, very nice and clean too. I'm impressed with my purchase and happy with it.

The next one I spotted was hiding in amongst the other handbags on the shelves. It's a Burberry Bag, made in London; something we don't get here often, and if we do, it usually costs a lot of money to import. It's been used, and loved, however I love the simplicity and complexity of it in the same bag. The checkered pattern on the outside is continued on the inside where it's nice and neat and very well-taken care of. On the bottom, there's little feet and the handles are in very good condition too - with no frays to speak of. This impressive little bag is something I love to collect now as it's very cute and is easy to cart places; and with the feet on the bottom, it keeps the dirt at bay. So, these two bags were my impressive scores at Life Line today... it's amazing what you find when you go into an Op Shop!

Glo-Mesh Score!

On Wednesday, I was at Life Line and found nothing to really catch my eye.  So, I went to the glass cabinet next to the register; sometimes there's something in there that may be interesting enough for me to buy, sometimes not and I end up walking out of there empty-handed.

On this day, I found two Glo-Mesh purses.  There was a red one on it's own and there was another that was white and had a key-chain attachment to match; and the second one was boxed up!  Now, when you find them in a box, they've either never been used or they've been used once or twice and put back.  In any case, the boxed one was well-cared for and I immediately said I'd take it.  I also took the red one too.

There was another purse there; it was an Oroton and looked in okay condition.  However it didn't clip up.  So, I left that one in the glass container.  I didn't think it was worthwhile fixing up.  But the others came home with me.

Glo-Mesh History Mystery

A lot of people wonder where Glo-Mesh handbags come from; and why they are so hard to find after being so popular for such a short period of time.  I've done some digging around and found a few little-known facts about this very collectible, must-have for every woman.

As it was mostly produced in the 70s and 80s, but not exclusively – silver mesh had a bit of a following in the 60s with companies like the US-based Whiting and Davis that were producing mesh well before this.

The mesh came in a range of basic colours, along with some less common and more collectable ones.

However, the term ‘Glomesh’ is the official trademark of the company you asked about (Glo International Australia). If it isn’t labelled ‘Glomesh’ then the item should be referred to as simply ‘mesh’ or ‘alumesh'.  

‘Glomesh’ was manufactured in Australia and so, many Glomesh designs have a four digit design number somewhere on the label of the bag. This can be of assistance in dating the item.  However, if you've bought your bag at a charity or second-hand store, the tag may have been cut or worn out.

If you’re lucky enough to find a swing tag attached to the item, this will help in dating it. 60s bags have swing tags/sticker labels with a sort of rounded triangular shape, like a plectrum; later ones have a square tag with a gold ‘G’ on it.

If the original box comes with the item, this too can help you date it – older boxes have printed off-white cardboard that’s designed to look like glomesh; later boxes are grey with thin diagonal pink stripes and white lettering.

Cheaper mesh, which mostly seems to come from Hong Kong or China, will tarnish easily and is generally not worth your while (unless it’s an amazing shape or colour or something).

There are three most reputable brands of mesh:

Australia – Glomesh (Glo International Australia) and Park Lane
USA – Gold Crest and Whiting and Davis (USA)
Germany – Oroton

That’s about all it I found find about Glo-Mesh (alu-mesh).  Never underestimate the value of talking to the older generation. Even ladies (and some gents) who don’t take an interest seem to know the difference between Oroton and ‘Made in Hong Kong’. 

If you go into an antiques shop/fair/market where people seem to be selling loads of mesh, they will probably be wonderful founts of wisdom. You can also check fashion magazines from the 70s and 80s, which will probably assist you in identifying designs and trends of the period.

I got all this information from a wonderful website from Google.   All of this information was gleaned from a blog site; as I couldn't find anything about these particular types of bags.  I've been obtaining a lot of my history from my parents and other people who used to own Glo-mesh or other mesh bags.

Golden

Now, yesterday, I scored well at Life Line.  Actually, I thought I wasn't going to; but I looked over at the glass case and spotted a lovely little glo-mesh purse.  It was in such gorgeous condition that I asked to look at it and the lady took it out for me.  As soon as I opened it, I knew exactly where I had seen one just like it; and you know, the other one I have is in exactly the same condition as this one, but it's white/creme.

So, I bought this - along with two other handbags - and brought it home.  And what a lovely little purse!  The only things missing is the keyring holder and box.  The other one I have is in its box with the keyring holder; and it's never been used.  But that's another story for another time.

A Delightful Little Black Number

Today, while I was out shopping, I found there were no coin purses to be found at Life Line.  So, I was absolutely delighted when another customer pointed me in the direction of the glass cabinets and said that there was a glo-mesh coin purse/evening bag that was sitting there waiting to be picked up by somebody like me.  And isn't it just the most gorgeous little thing?

I checked it out and just love it!  I can't wait to find a wedding to go to with this little number on my arm.  What a lovely silver clip and chain it has too!  I'll keep you all posted about how it goes with it once I do get it out on the town.

A Wonderful Find Today!

Today, I went for a wander around to my local thrift shop in search for old and ready-to-toss books for a project I'm working on.  While there, I found the most gorgeous and wonderful evening purse! 

This silver number was glinting from between other bags, signaling to me to have a look at it before I did anything else; so of course I did.  And what a beautiful and sweet purse it has turned out to be!

It's a Glow-Mesh evening bag with all its original fittings still attached.  The inside is just as lovely and clean as you would expect it to be when it was almost brand new; yes, this bag has been lovingly cared for.  However, I know it has been used a lot as the clasp area has begun to tarnish.  I bought it for under $5.00!  What a find!  And I'm sure it will be a great accessory for when I do go out one night.

Golden Oldie

On the same day as I bought the below little coin purse, I found this one hanging on an over-crowded hatstand. It was looking like it needed a new home and when I opened it, I found it had been loved dearly. All the metal around it was in good condition, it did up nicely and the strap was in one piece and not rusted. So, I made the decision very quickly and on the spot to take it home with me (with Glow-Mesh, you don't walk away if it's in good condition, they're hard to come by).

When I got it home, I gave it a closer look and found the inside was creased from where lip was opened the closed all the timed; but that's to be expected from the older handbags. The fabric underneath the metal mesh wasn't stained and it was this lovely golden colour that I love! So, after an initial wipe down and a quick photograph to record it, I added it to my growing collection of handbags.

Black Glow-Mesh Beauty.

I received this lovely little purse from my Birthday Buddy last year. And isn't it lovely? I've yet to use it, but I haven't found the right occasion. So, it's waiting amongst my other Glow-Mesh Handbags for the right time to be chosen for those times of dinner out and about or just a lovely coffee as the sun goes down after a Matinee Show in the city.

I do have other Glow-Mesh Bags that I've yet to show you - and I'm really eager to put them on show - however just finding the right words to describe them is very hard. So, even though I have the photos all done up here, I've yet to figure out what I want to say about them all. I just wish these things were made still so they weren't so hard to find.

A Tough Choice

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!

A Little Bit of Bling

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.

Old and Beautiful

Now, this one was originally a glasses case; however I have found it a new life as a coin purse. You see, our glasses cases these days are very different compared to the ones from days gone by. This one was found in a charity store and I paid around $5.00 for it; and it's that lovely mesh that everyone's collecting now and I love it! The best thing about this purse is that it's in wonderful condition; except for a little wear just inside where the hinge of the glasses would have rested (as you can see from the second photograph). But that's all. There wasn't any mesh missing, pulling away from the hinges or claspe. This is a very good quality glasses case-turned-purse.

The last time I used this purse, I went into the Life Line Bookfest in June this year and it was absolutely perfect for the amount of money I had for it; as well as the change it had to carry! I also met up with my brother and his girlfriend and daughter that day too; and he's nuts about that purse because it's what our late-Grandmother used to use in purses and bags all the time. However, seeing how rare it is to come by these darlings, don't give up on finding them. I was very lucky to see this one; that's all.