How To Buy Authentic Luxury Bags Used {updated April 2019}

Chanel purse purchased from Fashiophile, one of my oldest purchases from 2013

{May 2020 Update: I’ve written an updated post called Tips for Buying an Used Luxury Bag. It’s a bit different from this one so check it out if you’re interested.}

If you've been a long time reader or follow my Instagram, you know that I'm a huge fan of used/secondhand/preowned designer bags and watches (actually I'm a fan of used clothes too, but I already talked about that when I wrote up my guide to thrift shopping here).  But today I'm focusing on purchasing preowned designer accessories.

Celine wallet purchased from Fashionphile

I've always loved designer accessories, especially handbags.  I don't know why but ever since my first coach wristlet in high school, I can't get enough.  My mother, who always views my expensive handbag purchases as a waste of money, can't understand it and thinks I'm just trying to show-off.  But I really don't feel that way.  I just love beautifully made handbags (they're like works of art!) and they are the perfect finishing touch on an otherwise simple outfit (the kind of outfits I like the most).  Plus rather than buying a $100-$300 handbag that I wouldn't be able to resell for any kind of return, I buy $1000 handbags that I can resell for almost as much (and well if I buy it used, I usually pay less so that when I resell it, I rarely lose money).  So if I'm being smart about it, I actually lose less money on a more expensive handbag and there is always someone willing to buy it from me.  And on occasion I sometimes make money.

I'm sure not everyone shares my love of bags, but for those who do, my secret to my handbag "collection" is that it's predominately secondhand and it's always evolving so that the actual number of purses in my possession at any one time is manageable.  And I'm always quick to sell a bag (usually on eBay) once I find that I'm not using it as much as my other bags.  

Anyway here are the two ways I buy secondhand designer handbags:

1) eBay: my go-to place to sell and my former go-to place to buy.  I no longer really buy from eBay anymore because there are just SO MANY fakes in the world these days.  When I did buy from eBay, I made sure that A) the seller is legit {usually indicated by a massive amount of positive feedback and also you can sometimes find threads on the PurseForum of legit eBay sellers} , B) I always double-checked with the authenticators on the PurseForum {go to the specific brand you're buying and find the "Authenticate This" thread}.  I used to buy Chanels on eBay and would use Etinceler Authentications to ensure those really high ticket items were legit.  They cost money, but they know their Chanels and trust me, it's worth the peace of mind.  (Another one I've heard of but have never personally used is called Authenticate4u.com).  {update: I just used Bababebi.com to authenticate a pre-owned Hermes purchase and found her services to be quick and professional.  Since it's not listed on her site, I'll let you know here that it's $65 for an email authentication and $80 for a certificate of authentication.  She is the main authenticator on the Hermes thread so if you're ever in doubt about an Hermes purchase and can't get it authenticated on the Purse Forum (I've noticed they're kind of cracking down on authentication abuse), then it's very much worth it to get your expensive Hermes purchases authenticated with her.}

Balenciaga Work Bag from Fashionphile

2) Fashionphile: I know I've talked about this site already, but really I love their service and their commitment to authentic items.  I also love the fact that every single bag in their inventory goes through a rigorous authentication process. Not to say Fashionphile sometimes doesn't get fooled by fakes, but their return policy is more than generous (free returns as long as the tag is still attached and up to 30 days).  I once bought an Hermes wallet that seemed a little fishy to me, and since that was my first impression I just returned it.  I mean if I don't feel like it's authentic (even if it might be real), I might as well return it. The return policy is also key when you realize that the purse is just too used for your liking (for the most part Fashionphile's descriptions are very accurate and many times I find the quality better than described, but sometimes you just don't realize how bad of a perfume odor is on a bag until you get it).  Also Fashionphile has been around for a long time with a great clientele of sellers as well as buyers. Neiman Marcus also recently invested in them so you know they’re legit!  On top of all that, if you buy a bag from them but realize in 6 months that the bag is not for you, they have a BuyBack program which will give you 70% of the item's purchase price.  This is a great option for those who don't resell on other platforms.  I've done this before with a couple of my purses, though to be honest I love most of the items I've purchased from them and thus didn't want to sell it back after just 6 months.  Of course all of this good stuff does come with a price: Fashionphile's prices are higher than what you would find on eBay.  But in return, you can count on getting authentic designer items that you will love (and you don't have to do all the legwork yourself to confirm authenticity).  {Also I should note that when I bought my Cartier watch from Fashionphile, they were still using an outside authentication expert, WatchFacts, and they would be a good source to authenticate any expensive used watch you might buy elsewhere).  

My latest purchase from Fashionphile, Hermes Lindy 30 and Hermes twilly

Oh and another thing about Fashionphile, you can keep track of your favorites by clicking on the heart icon.  And sometimes when you miss out on a purse, but the buyer decides to sell it back to Fashionphile after 6 months, the bag automatically is included on your favorites list again.  Also, for the most part I purchase my bags from fashionphile when it's 10%-30% off their already discounted prices by waiting for the markdowns (the date of which is conveniently shown to you once you favorite an item).  And their last call section (which are items discounted more than 30%) has some really really good deals!

Anyways I know designer handbags are not for everyone, but for me I just can't seem to quit them. So I might as well buy them used, since not only is it good for the environment but also for my wallet. 

{Update: And if you want to know what it’s like to sell with Fashionphile, you can read all about my experience here.}

Shop Well: Tips for Shopping at Thrift Shops

A lot of brands that I review, mainly Everlane and Cuyana, are what I consider ethical brands.  They are trying to stop the tide of fast fashion by producing clothes in a responsible manner (mostly in a socially responsible way).  But I just read that ethical shoppers bug most everyone else. Well if topics about ethical shopping aren't your thing then you might want to skip this series I'm calling "Shop Well" since it'll be all about shopping responsibly and not at fast fashion retailers (and most other places).  I started the series by talking about my TOMS obsession, which was the first brand that I loved that produced something for reasons other than the bottom line.  Well today I'm going to mention my second most favorite place to get clothes (other than online): thrift shops!  (cue that song)

Okay so when I say thrift shopping, I don't mean Salvation Army or Goodwill (though don't get me wrong, they sometimes have gems there too and I've been known to shop there once in awhile).  But the problem with regular thrift stores is now they're filled with items from Forever21 or H&M or other fast fashion places, and those clothes just don't hold up too well the first time around and nevermind the second time around.  When I mean thrift shopping I mean at places like Crossroads Trading Co or Buffalo Exchange, where people go to sell back their clothes.  If you're lucky enough to live in a city with these kind of consignment/trading stores, take advantage!  Not only are they a good way to get rid of clothes for cash, but depending on the store, they're filled with great second-hand clothing.  Just take a look at my recent Crossroads haul:

Top picture: Bridge & Burn coat, Madewell peplum top, James Perse tee

Bottom picture (clockwise): Madewell striped button down, Poppy floral top, James Perse long-sleeve, T by Alexander Wang black maxi dress

These 7 items for a grand total of $168!  But the best part is, I traded-in about 7 bags of clothes (back when we bought the business and downsized by moving into our Airstream) and so I paid $0 for all of this and instead got an additional check for $201 (for the remaining balance of the trade-in). I have to let you know that this is pretty uncommon for me, but for the most part whenever I go to Crossroads I never end up paying for anything.  

If you're interested here are some tips about places like Crossroads:

First if you're selling clothes:

-Make sure all your clothes are cleanly washed and folded nicely (kind of a 'no duh' thing but first impressions of your clothes really count).  And for that same reason, only sell clothes that don't have any major stains or holes.  

-Only bring items that are in season.  They're not going to buy your Marc Jacobs coat in the summer, even if it's brand new with tags (also take a look at their selling guide to see what these shops are looking for).

-You can bring some on-trend Forever 21 or H&M stuff there but if that's the bulk of your clothing, you probably won't sell much or for good prices.  And this is why it can pay to buy brand-name clothes even if it doesn't always mean a high-priced brand means better quality.  At least when you sell it, you are more likely to get something back (and this works even better if you buy from places like Nordstrom Rack or Off Fifth since you're not buying it at full price to begin with).

-Not all Crossroads are the same.  If there are several stores within a drivable distance to you I would go and check out each one.  I find that the one that works best for me (for both selling and buying) is one in San Francisco.  So even though it's now an hour drive to get there, if I'm already running errands in the city, I try to squeeze a visit to the Crossroads there to sell/buy some stuff.  I feel like each branch differs due to the taste (and niceness) of the staff.  Also I know this is the Crossroads for me because not only do I sell back a lot of items, but I find some good stuff to buy too.

-When you go up to the counter to sell, if its your first time, go ahead and standby and ask questions.  But I find that if you do some small talk in the beginning and then go off to shop within the store (effectively leaving the store buyer to do their thing on their own), I feel like they're more open to buying more things (maybe they feel less pressure?).  Plus they know that you're wiling to give them business as well, not just there to squeeze some cash out of them.  

-Don't go in expecting items to sell for a certain price.  Just bring all the clothes that you're willing to donate.

-And last but not least, do not feel bummed if they don't buy much.  I've definitely had experiences where I only sold $20 worth.  It just depends on who the buyer is and what you have.

If you're buying clothes from Crossroads:

-#1 thing is to check for stains and smells (yea go ahead and sniff the thing, better safe than sorry).

-Again, I go for brand names most of the time here since I know if I don't wear it, I can always resell it back to Crossroads.

-The return policy isn't that great (I think you might have a week?) so be sure of the items you buy.

-And most Crossroads will hang their nicest items at the top on the walls above the racks, so don't forget to look up and try these items too (my T by Alexander Wang dress was hanging up there).

Does anyone else have tips about shopping at places like Crossroads?  I would love to hear about other people's experiences with thrift shopping!