The Allure of Vanity: Andra Behrendt and Alderfer’s Vintage Ladies’ Accessories Auction

The Allure of Vanity: Andra Behrendt and Alderfer’s Vintage Ladies’ Accessories Auction

Edited by: Christian Answini | Senior Fine Art Specialist

On October 8, 2025, Alderfer Auction invites collectors, fashion historians, and lovers of design to explore a rich world of Vintage Ladies’ Accessories. This special auction includes everything from delicate enameled compacts and hand mirrors to perfume bottles, brooches, and figural novelties—objects that once sat atop vanities or slipped discreetly into handbags, now elevated as cherished collectibles.
To frame the significance of these items, it is helpful to look to Andra Behrendt, a leading voice in the field of vanity collectibles. Known for her business Lady A Antiques, her curatorial work with the Perfume Passage Museum, and her decades-long involvement with the International Perfume Bottle Association, Behrendt has dedicated her career to preserving and interpreting the history of beauty objects. Her insights offer the perfect lens through which to appreciate the treasures Alderfer will present this October.

A Career Devoted to Beauty History

Behrendt began collecting as a teenager, inspired by her aunt’s jewelry collection. By 1993, she had founded Lady A Antiques, focusing on vanity accessories, jewelry, and celluloid boxes. Through years of exhibiting at antique shows, she developed both a deep expertise and an impressive network among collectors of compacts, perfumes, and purses.
Her curatorial role at the Perfume Passage Museum has allowed her to catalog historic makeup and fragrance objects, from Art Deco enamel compacts to whimsical figural powder puffs. She notes that these items are not mere novelties but cultural artifacts, reflecting the eras in which they were produced.
“The compacts, perfumes, and purses of the past,” she has said, “were significant of their time periods and influenced by cultural and social trends.” This philosophy is at the heart of what makes Alderfer’s upcoming sale so compelling.

Lot 4: Perfume Bottles & Lipstick Pendant

Highlights from Alderfer’s Auction
Behrendt’s passion for Art Deco enamels and whimsical designs finds perfect resonance in several Alderfer lots:

Lot 1: Silver Enamel Hand Mirror – This purse mirror in 800 silver, with its delicate enamel decoration, embodies the intersection of beauty and utility that Behrendt champions. It is the kind of accessory that elevates the ordinary act of touching up one’s makeup into an expression of artistry.
Lot 2: Russian Imperial Silver Compact – Marked Petersburg and crafted in 875 silver, this compact connects collecting directly with history. Objects like these highlight the prestige of accessories in European court culture and the technical refinement of silversmiths catering to the elite.
Lot 4: Perfume Bottles & Lipstick Pendant – A group of Czechoslovakian porcelain perfume bottles paired with a lipstick pendant reveals the playful ingenuity of vanity design. These accessories blur the line between function and ornament, appealing to both collectors of porcelain and enthusiasts of early cosmetics.
Lot 5: Limoges Purse Hand Mirror & Brooch – French artistry shines in this pairing, with Limoges porcelain hand painting and filigree details that illustrate the craftsmanship prized by collectors like Behrendt.
Lot 10: Evans & Ernest Steiner Ladies Accessories – Makers such as Evans and Ernest Steiner are essential names in the vanity field. Steiner’s rhinestone-studded purse mirrors and Evans’ inventive compacts exemplify the design innovation that keeps collectors fascinated.
Lot 14: Vintage Travel Perfume Bottles – A set of cobalt glass and miniature bottles from Bourjois’ Evening in Paris line reminds us of how branding and glamour went hand in hand in the early to mid-20th century. Behrendt often notes how these everyday items have evolved into cultural icons.

Lot 1: Silver Enamel Hand Mirror                                                                               Lot 2: Russian Imperial Silver Compact 

Together, these lots—and the many brooches, pill boxes, mesh purses, and mirrors included in the auction—illustrate the diversity of form, material, and story that vintage accessories embody.

Why Collect Vanity Items?

Behrendt often advises collectors to “buy what interests you,” with a focus on unusual designs and high condition. In the world of vanity items, this can mean seeking out pristine enamel compacts, figural novelties, or branded promotional pieces that capture a moment in cultural history. The 1920s and 1930s, Behrendt’s personal favorite eras, saw explosive growth in the design of compacts and purses, as women embraced new freedoms and fashion trends. Alderfer’s sale includes many examples reflecting this bold era of change. At the same time, earlier Victorian pieces and later mid-20th-century accessories demonstrate how design evolved to meet shifting ideals of elegance and practicality.

For today’s collectors, these items offer a tangible connection to the women who once owned them. Each compact, mirror, or brooch carries with it the traces of a life lived—objects both personal and ornamental.
A Community of Collectors Before the internet, Behrendt recalls, collectors relied on clubs, newsletters, and conventions to share knowledge. She joined groups for hatpins, combs, plastics, and jewelry before focusing on the International Perfume Bottle Association, which remains a leading organization for vanity enthusiasts. Today, the accessibility of online auctions has expanded collecting opportunities, yet sales like Alderfer’s provide the irreplaceable thrill of seeing, handling, and competing for objects in real time. This sense of community is central to the field. Collectors not only acquire objects, they preserve and interpret a shared history. Every acquisition adds another layer to the story of women’s beauty culture.

Lot 14: Vintage Travel Perfume Bottles 

From Everyday to Extraordinary

What unites Alderfer’s October 8th offerings is the transformation of once-ordinary accessories into extraordinary collectibles. A compact once tucked into a purse now stands as an emblem of the Art Deco movement. A hand mirror becomes a miniature canvas for enamel artistry. A perfume bottle evolves into a time capsule of branding, glamour, and style.As Behrendt has said, these items “didn’t start out as collectible, but certainly are now.” Alderfer’s auction makes that evolution visible.

Auction Details

Vintage Ladies’ Accessories Auction

Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Where: Alderfer Auction, Hatfield, PA & Online

Highlights include:

• Silver enamel and Russian Imperial silver compacts and mirrors
• Perfume bottles, including Bourjois Evening in Paris miniatures
• Limoges porcelain hand mirrors and brooches
• Evans and Ernest Steiner vanity accessories
• Collections of portrait brooches, pill boxes, and figural mirrors

Conclusion
Andra Behrendt’s decades of expertise remind us that vanity items are far more than decorative curiosities. They are cultural artifacts that speak to women’s roles, design trends, and the evolution of personal style. Alderfer’s October 8th auction celebrates this rich history by bringing a wide-ranging collection of compacts, purses, perfumes, and accessories to market.
For collectors and enthusiasts alike, the sale is not just an opportunity to acquire beautiful pieces—it is a chance to preserve a part of history that shaped how women presented themselves to the world.
Join us October 8th to bid, collect, and celebrate the artistry of vintage ladies’ accessories.