I am no stranger to resale, as it’s been a key element in my handbag journey. Without it, I would never have had access to, nor the funds to get my collection to where it is today. In a way, handbag collecting can be like buying and trading stock. I’ve made major profits on bags while taking very few losses. My rule is I can only buy bags with the money I make selling bags. We all know selling on our own can be a little scary at times, and I personally find the process stressful. That’s why I personally enjoy either selling to close friends or working with consignment/resellers to move my bags. Fashionphile has been a reseller that I’ve had a great relationship with for years. Personally, I have sold eighteen bags to them so far, and as I redecorate my new apartment after a fresh move, I’ve decided to turn to them once again to help make up some furniture funds.
Fashionphile offers several ways to get a quote, but I usually take the online submission route as I like to know what I’ll be getting before I leave my house. They have recently opened a showroom/appointment hub in the Upper East Side that allows drop-offs which has me really excited because I hate shipping my bags (the anxiety of it all). While I was there, I was allowed to poke around the showroom, and speak to one of their Buyers, Daniel Englander, about the future of luxury fashion, resale life, and of course, bags.
Bag Talk:
As someone who used to work in the resale industry, one of the coolest aspects of the job was the amazing bags I got to handle. Those jobs really did provide me with the first up close and personal bag encounters, which really changed the way I felt about handbags. It also gave me the experience I needed to form my own opinions about designers and styles and a lot of that knowledge is still something that I use today.
I never pass up on the opportunity to chat about bags because let’s face it, they are pretty much my life and I really enjoyed talking to Englander.
PurseBlog: Is there a bag that you’re personally sick of seeing?
Daniel Englander: The Louis Vuitton Neverfull – it’s EVERYWHERE.
PB: Coolest bag you’ve encountered?
DE: Himalayan Birkin 25 – Palladium hardware
PB: What’s your Holy grail?
DE: A Lady Dior in floral brocade with plexiglass handles
PB: Is there a bag you see the most?
DE: Not really, we see everything. Mini bags are hot right now so we have people wanting to sell them.
PB: Name a bag people are sleeping on?
DE: The Lanvin Pencil bag
The Business
Handling gorgeous bags all day may seem like a super glamorous job, and sometimes it is! We also know that some juicy stories are to be had, so we just had to get the scoop.
PB: Tell us your bag horror story:
DE: One time I saw a kid’s tooth, it was more endearing because we knew it was a kid’s.
PB: Highlight of your day?
DE: Seeing all the cool items! You see some crazy pieces. It doesn’t have to be a Himalayan Birkin to be exciting. It’s also about the stories too, our regulars are great.
PB: How did you get into handbags?
DE: I’ve always been into fashion from the womb to here, and being in New York you see so much inspiration so it’s cool to see who’s carrying what.
PB: Any crazy fakes?
DE: To be honest not as many as one would think…but enough.
PB: What’s your take on the next It-bag?
DE: I genuinely think we’re trending towards smaller designers, we’re moving away from the big French and Italian luxury houses and moving towards indie bags, the classics we already know.
The Future of Luxury
The retail landscape as we know it is definitely a thing of the past. Since phones became tiny computers in our pockets, the way we shop is constantly changing. Consumer priorities have also changed, as sustainability and lessening our impact is no longer just a nice idea but a requirement. As we develop new ways to consume, we should also look to change what it is that we consume. The fashion industry is no stranger to pollution, but with more brands and companies creating cyclical trade-in programs, we hope to make fashion less harmful. Companies like Fashionphile are not only making luxury products more accessible, but they are keeping items in rotation longer.
PB: What do you see for the future of resale?
DE: I see it becoming a bigger force, the stigma of resale has changed, carrying used bags are not seen as low-class anymore it has, environmental benefits.
PB: What sets Fashionphile apart?
DE: Obviously, when you’re dealing with a larger company, there’s more comfort for the seller, and the more we’ve grown, the more reliable we’ve become, we still have people asking lots of questions.
PB: What about the stigma around used bags?
DE:I think that’s a very old way of thinking. I think this is how the world is now. Think about the beginning of the Birkin – being made for Jane Birkin, and now it’s on the arms of all the Kardashians. The evolution of bags is constant, and change is going to happen.
