Bay Area Fashionista

Pictured: Chanel Boy Bag. Similar Boy Bags available for resale here and here.

Is your closet overfilling? Do you have expensive handbags collecting dust? Did you buy one too many classic black shoulder bags by Chanel? Don’t worry, there is an easy solution to for turning investments handbags into cash.

You can sell pretty much any designer handbag you would like to turn into cash. Most designer handbags will sell for less than you originally paid for them, but for a coveted few, investment bags, you can actually make money when you sell.

Depending on whether or not a handbag offers a classic style, or trendy style, will dictate how much you can sell the handbag for on the secondary market. I will not give you numbers, because how much a handbag is worth can change on a daily basis; much like the stock market.

If you do not care how much you sell your handbag for, then just go ahead and sell it now; according to my tips further down in this article. If you would like to sell your handbag, or handbags, for top dollar, it takes a little planning.

First off: is your handbag an investment handbag or a designer handbag? If your handbag is an investment handbag, such as an Hermes Birkin or Chanel 2.55, and it is in good condition, then chances are you can sell your handbag for more than you paid for it, any time of the year. If your handbag is designer, not investment, then you need to pay attention to the current trends.

Is your designer handbag burgundy suede; or other seasonal hue and fabrication? Then your handbag will scream the season it hails from. It should be sold during the appropriate selling season. When you start to see the season that it is, hit the stores, it is time to sell your handbag. Pay attention to the seasons when selling seasonal handbag.

Is your designer handbag classic black, white, beige, or red? Then you can sell at any time of the year. Be cautious with navy; dark navy sells better in the fall and winter seasons, while light navy sells well in spring and summer.

How do you price your handbag? This is the question of the year. Look at resale websites such as Vestaire Collection and The Real Real. You can see what your handbag is currently selling for, and if it is worth it to sell. This will give you an idea of how much your handbag is worth in the secondary market.

What condition is your handbag in? This is very important when pricing your handbag, and realizing whether or not it has resale value. Look at your bag. Would you buy it if it was sitting on a store shelf? Does it have visible damage? Visible repairs? Has the color faded? Are the corners worn? Are there scratches? These will all affect the value of your bag, and whether or not you can resell it.

Where do you sell your handbag? There are several ways to sell a designer or investment handbag. Consignment shops, online consignment shops, brick and mortar auction houses, online auction houses, and peer-to-peer apps.

You can go the traditional route and walk into your local consignment store, get a quote, sign a contract, and leave the bag to be sold; but this will not yield the highest payback for your handbag.

If you like the consignment idea, but would prefer to reach a larger audience than your hometown, there are online consignment shops which have a national or global reach. Look at online consignment shops such as The Real Real, Vestaire Collective, and Fashionphile.

Not interested in splitting the profits with a consignment shop? You can take a risk and sell your handbag on an online auction site. I say risk because there are so many inauthentic bags on online auction sites, your handbag could be mistaken for one by uninformed shoppers. The other thing to watch out for are the buyers. There are scam buyers who will buy your bag, receive it, claim it isn’t real, demand a refund from PayPal, and leave you both bagless and penniless. So if you sell online with an auction house, make sure the buyer is trustworthy. Be wary of new  buyers without a buying record or feedback.

You can also sell your handbag yourself through peer-to-peer apps such as Poshmark. You pay a small fee, and keep most of the profit for yourself. They are safer than online auction houses, and have a quick turnaround time.

If you know of more ways to sell designer and investment handbags, please feel free to leave them in the comments below! Every idea helps!

Thanks for stopping buy,

xoxo

Cathy