Vintage and Second Hand Designer Bag Buying Guide
I have amassed quite the vintage and second hand luxury bag collection over the years and it’s a collection that I know I’ll love for many years to come. I always search for vintage designer bags because of the quality, craftsmanship and unique design. I don’t want to drop a pretty penny on something that everyone else has, so I always go vintage. If I’m looking for a current trend, then I search second hand to save money. While the second hand market has exploded over the last two years, there are still great deals to be found if you’re in the market for a luxury bag.
Buying second hand and vintage can save you upwards of 60% off retail plus it’s more sustainable than buying new.
Do your homework
Researching is the first step in making a second hand/vintage bag purchase, which is exactly why you’re here! When I’m shopping for second hand or vintage designer bags, I have SO many tabs open in order to make sure that I’m looking everywhere possible. Remember the age-old adage: If it’s too good to be true — the bag costs way below its resale market value — it probably is. If I’m unsure of a particular design, I turn to the pros on The Purse Forum community as a back up. You can submit information, links, and images and The Purse Forum community will review and authenticate for you. Note that not all requests are answered. Find out everything you can about the bag you’re interested in including if it comes with the dust bag, box, receipt and/or authenticity card. All resellers should provide an authenticity card or certificate of authenticity. Find out absolutely everything about the bag that you can.
Buy from reputable sellers
Reputable sellers will give a lot of information about the bag in the description plus they will provide plenty of images. If you have questions about the specific bag, a reputable seller will answer your questions and will always be willing to give you more information. A reputable seller will either sell only authenticated bags and have an authenticity guarantee. Note that most authentication guarantees don’t last forever, so check each store’s policy to understand the authentication process and what their guarantee is before purchasing the bag. A reputable seller will also share a lot of images of the exact bag you’re purchasing as well as detailed information on the style of the bag. Just because a shop has a lot of influencer or media buzz doesn’t make it reputable, so dig into the seller’s products, authentication process and refund policy.
A reputable seller will stand behind the product they sell, so they should offer a hassle-free option for returning if the item doesn’t arrive as described.
Check the craftsmanship
Leather. Designer and luxury bags are generally offered in luxe leather and other durable and quality materials. It’s good to learn a little about the material you’re purchasing so you can prepare for cleaning and maintenance. As long as an item is priced correctly, don’t hesitate to purchase a bag that needs some TLC. I would recommend sending images to Leather Surgeons to get an estimate before you purchase so you can factor that in your final purchase price.
Stitching. The devil is in the details as they say, so check for a straight stitching pattern. Luxury bags are all about the details so pay special focus to them. Also, all of the stitching should line up and meet where the flap folds over in front of the bag. If the handbag comes with a small pocket on the backside, then the stitching should line up here as well. If the stitching is crooked and doesn’t line up, then you are most definitely looking at a fake bag.
Authenticity Card & Serial Number. Most designer bags should come with the authenticity card, have a hologram sticker (Chanel bags) or serial number, and other markings inside. Beware: Fake bags will come with hologram stickers and authenticity cards! Google the serial number and run a reverse Google image search and see if the number pops up. If it does (and if it’s for an active listing), then you know it’s a fake. Serial numbers are like fingerprints, they are unique to the individual bag. I would not purchase a bag off of any site that does NOT offer an authenticity guarantee!
Designer boutiques do not authenticate bags; I rely on the following for authentication of my designer bags:
Leather Surgeons will authenticate along with service
Pro Authenticators for Luis Vuitton
Zeko for Chanel
Bababebi for Hermes
Dr Runway for Gucci, YSL and Dior
Know the value of your bag
Certain designers and styles will hold their value for the long term, which means they aren’t necessarily cheap. The classics – Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Prada and Goyard – will always maintain a strong resale value. Even if they aren’t cheap, bags by these designers can be found for 20-60% less than retail! If the bag is in a highly desirable or rare color, then it is likely to cost more on the resale market than less sought after colors. Expect to see a good condition pre-owned Chanel flap bag in popular colors like black, beige or navy blue for around $3,000, whereas brand new they retail for upwards of $6,000.
My favorite option when shopping for designer is vintage. Many brands will dip into their archives for inspiration and reissue iconic shapes like the Louis Vuitton Cannes or Dior Saddle bag. This resulted in the popularization of the original vintage pieces, increasing the resale value in the second hand market. Prior to the trend, the Louis Vuitton Cannes bag was about $150-400 and the Dior Saddle was about $100-250 range. Once the styles were brought back, the vintage/original bags tripled in price on sites like Etsy and Vestiaire. Vintage will generally be cheaper than second hand since many of the vintage styles are not “on trend” or “popular” styles. But, this is the exact reason why I love buying vintage designer bags – no one else has the same bag!
These are some of the popular handbags that will retain value over the years. If you’re looking to build a classic designer handbag collection, this a great place to start!
Where to buy second hand/vintage
Vestiaire Collective. Luxury resale store with high end items like clothes, bags, and accessories. Buy with confidence as they guarantee authenticity. You can oftentimes shop during their sales where they offer even deeper discounts.
Farfetch. Think of this as a web of global boutiques, all available in one place. You can shop from a curated section of designer goods that are then shipped to you from wherever they originated. Prices tend to be higher here, but the items are generally like-new condition.
Moonstone Vintage LA. Shannon’s shop has grown so much over the years and she now has a pop-up at Reformation on Melrose. Her collection is highly curated and a mix of vintage and second hand pieces.
Fashionphile. One of the world’s top resellers of pre-owned luxury. They curate an experience with shopping and it’s a great place for when you’re looking for high end designer items.
eBay. The original bidding website that I’ve been using since 2000! In addition to bidding, eBay also offers you the option to ‘buy it now’ which I use regularly to buy my item before someone else does as well as authentication services.
Linda’s Stuff Linda has been reselling designer items since the early days of ebay (like 2000) and she’s grown it into a eBay Top Seller and worldwide fashion reseller. Her prices are competitive and she offers a great return policy.
Etsy. A large collection of small businesses that make their products shoppable online. There are many other things besides second hand and vintage items, but the shops that do sell what you’re looking for can offer great steals.
The Vintage Bar. The Vintage Bar offers a great collection of authenticated bags and accessories with new arrivals every week. They price each item competitively (many second hand bags are up to 60% off the retail price).
Amore Vintage Japan. One of Japan’s best second hand and vintage shops, Amore specializes in pre-loved luxury items from the 80s-00s. 90% of the stock is sourced in real life, allowing the buyers to physically inspect all the items before they go on sale so you’re sure to get pieces in mint condition.
Luxury Garage Sale. Luxury Garage Sale started on eBay and is now an online retailer with a vast and curated collection of authentic, pre-owned pieces from the world’s most beloved luxury brands.
Open for Vintage. This is a UK based retailer featuring luxury boutiques from around the world. They essentially curate items from independent boutique partners. They offer 14-day free returns so that you can shop with confidence.
Consign of the times. Consign of the Times is a premier purveyor of luxury pre-owned handbags, premium shoes, and high-end accessories. Whether you are on the hunt for a Chanel Flap Bag, Louis Vuitton Classic or an Hermes Birkin, this is your source for luxury designer resale.
Final Tips and Tricks on Negotiating
If I find something I’m looking for that is in great condition, comes from a reputable seller, and at a great price, I buy it immediately. In my experience, the most popular designer luxury bags of the moment disappear immediately if they are priced right. Otherwise, I try to negotiate by messaging the sellers.
There are a few tips for shopping on eBay and if you utilize all of them then you will definitely find your dream bag at the price you want! If you know what style of bag you want, utilize the Saved Search function to save the search and select whether you want to be notified by email and/or mobile notification when an item becomes available. I prefer alerts on my phone so I can snatch the item I want as quickly as it’s available. If it’s a very rare item, I can assure you that there are others following the same search so act quickly and buy the item if you really want it.
If I find unique and beautiful bags, I add them to my wishlist or watch list and just wait. On eBay, the system will recommend that sellers send offers (sometimes of up to 30%) to sell an item to buyers who are “watching the item.” Many sellers will send a really great offer to make the sale. This has inspired several quick purchases on my part, since the price is too good to pass up.
Finally, you can also use the “Make an Offer” option to start the negotiation process with the Seller.
On Vestiaire Collective, you can add items to your wish list so you’ll be notified if there are any updates to the item. You can also set an “alert,” which will notify you of any price reductions. I also use this to my benefit and will track how long an item has been listed in order to use that information in my negotiation. For example, I will message the seller and say ‘I’ve noticed this item hasn’t sold in 6 months, I’d love to make a respectful offer of $’. Or you can simply ask “what is the best price you can do on this item?” if you’re looking to open a negotiation dialogue.
Fashionphile started on eBay so they’ve integrated some of my favorite eBay tools into their own website to make shopping a breeze! You can save a search as well as favorite items so you’re notified when there is a new listing, price drop, or when the item is back in stock (because of a return).
Similar to eBay or Etsy, you can also negotiate via message. I’d say that 90% of the time, negotiating works and I save a bit of money.
Handbag Repair
Whether the leather or suede needs cleaning, chain needs polishing, or lining needs to be repaired, you can save money when buying a pre-loved designer bag by picking the not-so-perfect one. One trip to Leather Surgeons or a local handbag repair shop, your bag can be repaired to near perfection.
For reference a full Chanel handbag makeover costs about $450 at Leather Surgeons (see the full rundown of repair here). This includes, refinishing the leather, gold dipping the chain and hardware, repairing straps, and fixing the overall bag shape. A local handbag or shoe repair shop can do similar work for about $250-350.
If you are willing to make some slight compromises on condition you can truly find some incredible deals that will still last you many years. If you find a bag that has lots of wear on it and you have some time to buy it, then consider sending an email to Gerri at Leather Surgeons to get a quote on repairing the leather, strap or whatever is wrong with the brand. Sometimes you can find a beat up Chanel bag for around $500 and another $300-500 in repairs will make it look brand new. That is still much cheaper than finding one that is slightly used.
