You're welcome everyone. Zippers can be intimidating but they dont' have to be. I learned to put a zipper in when I made a pair of white jeans in home-ec in high school. I've replaced many zippers over the years in jeans and coats. The hardest part about replacing in a garment is taking out the original!! It really isn't complicated to put one back in.
So starting from scratch in a purse is not hard to do at all.