Fashion Friday: Vintage Purse Sighting

(Kim's Vintage Purse)

You see this leather hobo purse on this woman’s shoulder? Well, I fell in love with it. Unfortunately, it’s not available in stores anymore. Turns out, Kim bought it at an estate sale for $5 somewhere in Florida.

I’ve never gone to an estate sale because I always thought the items were going to be priced way out of my range. Garage/yard sales are more my thing. I try to get up early on a Saturday morning and stroll until I saw the signs. "Yard Sale: At 123 Elm Street." I would also hit the thrift stores and vintage shops. However, I never came across any purse that I fell in love with like the one Kim now carries.

So how do I know Kim? I don’t. She was commuting into NYC from Jersey City when I spotted the purse. I struck up a conversation and asked her where she got the purse. I then explained that her vintage hobo bag reminded me of the type of purse my mother had in the late 1970s - big, brown, leather purse with a wide shoulder strap.

About two years ago, I was standing in line at an art gallery waiting for the bathroom and I saw image activist and writer, Michaela Angela Davis, with a large leather purse. I asked her who designed her bag and she rattled off some designer I never heard of. She then explained to her friend that she purchased her purse off of EBay. The only thing I remember from that conversation was that her hobo bag initially cost approximately $3,000.

Where I saw Michaela Angela Davis: Basquiat Stripped

After that day, I gave up all hope of ever owning a vintage leather hobo bag. Thank goodness I had the guts to ask Kim about hers and that she was willing to do an impromptu photo shoot of her vintage find.

Estate sales, here I come.

Do you have a vintage purse sighting story? Share your find below or tag @tcsviews on Instagram with an image of your purse.