What Are the Benefits of Buying Used Luxury Handbags?
If you’ve dipped your toe into the world of luxury handbags, then you’ve undoubtedly heard about pre-loved bags on the secondhand market. But, why should you buy used luxury handbags when you can buy new?
Well, everybody loves the feeling of getting a great deal, scoring a rare item, or finally finding something they’ve been hunting down for months. Those are a few of the many reasons why shoppers are increasingly turning to the secondhand market for designer handbags. If you want to learn more about buying used luxury handbags, here are just a few of the benefits.
More Accessible Pricing
One of the biggest reasons why shoppers opt for used luxury handbags is because of the more affordable pricing. Part of the appeal of luxury handbags is their luxury status, which means they have a luxury price tag to go along with them. However, even the wealthiest handbag lovers still want to score a deal when they can on their designer accessories.
When you buy pre-owned designer handbags, you can often get the item for a much better price than you’d find at a retail store. While a rare few bags cost more secondhand than they do straight from the boutique (e.g. an Hermès Birkin or Kelly), most bags will be more affordable once they’re used. Generally, the older the bag is and the more wear it has, the deeper the discount will be.
Find Rare and Vintage Pieces
When you walk into a designer boutique, you may be surprised at how limited the selection is. Typically, designer brands will only carry their current season’s designs, meaning bags from as recent as a few months ago will already be unavailable — let alone bags from a year or more ago.
If you’re searching for a specific style that isn’t the current season — or a current-season bag that has sold out — the only way to find it is through secondhand stores. Buying used luxury handbags opens you up to a much greater range of handbag styles, enabling you to find rare, limited-edition, and vintage pieces that you can’t find anywhere else.
Greater Sustainability
If you’re trying to avoid falling into the trap of fast fashion, shopping secondhand can help keep waste out of landfills and promote more sustainable consumerism. Rather than letting an old handbag go to waste and adding a new one to the world, you can extend the lifespan of a used designer handbag that is still beautiful, functional, and luxurious.
If you want to make more eco-friendly choices with your shopping, choose a pre-owned designer handbag in a timeless style that you know you’ll be able to wear for years. Avoid trendy options that you may lose interest in after just a few weeks or months. If you have any handbags that you no longer wear, you can also sell your designer handbag and continue its life rather than letting it go to waste in a landfill. Plus, it will help fund your next handbag purchase!
Superior Craftsmanship
Along the same lines as sustainability, designer handbags offer superior quality that generally allows them to last far longer than cheaper, fast-fashion alternatives. This means that you can have peace of mind that you’re receiving long-lasting quality that maximizes the value of your investment.
Some people also believe that designer brands had better craftsmanship in previous decades than they do today. Luxury bags of the 20th century were typically handcrafted and sometimes used more premium materials than their current counterparts, like gold-plated hardware and superior leather. By buying pre-owned luxury handbags, you can enjoy better quality at a lower price.
Don’t Stress About Damage
When you’re spending so much money on an item, it’s natural to want to keep it in pristine condition. However, this can sometimes lead to you being nervous to use your handbag — so much so that you may not end up using it at all!
With pre-owned luxury handbags, you can feel more carefree about using your luxury accessories, as someone else has already broken them in and, in some cases, added wear to the item. Designer accessories are still, at the end of the day, accessories that deserve to be used and enjoyed to the fullest.
If you do experience any wear and tear on your bag, whether it’s a scratch, spill, or color transfer, you can restore it with the help of a handbag spa. A high-quality handbag spa can clean, moisturize, and deodorize your bag, restoring it to its original luster for less. You can even purchase a heavily worn bag for a deeply discounted price and bring it to a handbag spa for restoration, gaining equity in the item and leaving with a like-new pre-owned luxury handbag.
At Watch & Wares, we buy and sell authentic handbags from the industry’s most exclusive brands, including Chanel, Hermès, Dior, Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and more. Our selection of pre-owned luxury handbags is among the best in Orange County, and our team performs a rigorous authentication process to ensure that every item we sell is 100 percent genuine. To learn more about buying or selling used luxury handbags, give Watch & Wares Couture a call at 714-633-2030 or fill out our online contact form. You can also schedule an appointment for our handbag spa services and restore your pre-loved purchases to their full glory.
