Plastic Coil Handbags: Delightfully Twisted Fashion Accessories

Vintage handbags are popular with collectors for their craftsmanship, investment potential, and the opportunity to showcase a unique style. More than just accessories, they are also tangible pieces of fashion history.

With their colorful and playful designs, plastic coil handbags are among the more fanciful. Made during the mid-20th century, they are commonly known in the collecting world as “telephone cord handbags,” though they weren’t made with actual phone cords, as many people mistakenly believe.

These charming vintage purses are highly collectible yet affordable. Depending on the size, shape, and color, they range from $10 to a few hundred dollars.

DISPELLING A MAJOR MISCONCEPTION

There are some common myths surrounding these purses. According to The Vintage Purse Museum Photo and History Archive, the most persistent is that they were constructed with actual telephone cords.

In reality, the original bags, produced from the late 1940s through the 1950s, are composed of plastic coils laminated onto cotton fabric arranged in different patterns on both the front and back, and usually also on the bottom, of the purse. Their proper name is “plastic coil handbags,” and the coils don’t have any spring to them like a phone cord. The Fashion Museum of Canada also backs this up.

Coiled phone cords, which likely inspired the handbags, were developed in the 1930s but weren’t prominent in homes until the 1950s. “Telephone cord handbag” is a contemporary term that has stuck and, while not accurate, is widely accepted in the collecting community. Besides, not everyone is aware that this is a misconception, and no one is trying to be deceptive.

FANTASTIC PLASTIC

Various plastics were developed before, during, and after World War II, including acrylic, neoprene, nylon, polyester, and vinyl. After the war ended in 1945, innovative companies and designers in the fashion industry found ways to use these plastics, from raincoats to shoe heels.

As purses were becoming an increasingly essential accessory, handbag manufacturers utilized plastics as well. The technology for the plastic coil handbags was developed in the 1940s by designer Ludwig Kaphan, co-owner of the Lumured Corp. of New Jersey, who received a U.S. patent for making flexible plastic coils in 1946. Several other companies also used his plastic coils to produce the handbags, including Plastic Fashions, Inc., also of New Jersey, which manufactured a line of purses under the brand, Revere-Flex. General Plastics Ltd. of Canada also made them.

This 1949 newspaper ad from The Buffalo News touts Revere-Flex handbags as exciting and smart. They are made of plastic coils that “wash off in a twinkling” and come in different color combinations to match summer clothes—all for $7.98 plus tax.

Plastic coil handbags appealed to women of all ages and social classes and were a fashion staple. They were stylish, easy to care for, and affordable, and came in a variety of solid colors and combinations and different shapes, from smaller clutches to larger shoulder bags to hold all needed necessities.

In 1951, a second purse line, Petit Purl, was introduced. This line offered a more dainty spiral size and dozens of new colors and combinations that could easily match any outfit.

COIL HANDBAGS STILL POPULAR TODAY

The modern fashion industry is flooded with new handbag designs each year, but many sophisticated collectors and fashionistas prefer vintage pieces that have different stories, and plastic coil purses fit the bill. They are avidly sought after by collectors who want to highlight their individual style and also buy sustainable alternatives to newer, mass-produced goods.

Put “telephone cord bag” in the search bars on Instagram and Pinterest, and you’ll see a vast collage of collectors showing off the purses in a rainbow of colors. TikTok videos on the handbags also rack up tens of thousands of views. Many collectors also love pairing these handbags with matching vintage blouses, dresses, or Bakelite jewelry to complete authentic 1940s ensembles.

Collecting vintage plastic coil handbags offers an intersection of fashion history, the distinctive appearance of these pieces, and nostalgia for a bygone era. Coil purses in the modern era are considered unconventional statement pieces, sure to attract some attention.

SECONDARY MARKET VALUES

The value of plastic coil purses depends on design, color, shape, and condition. Many examples are still in great condition after decades because they’re easy to clean with warm, soapy water, which serves as a convincing testament to Kaphan’s innovation.

In their heyday, these handbags were priced between $3 and $12. Nowadays, they sell at online marketplaces between $10 and $350. According to prices captured in WorthPoint’s database over the last three years, larger bags, including box, drawstring, and shoulder models, have sold between $50 and $325, while clutches have sold between $30 and $200.

The purses can be found in a variety of colors, from solid hues like black, ivory, navy blue, pink, and red to combinations, including black and white, brown and cream, and red and white. Multi-colored cord purses are the most desirable and valuable, particularly examples in bright and bold primary colors.

Plastic coil handbags, with their eye-catching design and timeless appeal, add whimsical panache to any outfit and make fresh and fun fashion accessories for your collection.

Adina K. Francis has been a writer and editor in the antiques and collectibles field for more than twenty years. She has a bit of an obsession with the Victorians and thinks that dogs are one of life’s greatest gifts. 

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