Our team of experts explain everything you need to know about how to sell your designer handbags and where you can sell pre-owned designer bags for the best price.
There are a tonne of good reasons why you should look to sell your designer bags – from helping the environment through a circular economy, to making space in your wardrobe for other pieces you love. But when it comes to where to sell designer bags, you can be left stumped.
We’ve all been there with the painstaking process of auction sites like eBay. There’s very little joy to be had using such huge and generic platforms that don’t really cater to the luxury market. How can you find the best site to sell designer handbags that will get your bag into the sightline of those who are really interested, and in a way which matches your ethics and values?
The smart wardrobe
Whether you’re an influencer who has been gifted a designer bag which isn’t actually a piece you love, or you’re an individual who has an out-of-control collection of designer bags, there are many benefits to selling designer bags on:
Decluttering feels wonderful
With designer items, the trick to obtaining real happiness with your wardrobe is retaining exclusivity. If your wardrobe is jam-packed, then individual pieces lose their luxury feel. And as Marie Kondo says, just hold onto items that “spark joy”.
It’s good for the environment
300,000 tonnes of garment waste goes to landfill each year in the UK. It’s not ok. Designer handbags can sometimes fall into the ‘impulse buy’ category, or maybe you’ve just fallen out of love with the item. There’s no need for them to go to landfill when there will be someone out there desperate for that exact piece.
Designer bags hold their value
It depends on the name, of course, but generally speaking, designer bags hold their value exceptionally well. Certainly compared with other clothes and accessory items.
You make money
Let’s be honest; the huge appeal of reselling your designer bag is to secure some money back on your initial purchase. You can put it towards your next item after all. But it’s not just you that you’ll be making money for. Choose where to sell your designer bags carefully and you can choose sites which give back in the form of donations.
Can I sell my designer bag?
Before we come onto where to sell your handbags, you’ll first need to consider whether yours is suitable for selling.
Realistically, the bag does need to be a reputable and well-known designer. In terms of whether it’s worth the trouble of selling your bag, you should consider popularity (of the designer and style), and condition. Don’t automatically reject a high-quality designer item if a small repair is needed – you’ll just need to choose a selling platform that does minor repairs (which we recommend you do anyway).
Consider how well-used the bag is. For example, for influencers who have perhaps only used the bag for a photoshoot, it’s in nearly new condition and therefore will likely be easy to sell at a high value. However, if you’ve loved the bag and used it to within an inch of its life, then despite being designer, it’s unlikely to be worth selling. In this case, you may get more joy by donating it to a good cause.
If you’re unsure whether a designer handbag is worth selling, carry out an internet search for the item and you’ll soon get a feel of whether it’s worth it.
Where to sell my designer bag?
There are various central London stores which take your designer handbags and sell them through a bricks and mortar shop. However, even outside of Covid times, this limits the potential sale and increases the hard work for you.
The good news is that there are lots of suitable online platforms for selling pre-owned designer bags. Some specialise just in selling bags. Some specialise in luxury items. Some specialise in clothes and accessories. And some are more generic selling platforms.
When you are considering which ones to choose, you want to compare:
- How easy-to-use is the site?
- How much of the selling process do you have to do?
- Do you make the listing and market the bag or does the platform?
- Are repairs made?
- What are the selling fees?
- Are you paid for the sale, or is it something else? E.g. a swap or trade?
- Is there an option to donate a percentage of the sale to charity?
- What happens if the bag doesn’t sell?
Where to sell designer bags
With these questions in mind, we’ve rounded up our selection of the best designer handbag resale websites. For each, we’ve explained why you might choose that particular platform.
Bag Borrow or Steal
At Bag Borrow or Steal you can either sell your designer bag outright, or you can effectively rent it out – which they call consignment. You’ll have to take your own photos to start with and the max you’ll get is 70% of the sale price.
Why choose Bag Borrow or Steal? The appeal is very much for the buyer/renter as you can swap out your bags with ease, kind of like library books. However, for sellers, if you choose to get a BBOS credit then you can get good discounts yourself.
Poshmark
Poshmark is a well-known name for reselling pre-owned items. It’s not just about handbags though, or designer items. But, they have a simple to use app which enables you to be in control of making and managing the listing.
Why use Poshmark? Poshmark is great if you want to list-and-control. You’re responsible for taking the photos and sending the handbag on to the buyer. Because you do more leg work, the fees are less than some other selling platforms.
Reliked
Reliked is exclusively for influencers and celebrities to sell their gifted items. This means that buyers pay good prices for exceptional pieces which may otherwise go to waste.
Why use Reliked? If you fit the bill as a celebrity or influencer, then Reliked is definitely the selling platform for you. We care about the environment and the circular fashion movement, and this is evidenced not just in our business model but also through giving back a minimum of 5% of product sales to charity. If you, as the seller, want to donate more, you can. What’s more, with Reliked, you aren’t left with all the hard work. The handbag is collected from you, fixed and cleaned, and marketed all on your behalf.
Selling your designer bags can bring you joy that you don’t get from them cluttering up your wardrobe, potentially losing their value by the day. Choose your selling platform, make money, and help to create a more sustainable fashion process.