A vintage Cartier handbag raised £2600 for the Helen & Douglas House when it was auctioned off recently. The stunning silk purse commanded significantly more than its £300 to £500 estimate.
All money raised at the auction will go to the Helen & Douglas House, a children’s hospice based in Oxfordshire. The purse was donated anonymously to the charity’s fundraising store in Gloucestershire. Store employees knew the purse was “something different,” but couldn’t imagine the money it would eventually raise.
Helen & Douglas House representative Sarah Offill said she could “hardly believe it” when two telephone bidders began to compete against one another, pushing the price sky high.
“The tension and excitement was unbelievable and I am so happy that it raised this amount,” she explained, adding that the sum will pay for one of the group’s nurses to provide one-on-one patient care for almost a month.
Even though it fetched more than the estimate, I think the lucky bidder got a bargain. The purse was made of silk and finished with a gold, enamel, and garnet clasp. It’s a gorgeous example of vintage fashion design, and it comes packaged with a healthy dose of good karma. That sounds like a good deal to me!
