When it comes to luxury goods, resale is a hot-button topic these days. Few other topics are as buzzy or talked about as the secondary market. Whether you’re strictly buying or selling, looking to flip a bag for profit or looking to purchase on the primary market as an investment, there is a lot to be mindful of when shopping for a designer handbag. The market itself is constantly changing and evolving, and in the last 2-3 years alone, the resale market has seen a tremendous boom. Forbes recently reported that the secondhand market is growing 11 times faster than the primary retail market. Meaning, there’s money to be made for both brands and consumers.
Luxury handbag reseller Rebag recently published its second annual Clair report, which analyzes Clair’s, aka Comprehensive Luxury Appraisal Index, findings for the year. The report looks at data pulled from Clair and analyzes trends within the luxury resale market over the last year. Detailing the top labels in 2021 as well as trends and predictions for the next year, the results are in and we’re breaking them down today.
The Brands
This likely won’t come as a shock to many, but when it comes to brands, the holy trinity reigns supreme. Hermès, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel held their spots as the top three luxury labels, retaining their value, on average, by 90%, 80%, and 75% respectively. Bottega Veneta continues to outperform itself year after year since 2019, consistently retaining more and more of its retail value. The Daniel Lee impact is felt here, with New Bottega bags retaining, on average, 85% of their retail value versus Old Bottega, retaining only 31%.
The Bags
In terms of which bags specifically will yield the most return? Certain styles from our key players will yieid above market value, such as the Chanel 19 Bag (which saw a retention increase of 21% YOY), the Louis Vuitton Neverfull, and the Louis Vuitton Pochette Accessoire, while other popular styles that hover around the 90% retention rate include the Bottega Veneta Mini Jodie, The Chanel Coco Handle, and the Chanel Deauville Tote. Below you’ll find a breakdown of the retention value of specific bags, images via Rebag.
Key Takeaways
- The value of Bottega Veneta continues to increase, making it a smart investment that will yield a significant return
- When it comes to Chanel, it isn’t just about the brand’s Classic Flap. The Chanel 19, Deauville Tote, and Coco Handle are equally as smart purchases
- Louis Vuitton continues to increase in value, presumably thanks to its restricted supply, which often limits the availability of specific styles, making them hard to find in-store or online. Classic monogram continues to climb in value
- Searches for 2000s-era handbags like the Fendi Baguette, Prada Re-Edition and Lady Dior increased, in large part due to pop culture references like the newly revived Gossip Girl
