For many of us, curating a collection of designer handbags is simply not an affordable hobby. With prices soaring as high as the tens of thousands for certain designs, owning even one of these handbags seems like an impossibility for a lot of us, let alone owning them in numbers. But handbag aficionados should take note; more and more, opportunities to purchase these collectable bags secondhand are becoming an affordable reality.
Vintage and consignment of secondhand luxury handbags are becoming a huge market, and for good reason. For some premiere brands like Louis Vuitton and Hermes, a bag in good condition can sell for as much as 75% of its original retail value!
But before you hop onto Ebay and start bidding, there is one thing that you want to be wary of when looking at secondhand designer bags; you need to be certain of a bag's authenticity. There are a shocking amount of listings on online auction sitess that claim the “100% Authenticity” of bags that are clearly anything but authentic.
To safely navigate the world of secondhand luxury handbags, make sure that the seller guarantees authenticity and backs that guarantee up with a solid return policy. Any reputable secondhand retailer should have a very clear indication on their website as to their exact process of authenticating a handbag. In addition to a seller guarantee, it is a good idea to learn as much about the particular handbag you are looking to buy; know the features of the bag inside and out, so that you can perform your own inspection. Those few minutes you spend educating yourself will pay off in the long run.
