Giving Rare Antiques New Life!

While shopping at theScott Antique Marketin Atlanta, I discovered some interesting and unique coin purse necklaces.  I had never seen anything like them before.

Each of these necklaces tell a unique story.  The designer, Jan Agnello is an antique dealer.  She stumbled  onto a tiny coin purse and saw a necklace made with one onPinterest.  She thought it was darling and began researching the different types of coin purses made between 1830-1930.

During her research process, she became obsessed with these now rare tiny bits of our history.  She couldn't learn enough and began buying individual purses and entire collections.  She started recruiting buyers in Europe!!

She began designing and selling her necklaces and found that the obsession was contagious as women bought one necklace and kept coming back and buying more.  She loves the sisterhood of those who love history and romance as she does.

 The most "couture" coin purse necklace she sold was an 1889 Man in the Moon coin purse that was the earliest merchandising for the French silent film, "The Astronomers Dream".  The purse was an automaton that spit out a coin when you wiggled his ear.  Crazy, rare and wonderful!!

I had a wonderful conversation with Jan and wanted to learn more about her.  She graduated with an advertising degree from Washington State University and worked in sales, creating advertising campaigns for radio, television and newspapers.  She later moved to Atlanta for her husband's career.

Her company, aptly namedStoryology Designstarted in 2013 as an outlet to pair her love of antiques with the stories that go with them.

She read a quote once that said "Old souls have little time and interest for the short-lived things in life, as they bring little meaning or long lasting fulfillment for them."

I asked her if she could get anyone to wear one of her coin purses who would it be.  She said she would seek out another old soul; perhaps Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel, Drew Barrymore.  She would be over the moon if Betty White, style icon Iris Apfel or Magnolia Pearl's Robin Brown wore one of her necklaces.

 Of course I had to purchase one for myself!

Please check out her websiteStoryologydesign.com.  In the Atlanta area, you can purchase at Scott Antique Market(North Building) in Jonesboro the second weekend of every month and at the Lakewood 400 Antique Market (H Hall) in Cumming, every third weekend of the month and onEtsy.  You can also find her onFacebook and Instagram.

Joann