Dooney & Bourke, Coach, Etienne Aigner, Fossil, Vera Bradley.
They'll all be up for grabs at bargain prices at St. Raphael Episcopal Church's fourth annual Gently Used Purse Sale.
"We have nearly 500 items for sale. There are clutches, handbags and wallets for every age group," said Diane Davis, the event's coordinator. Some are marked for as little as $2.50, and no item is priced higher than $50, she said.
The sale is sponsored by the church's Episcopal Church Women group, and proceeds will be donated to an array of ministries it supports, treasurer C.C. Johnson said. Those include a summer reading camp for third- and fourth-graders; Camp Haven, for children whose parents are incarcerated; St. Agnes House, a source of housing for patients seeking medical treatment in Lexington; and Virginia Place, which provides housing and child care for single parents working toward a post-secondary degree.
Some money will also go toward necessary updates to the church's kitchen, Johnson said.
ECW president Erica Formisano has bought a Prada purse, Vera Bradley bags and a Coach wallet at past sales. Like other ECW members, she has helped to gather gently used purses from friends and relatives during the year to donate to the sale.
"It's fun to see people make purchases and get excited about what's available," Formisano said.
The sale started small but has grown each year. Last year's event raised more than $1,000.
"The initial concept was that we wanted a project that could bring young women into the ECW," Davis said. "And we thought nothing brings women together faster than purses and shopping."
This year is the first time that the church has opened the sale to the public and advertised it widely.
ECW volunteers will be on hand as personal shoppers to help customers find that perfect handbag.
"I bought five purses last year," Johnson said. "It's so much fun. It's not just for women, either. Men can come and shop, too. They have wives and daughters, mothers and sisters they can buy for."
"This has every positive about it," said Davis, who spends months inventorying and pricing all the purses. "It's great for moms entering the work world, and folks on a limited budget. They can get a nice accessory line going, for not a lot of money."
