Enny bags, purses and wallets : eBay Guides

 Enny Original in my ebay shop , click here  A Mere Bagatelle

Is the bag I'm bidding on a genuine authentic Enny bag?

Say the words an Enny handbag to most women (and some men!!) and they will describe a genre of bag that is wonderfully soft, beautifully designed and classically crafted. A bag that will hold masses, look fantastic and last for years. A bag that becomes a friend!  Once you've had an Enny bag, nothing else will quite do. In the 1980' and 90's it was THE bag to have, guaranteed to last a lifetime. The first bag ever to do so.....

However, Enny obviously experienced trading difficulties, and in 2003 closed down their outlets throughout Europe. Their factory shop continued to sell for a while; workers tried to produce new styles that would appeal to a wider, and perhaps younger, market.  Diversification obviously didn't work and despite rumours to the contrary, the factory remains closed. I went to see it in 2008.....a wonderful inspirational site on a Tuscan hillside.... but very sad to see through dusty windows, half made discarded bags and sketches! Never have I been quite so tempted to try a little breaking and entering....

So how come there are so many "new " Enny bags traded on ebay?? 

Enny obviously sold their end of line stock in 2003 to a well known outlet store.  I bought up all I could when I realised that these lovely bags were finite in number and weren't going to be around for ever. I obviously wasn't the only one to do so!  I have gradually sold my stock over the last five years and am down about 10 bags some of which are available on eBay. Occasionally, sellers have bags that may have lain unused in a wardrobe for years, or found a shop that still has them to sell or have owned the shop themselves.Finding a new Enny  is part of the fun in trading in Enny bags.  

When they diversified towards the end of the nineties, Enny split their production into a number of groups. The old style classic, supersoft, many compartment Enny's became Enny Original. The trendier, jazzy  bags became Enny In, a usually synthetic and generally cheaper line was Enny Young. There are some leather bags under this label, designed to appeal to a younger clientele. A further, almost second string, was Enjoy.  Of these later bags, the Enny Original line is the one that most buyers on ebay want as they recall the thick buttery main compartmented bags of the eighties. The craftsmanship, materials design are what is associated with Enny. Enny Original do differ however from the earlier Enny's in several ways. In an early Enny, the label is white with green Enny (often hidden in a front pocket not the main compartment) - in the Enny Original, its a half moon in leather with the words Enny Original. In the Original bags, the lining is usually silky with the Enny logo running through it rather than a soft felt, and of course, the mobile phone pouch was introduced. Some people feel that the leather is not as thick, I think that applies to some bags. The Enny In bags have a tell tale gold cuff, and a golden zip fob E. The edge piping tends to be quite thick. They are actually my favourite Enny bags.  The Enjoy vary....I have one super tan one in stock and an equally horrible blue one! It should also be said that there are a number of quite genuine Ennys around with green label, silver plaque, light weight keyfob and red linings which were made by the buyout and for the most part use synthetic material. Sometimes these have an Enny Young label.

So - how do you know it's an Enny ? How can I get it verified?  The problem is because there are no Enny franchises in the UK now, it's really hard to get an Enny authenticated by a recognised outlet. I was sold a fake Enny early on in my trading and found it impossible to meet ebay's criteria of getting it authenticated by a recognised outlet in order to get my money back. I lost £33 on the transaction and it still rankles! It was after this that I sold an Enny to a local lady who turned out to be a former Enny buyer for Harrods. She came and visited told me exactly what to look for ( and did indeed confirm my £33 bag wasn't a genuine Enny)  -  I pass on her tips to you.

1  A classic Enny and Enny Original will always be an example of superb craftsmanship, top work, top materials. Everything will be exactly symmetrical, stitching will be small and neat.

2 The Enny logo will often be embossed or on a metal plate. Buckles are often engraved. Embossing is usually at the lower front or centre. Plates are either in the middle or the upper side. Beware of those bags which have an oval Enny "leather" plaque that has just been sewn on. Look at the stitching and finish. These are not Enny;'s.

3 Joins will be minimal. Look particularly at the stitching around the strap join and how the strap itself joins in the middle. There will be no open ends.  Enny are always amazingly neat. Corners are mitred.

4 Enny and the Enny Originals usually are well labelled. Several places to look. Outside either embossed in the leather (look for neatness on that embossing). Or on a metal plaque fixed centre or on the right hand side, engraved on the metal ware, and then look for the manufactures white paper tag fixed in one of the internal side seams. This will have serial number, the colour number and then the colour....in Italian of course! The Enny label on the security pocket may say Made in Italy. They don't tend to say anywhere Leather....it's just assumed that you know that if it's an Enny  then its leather!

5  The strap may also  have a four digit serial number....sometimes this can be on the inside of an envelope flap.

6  Bags made before 1995 will not have a mobile phone pouch and maybe lined in felt material. Bags after this have pouches and are lined in silky logo Enny material.  They are not lined in cheap material. Only the earliest of wallets and purses have Enny logo lining. Recent purses tend to have plain self coloured lining. However, many of these purses are well made and are by Enny craftsmen. Purses never seem to have tags, only inserts; There is also a series of bags made in 1996/7 which are lined in a washable fabric. My own Enny overnight bag is of this series. I have the Enny catalogue for this year and am happy to send photos of the styles made during this period if you email me.

7  Enny shoulder bags invariably have 5 adjustment holes - very occasionally three.

8 Look under the bag. Enny bags usually join in the middle underneath not at the edges where the wear is greatest. These "Enny " bags that have  appeared in one outlet a few months back have terrible joins at the base.

9. Enny bags are produced under the Enny Original label, the Enny Young label and the Ennyin label and the Enjoy label....ask if  you don't know which yours is......the canvas and faux leather bags presently on sale, tend not to have an inner label. See above about Enny labelling everything in sight!

10 If in doubt ask the seller for a close up of the Enny embossing or exterior label, and the underneath of the bag......you'll soon see what I mean!

I hope that this is of some help. Ask for photos....ask all those questions......don't buy and then complain because the onus is on the buyer to prove its not genuine and that is difficult.  If you still are unsure or need further advice contact me further.