Here are some example of what those old repairs look like and how to spot them.
Early beaded reticule with elongated repair. Notice how the bead-knit fabric has been pinched together to close up the hole, as opposed to adding in the missing beads.
This is the backside of an early German beaded floral reticule. Many times this is what you will see on the reverse side of an early purse. It was customary to put a little patch of fabric behind the hole and then attach the beads to the fabric. This technique is widely used today in beaded purse repair. The only way you will see if your purse has these repairs is if the lining is missing.
Another common practice was to simply stitch the hole up with thread. You can see the little bunched up area, but when the threads are removed, this will open up into a hole of aproximately 1/2" in diameter.
Here is a view of the front side of a "patch" repair. The back side of the purse has a small patch of fabric attached to it, then the beads are strung in rows to fill in the hole. These repairs are easy to spot once you know what to look for.
