If you’ve been thinking about reselling a gently loved designer handbag, you might wonder if it’s worth it and how to go about it — while also getting the most money possible from the sale. This guide walks through all the steps and questions about how to resell designer bags and provides valuable tips for finding the right buyer and maximizing your profits.
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Designer bags, often called designer handbags, are bags made by a famous designer or luxury fashion house brand. They’re typically made of high-quality materials, so they hold up better over time while still looking fabulous.
Because they hold up well even after years of use, designer bags tend to retain their value. In fact, some rare designer bags, limited editions, and bags more than 10 years old (considered vintage) actually increase in value over time. Some people actually consider them an investment.
While some designer bags are immediately recognizable, there are plenty of others that look like ordinary handbags. The difference is the name brand attached to it, which exudes elegance and prestige, and its perceived value among potential designer handbag buyers.
There are several steps involved in selling or reselling a designer bag online. If you choose a consignment shop, you’ll essentially hand the reins over to the shop owner. However, that means you also lose control.
You can’t choose your price, and in most cases, you’re limited to the consignment store’s audience. That means you can’t try to get the best price by listing your bag across multiple marketplaces.
If you’re doing it on your own, here’s how it works:
Designer apparel and accessories are among the best and most popular items to resell online. The three big names when it comes to designer bags are Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel, and these designer bags often have the highest resale value. Other luxury brands may offer a high resale value in a particular season or during a time when a brand has gained significant popularity.
You can also expect good resale value from other recognizable luxury brands. Other iconic designer handbag brands that might be worth selling online (in alphabetical order) include:
Keep in mind that designer handbags, like all fashion, may increase in popularity during certain seasons or ebb and flow with the current designer handbag trends. So, the ease of selling any designer bag online depends on a number of factors, such as:
With these caveats in mind, the luxury brands with the highest resale value also tend to be the easiest to sell online:
Other brands may be especially easy to sell at a given time based on the factors listed above.
Brands aside, the designer bags that are easiest to sell are often those with a classic, timeless design that will never go out of style. Additionally, if you have a vintage designer handbag with a design that has recently become popular again, you’ll likely have an easier time selling it online.
There are many places to sell Louis Vuitton and other designer bags online, but some are more widely used by shoppers who are looking for designer goods. Platforms that specialize in secondhand luxury items like designer bags can help you find the right buyer in less time and earn top dollar for your handbag.
That said, you can still have success selling your designer bag on mainstream marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace, but having the right selling strategy is key.
Some of the best marketplaces and consignment shops to sell designer bags online include:
Facebook Groups can also be a great place to sell your designer bag. Choose a group dedicated to reselling luxury goods in general or a group focused exclusively on reselling designer handbags. A couple of Facebook Groups to consider include:
If you’re having trouble selling your Louis Vuitton handbag or another luxury brand designer bag, there could be a few possible causes.
It takes a lot of preparation and work to sell or resell designer bags, and when it comes to selling luxury goods, even small mistakes can cost you profits. That’s why it makes sense to workpartner with a reselling partner like Sella to get top dollar for your designer bags and other secondhand goods.
Our resale experts will help you with every step of the process, prepping your designer bag for sale and taking high-quality photos, writing compelling listing descriptions, listing your item on multiple marketplaces, managing your listings, negotiating with buyers, and even setting up meetups or shipping. We may do all the legwork, but you’re not giving up all your potential profits: when you partner with Sella, you’ll keep 90% of the profits when your designer handbag sells.
Our experts will also recommend the best asking price and may be able to suggest different times of year that may be ideal for selling your handbag. Ultimately, though, you remain in complete control and have the final say on every decision. You can also make changes at any time.
Ready to sell your designer bags with ease? Get started with Sella today.
No. It’s perfectly legal to purchase and/or resell luxury and designer bags as long as they were acquired legally. Selling fake designer bags, however, is illegal under the Lanham Act, a U.S. federal trademark law.
Yes, you’re allowed to sell any Louis Vuitton handbags or other items that you acquired legally and that are genuine (not counterfeit). Louis Vuitton is one of the most commonly counterfeited designer bags, along with Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL).
Luxury designers like Louis Vuitton have sued other companies for trademark infringement, so selling fake designer bags could get you into legal trouble. It’s worth ensuring your Louis Vuitton bag is authentic before listing it for sale.
Many designer bags hold their value over time, especially if certain conditions are met (such as having proof of authenticity, the bag’s condition, etc.). Some even increase in value over time, such as limited edition handbags or other hard-to-find styles.
While luxury purses and designer bags 20 years or more used to be the threshold for what’s considered “vintage,” today, most designer bags are considered vintage if they’re at least 10 years old. Opinions may vary, however, and if you’re buying or selling a designer bag online, be sure to check the site’s rules for labeling something “vintage,” as it may differ from the norm.
Designer bags less than 10 years old are simply considered “used,” while any item more than 100 years old is considered “antique.”
Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel bags typically have the highest resale value, although you may be able to sell other luxury brands for high dollar amounts as well. Any widely recognized designer brand that was popular at any point in time likely has good resale value as long as it’s in good condition.
