As someone who buys both vintage and new luxury bags, there is a side of buying secondhand bags that is often not talked about. You’re in luck because today I’m going to share with you my experience buying pre-owned vintage luxury bags.
You don’t know 100% that it’s authentic
One of the things that always concerns me when buying vintage luxury handbags is authenticity. Yes there are apps, and people who verify these things, but mistakes can be made and counterfeits are so good even experts sometimes can’t tell the difference.
It’s always scary spending thousands of dollars at a second hand shop knowing that you could be potentially buying a counterfeit bag. I do know that a lot of vintage shops will give you 100% refund if your bag turns out to be fake, but let’s be real, are you really going to double check to make sure it’s authentic?
For me, it’s always in the back of my mind that it could be counterfeit, even if I have all the paperwork, I am never 100% certain that it’s authentic compared to when I buy it directly from the boutique.
Hard to tell the quality based upon photos - even harder now with AI
Every secondhand website has a rating scale of the quality of the bag, but it’s really hard to tell from photos what the quality of the bag is. Even before AI you had programs like lightroom, photoshop, and of course the bags are in a perfect setting with unbelievable lighting which hides blemishes and faults of the luxury bag.
In my opinion, If it’s possible, always visit the vintage showroom that way you can inspect the bag under different lighting.
Could potentially lose the ability to service a bag
One of the things I love about buying a luxury handbag from the shop directly is that you know if something goes wrong they will service the piece. For example, you can drop your Hermes bag off at the Hermes spa.
For reference I purchased my Hermes bag in Paris, and they told me I could get the bag serviced anywhere in world as long as I didn’t make any alterations to it. If you buy a secondhand Hermes bag, you lose the ability to get your bag serviced from the boutique. I know that Hermes isn’t the only luxury brand that does it, but this is the bag I’m most asked about.
When buying vintage bags actually makes sense
For me, 2 main examples come to mind when buying a vintage bag actually makes sense. The first is when the cost on the vintage market is way below retail price, and second is when your purchasing a bag that has been discontinued or it’s a limited edition bag that sold out everywhere.
Even several classic bags, like the Lady Dior and the Chanel classic bags can now be way below retail price and these are timeless pieces that will always be in style.
I also love beuying vintage bags that brands don’t make anymore. For example, I purchased a Celine luggage bag and absolutely adore the style but Celine doesn’t make it anymore so I had to get it from a vintage store
Final Thoughts
I’d love to hear in the comments do you purchase vintage bags or do you prefer to stick to buying directly at the luxury shop?
We may earn a commission from purchases through links in this article.