AMERICAN FOLK ART: COLLECTING THE COVETED ENID COLLINS PURSE BY SUSAN YOUNG OF Suzy Poodle Gallery on Etsy.com

"Those heavenly shapes will dazzle now the earthly, with their blaze insufferably bright." - Milton
When you hold a COLLINS OF TEXAS handbag, you are holding a precious piece of American folk art. Enid Collins designed dimensional mahogany box bags & Belgian laminated linen totes from her native Texas in the late 1950's through 1970.
What started as a small venture for family and friends, eventually expanded into sales at local dude ranches, and ultimately exploded into a high fashion trend nationwide that spanned a solid decade.
An original Enid Collins design is a crescendo of color and movement. Its waggish personality is definitely not understated. Each purse had a kitschy theme & pun. Many had Texas-related themes including roadrunners, horses, & those of native flora.
The popular wooden box bags had dovetailed construction not unlike fine furniture. The sturdy decorative brass fittings were designed by Enid's husband, Frederick. Each bag was festooned with glittering Czechoslovakian crystal cut gems, seed pearls, and rhinestones, backgrounds often matte-screened or painted by hand. The laminated Belgian linen totes had similar embellishments, with mahogany bottoms, and fine leather straps.
Then there developed a major mis-identification of Collins' purses. The company was sold to Tandy in 1970, who continued similar themes as Enid's. These Collins of Texas bags are still around today, but without Enid's copyrights, or her fine artistic hand.
So how do spot the real thing? Enid always had the copyright symbol, and the letters "ec" on the body of the purse. They may also say, "Collins of Texas", and have a running horse in a "C" symbol. Many bags were signed and dated by Enid under the lid.
How can you find an Enid Collins purse yourself? When searching online, use keywords like: wooden purse, box purse, Collins of Texas, Enid Collins purse, wood bottom purse, canvas tote, or jeweled purse. New collectors can still find reasonable prices on the more common design themes - those such as "money tree", "pavan", "night owl", and "roadrunner". The more rare designs go for well over $100, in bidding wars that can be quite exciting!
If you live in the southern or midwestern states you may still spot an "Enid" at a yard sale or flea market! More likely you'll see them atop the shelves of upscale vintage boutiques and collectibles stores, or through online venues.
I own Collins' purses in various conditions, and I love them all. They don't have to be in perfect shape to retain their charm. In fact, a purse with a few missing gems has a unique character, like the freckled face of a child with missing teeth! What a delightful and mischievous grin!