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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1

                        WINSTEAD SECHREST & MINICK P.C.
                        1201 Elm, 5400 Renaissance Tower
                              Dallas, Texas 75270
                                 (214) 745-5400

                                February 12, 2001




Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc.
690 East Lamar Boulevard, Suite 200
Arlington, Texas  76011

Gentlemen:

         Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
is today transmitting for filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the "Commission") a Form S-8 Registration Statement (the "Registration
Statement") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), with
respect to the registration of 300,000 additional shares (the "Shares") of
common stock, $1.00 par value per share (the "Common Stock"), of the Company
which may be issued pursuant to the Tandy Brands Accessories, Inc. Stock
Purchase Program, as amended and restated effective October 18, 1991 (the
"Plan").

         In rendering the opinion expressed herein, we have examined the
following:

                  (i)      the Plan;

                  (ii)     the Certificate of Incorporation of the Company and
                           all amendments thereto;

                  (iii)    the Bylaws of the Company, as amended;

                  (iv)     minutes of meetings or unanimous consents in lieu of
                           meetings of the Company's board of directors and
                           stockholders; and

                  (v)      such other corporate records and documents,
                           certificates of corporate and public officials and
                           statutes as we have deemed necessary for the purposes
                           of this opinion.

         In such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of all corporate records, documents and instruments submitted
to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents
submitted to us as conformed, certified or photostatic copies thereof, and the
authenticity of the originals of such photostatic, certified or conformed
copies. We have assumed compliance both in the past and in the future with the
terms of the





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Plan by the Company and its employees, officers, Board of Directors and any
committee and/or trustee appointed to administer the Plan.

         The opinions expressed herein are limited in all respects to the
substantive law of the State of Texas, the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware and the federal law of the United States, and we assume no
responsibility as to the applicability thereto, or the effect thereon, of the
laws of any other jurisdiction.

         Based upon the foregoing and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion
that the Shares, when distributed pursuant to and in accordance with the terms
of the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable shares of
Common Stock.

         This firm consents to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as
Exhibit 5.1 to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not
admit that we come within the category of persons whose consent is required by
Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        WINSTEAD SECHREST & MINICK P.C.



                                        /s/ Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.
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