I’m a pretty seasoned used luxury purse buyer if I do say so myself. I’ve been doing it for over a decade and since a couple of you guys asked for some advice, here are my top tips on buying luxury used:
1) Buy from a site where returns are easy
In a past post I advocated shopping at various sites, but from my own experience I now only shop at Fashionphile. They have the easiest return policy: just don’t cut off the tags if you don’t plan to keep it. They also allow 30 days so that’s ample time to do step number 4 below. I did purchase my Acne Studios Musubi bag (reviewed here) at the RealReal, but decided to take the risk because it was a sub $800 purchase (secondhand) and to my knowledge Acne Studios bags aren’t faked because they aren’t (relatively) high ticket items. Which brings me to tip #2…
2) Know what kind of replicas are out there
I always google search “brand/bag name replica” before making any purchase just so I know what are the commonly faked styles and colors. That way if a particular colorway isn’t usually faked, I feel a tad easier in making the purchase (but of course this is still not a guarantee of authenticity).
3) Stalk like crazy
This is always the most time consuming part of buying a good used bag. You got to put in the time to hunt. Sometimes it’ll be years before “the one” shows up, and if you don’t keep checking periodically you’ll miss out. Unfortunately Fashionphile doesn’t have a function where you can save a search like the RealReal or get an email notification like eBay. If you want it (and especially at a discount), you’re going to have to put in the time. Also I should mention here that I also tend to buy bags that come with more than just the dustbag. If it comes with the authenticity card, even better because then you can use that as another point of authentication when you do step #4 below. If it comes with the box, dustbag, and authenticity card, that’s a winner!
4) Verify after you buy
And yes even Fashionphile will sometimes put fakes up—everyone makes mistakes and fakes these days are so convincing. But no one is going to care if that bag is a fake more than you, the buyer. So first look at every inch of the bag once you get it. Does the stitching, leather edge paint, hardware, logos all look worthy of a luxury bag? Does it feel heavier than expected or lighter. Most luxury bags are heavy since they are constructed with quality leather (and are also usually a double layer of leather). If you already have bags from the same brand, do a side by side comparison. If you don’t, go to a store that carries that bag and take a careful look at the same bag. Does it feel and look the same? I especially focus on the hardware since that’s usually a telltale sign of quality. Also go online and look for tips on how to authenticate for that brand. The PurseForum is a good source for verification. But these days the PF community wants to see you participate and not just use them for the authentication. So that means if you’re serious about buying a used handbag, sign up for a profile today and start logging on to complement other people’s bags—especially the one you’re interested in purchasing secondhand (but just to warn you it can be an addictive wormhole!). For Chanels there is Etinceler Authentications and Authenticate4u.com. For Hermes I used Bababebi.com in the past. And if there’s any doubt, or something feels fishy even though you don’t know why, return it. That’s why I like Fashionphile: there’s no questions asked as long as you return it within 30 days with the tags still attached. In the end, your peace of mind that your bag is authentic is the most important thing when buying used luxury.
Anyway I hope you found that useful and let me know if some of you guys have other tips for buying a used bag! And if you’re looking to buy a used Celine bag, here are my tips on how to purchase a used (old) Celine.