Gucci Handbags & Purses

Gucci's commitment to artisanal craftsmanship has been evident since the opening of its first shop in Florence in 1921. The Italian family-founded high-fashion empire got its start providing high-end riding gear and luggage to Italian aristocrats and continues to bring functional quality to women's accessories.

The brand's GG monogram has found its way onto everything from signature bit loafers to sunglasses, but Gucci is best known for its top-tier leather accessories, specifically the Gucci bag.

In the post World War II economy, when shortages of certain supplies persisted, Gucci took advantage of opportunities to source newer, then-exotic materials like bamboo. Introduced in 1947, the design house's bags featured heat-treated bamboo handles, which were popularized by Hollywood starlets and became instant hits. The design remains among the most popular vintage Gucci designs on the market and often comes up at auction.

Gucci handbags are in demand at auction, with vintage bags from the '60s through the '90s being the most common. Older, rare bags from the Roaring Twenties to the '50s are especially collectible.

Quick Facts

• In 1961, Gucci's popular hobo shoulder bag was renamed Jackie after the trendsetting First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, who carried one. Originally a unisex tote, the bag was relaunched by designer Tom Ford in 1999, and again as the "New Jackie" in 2009
• In 2010, a '60s Gucci black leather box handbag lined in red leather with gilt metal hardware in the original dust bag sold at a Christie's auction in England for £813
• In a 2011 Christie's auction, an early 1960s Gucci burgundy crocodile bag with a gold snap closure and double handles went for £1,250