Rare, Collectible Vintage Plasticflex Purse Circa 1940's-1950's Robert Appel

This 1940s vintage cream and brown woven plastic purse is in excellent condition. It looks like it was never used except as a collection/ display and shows very mild signs of aging. The inside is fabric lined with one pocket and it closes at the top with a zipper that is in working condition. Plasticflex handbags were made from approximately 1941-1959.

The Ithaca, New York “Pocketbook Factory,” as R. Appel’s business was known, operated from 1935 until about 1960. While it started as a leather goods manufacturer, the most popular product made by Appel (pronounced “apple”) was a handbag constructed of plastic tiles and available in a variety of colors and styles under the Plasticflex label, with a bright red apple as its logo. The Plasticflex patent 2,256,645 was filed March 28, 1941 to Florence Kuhlman, the designer for Robert Appel, New York, NY.

Featured in the "The Vintage Purse Museum", this rare purse measures approximately 10" W x 7" H and 12-1/2"H with handles. The two tone colors are more rare as is the purse with handles. Most of these purses were sold as clutch bags.

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