HOW A CALIFORNIA BUSINESSMAN BUILT AN INCOMPARABLE ARRAY OF EXCEPTIONAL HANDBAGS AND SAVED HIS LIFE IN THE PROCESS
By Barbara Tunick
It’s been nearly three years since doctors warned Jeff Pryor that his future was uncertain and that he should get his affairs in order. After surviving a cardiac aneurysm and open-heart surgery, the lifelong musician and CEO of Pryor Products, a leading manufacturer of medical equipment such as weighted bases for IV poles, thought the worst was behind him. “They basically rebuilt my aorta and ascending aorta and told me they were pretty sure they saved my life,” he recalls.
But just a few weeks later, the California-based businessman found himself once again on the wrong side of an IV pole, fighting for his life after developing a fungal infection in his sternum. After two more surgeries, Pryor’s doctors gave him the ominous warning.
“In my mind, ‘getting my affairs in order’ meant that I needed to do something with the creative, artistic part of my brain that made me a musician, that made me see things a little differently,” he says. “Plus, I wanted to do something for my wife, Cheri, and our family.”
Jeff Pryor’s Chanel collection includes rare pieces such as this Mini Van minaudière, which was featured in the Chanel Cruise 2024 runway show in Los Angeles. Pryor’s remarkable assemblage is being offered in Heritage’s May 8 World’s Greatest Chanel Handbag Collection Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction.
Featured in Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2016 Métiers d’Art show in Rome, the vintage-inspired Film Projector minaudière is a tribute to Italian movie stars and films.
And with that, Pryor’s pursuit to amass the greatest collection of Chanel minaudières and exceptional handbags was born. “I’ve always loved collecting things, and I started collecting the bags for Cheri,” he says. “At first, I was simply trying to find her unique bags to match her extensive shoe collection, but the more I learned about Chanel and [former creative director] Karl Lagerfeld, the more intrigued I became. Karl was the most phenomenal designer, and he had a great sense of humor. I’ve always been drawn to the best – like Jimi Hendrix and Beck, and baseball’s Ohtani. And then there’s Karl.”
Instead of surrendering to a daunting recovery and a doubtful future, Pryor faced the challenge head-on – and, remarkably, managed to assemble an incomparable collection of Chanel’s most striking, wearable pieces of art. “My desire to find the rarest bags became a quest,” he says. “And the more I found, the more I wanted to find. It kept me distracted from the pain and the drugs. The recovery was grueling. It was very tough on my wife and family. And, if I’m being honest, I wasn’t always sure I would make it.”
Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2023 Collection marked the house’s first show in Africa and incorporated elements from multiple African cultures through fabrics, textures and nature-inspired motifs like this rare and collectible Lion Head minaudière.
The 2020 Métiers d’Art show returned to Paris with a collection featuring standout pieces like this gilded Birdcage bag.
Pryor had a lot of time to think while being bedridden for nearly a year. He spent much of that time, he says, in a “buying frenzy,” scouring the planet for the rarest and most sought-after Chanel pieces ever created. Unlike Chanel’s iconic and classically elegant bags, Lagerfeld’s spirited and whimsical minaudières are highly stylized, intricately designed accessories usually made of unexpected materials such as Lucite, resin, crystals and feathers. Typically seen on the runway or in Chanel’s annual Métiers d’Art collections, the lavish, captivating pieces are designed to embody the essence of that season’s show and are produced in exceptionally limited quantities.
“Jeff’s collection is extraordinary,” says Diane D’Amato, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Luxury Accessories, Private Sales & The Boutique. “It’s extremely rare to see so many special minaudières and Runway pieces in a single collection. In fact, I’ve never seen such an extensive collection of Chanel bags before. It’s truly spectacular and a testament to how much Jeff appreciates, understands and genuinely loves the craftsmanship, artistry and intricacy of Chanel. What started out as a labor of love for Cheri grew into one of the greatest collections of all time.”
The Chanel Pre-Fall 2019 Collection, inspired by ancient Egypt, included this rare Scarab Beetle minaudière.
Chanel’s 2023 Resort Collection featured casino-inspired bags like this Slot Machine minaudière.
Looking back on his quest, Pryor recalls connecting with collectors from all over the world and becoming friends with many of them. “After a while, it wasn’t only for my wife; it was to satisfy something in me,” he says. “I couldn’t hold a guitar to my chest. I couldn’t play music, but I could look for – and find – the rarest bags to create the greatest Chanel collection of all time. I was always on the lookout, and I usually found what I was looking for.” Indeed, whether it was acquiring the Gas Can from a collector in Florida or tracking down the Belt Buckle from a fellow in Australia, Pryor’s determination was unwavering.
Inspired by British music history, Chanel’s Guitar minaudière hails from the house’s Pre-Fall 2024 Métiers d’Art Collection.
The extremely rare Gold Bar minaudière was featured in Chanel’s Spring 2006 Ready-to-Wear show.
“I became fascinated by Karl,” he says. “He always thought way out of the box. For instance, look at his Gold Bar – what better way to describe a Chanel bag? And the Hula Hoop? Karl designed it so a woman could take it to the beach and hang her towel on it!”
On May 8, however, Pryor will say goodbye to his beloved assemblage when Heritage presents the World’s Greatest Chanel Handbag Collection Luxury Accessories Signature® Auction. “We want to give someone else the chance to enjoy them, whether they display them or wear them and flaunt them,” Pryor says of the 80 exceptional bags featured in the auction. “Of course, I’ll miss them because I put my heart into this collection. I’ve always believed that something good comes from something bad. Looking back at that time, I know Chanel saved my life.”
BARBARA TUNICK is a contributor to Intelligent Collector.