Looking to sell your designer handbags, but don't know how? I did some research and compiled a list of places to consider as well as avoid.
After decluttering my closet, I realized a few designer handbags that I no longer wore were taking
up precious space. I never wore any of them and they were in pristine condition. This was a bittersweet moment in my decluttering journey. I knew these bags maintained their value and if I were to truly declutter, it meant that it was time to let them go. So I put them in the sell pile.
WHY RESELL?
The resell market is so popular. Shoppers are more likely to invest in repairs or recycle these items to make new products. But selfishly, I do want to make a little money off of my impulse buys. This stuff was not cheap. Lesson learned on my part.
How You Know It's Time
We will get to some of the best places to sell handbags in a sec, but before that you have to identify whether it's really time to say goodbye to a bag. I don't know what's worse, buyers remorse or sellers remorse. More times than not, prices on these bags only go up so you better be sure that you're ready to let go.
These were some of the questions that I asked myself before I made my decision:
Has it been more than a year since the last time you wore this handbag?
Why don't you ever wear it? Is it the color, the shape, no longer trendy, worried about damaging it?
If you had the perfect outfit for it, would you be excited to wear it right now?
Do you have any other bags that a similar in style or shape?
Here are the handbags that are up for sale
Gucci Mini camera bag
Gucci monogram magazine bag
Saint Laurent Sac Du Jour
For me, the bags that are making it to the sell pile are items that are unique in color or too small. I remember when I purchased the dust rose Gucci camera bag. I purchased it online and it was much smaller in person. Then I convinced myself that I could make it work, but I never wore it. Between the color and size, I could never accessorize an outfit with the bag.
Selling Is Easier Said Than Done
I seriously think I picked the best time to declutter because the weather will warm up soon and I will have room in my closet for things that actually spark joy. I encourage you to do the same!
I had to ask myself, so how am I going to sell these bags? I had zero experience doing this. I opened up a Poshmark account nearly a decade ago and failed to get rid of one bag that I purchased at an outlet so I knew it was going to be tough. Everything I read said to be prepared to take a loss. And that sucked. If I wanted to get more money, then I would run the risk of getting scammed by a buyer.
But after doing a ton of research, this is what I found in terms of the best and the very worst.
The best places to resell your handbags
Below are some of the best places to sell your designer goods, with a break down of the pros and cons
1. Fashionphile
2. The Real Real
For these places, you are selling third party instead of directly. It's extremely important that you're transparent about the condition of the bag. Try to take high quality photos. so the company can see. You can also include more detailed photos such the handles, hardware, and interior.
Fashionphile
They are well known and loved by many (based on my research). People are willing to take a loss because of how easy they make the selling process.
Pros: You can visit a Neiman Marcus store to sell your item and will get paid immediately. Eliminates risk of getting scammed
Cons: super high standards for resale. Item must be in pristine condition. If the item isn’t selling fast enough, they will reduce the price
How To Sell on Fashionphile
Fashionphile is a very well known luxury resale company and partnered with Neiman Marcus in 2019. This partnership comes with major perks because a few of the department stores have a selling studio and you can sell your items in person. There's no way an iconic store like Neiman Marcus would put their brand on the line so they have to be legit.
If you're not near the store, that's ok. You can still sell products online. Simply start an account, put in some information about the item you're selling, and attach photos. Then submit a quote and they will get back to you in a few days. The also provide a shipping label so you can mail the item to them.
There is one more option. If you want to try to make more money, then you can try to consign.
How You Get Paid
If you sell in store, you can get paid in the form of a Neiman Marcus gift card or check, which will take up to two weeks. They will even give you a 10% bonus if you get the gift card (genius on their part).
If you sell online, they will direct deposit you the money after they receive the bag.
Things You Can Sell
They do NOT accept clothes at this time, but they will take handbags, shoes and designer name jewelry.
The REAL REAL
Pros: They do all the work of finding buyers
Cons: they take a huge percentage for commission and they set the sale price, not you
How To Sell on The Real Real
Selling is relatively easy. You need to fill out a form and submit photos. If they accept, they will send a shipping label and you can send the handbag.
How To Get Paid
You can get paid three different ways. You can set up direct deposit, get a check mailed( there's a 10 dollar processing fee), or you can get a credit put on your account so that you can buy something on their website. If you sign up for a credit, you get 5% bonus.
If you're curious about how much you'll actually earn, they recently updated their commission guide. I think it's because they received so many complaints about the low payouts to the seller. It still seems a bit unfair, but check it out and judge for yourself.
Things You Can Sell at The Real Real
They accept a wide range of items such as clothing, shoes, jewelry, and home décor.
have a very diverse range of luxury brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Saint Laurent, and even Kate Spate. They have a very long list of acceptable brands
Worst Place to Sell Designer Handbags
Ok. Let's talk about some of the worst places to sell handbags (according to my findings). The biggest reason these ended up on the worst list is because it's just too much trouble trying to find a good buyer and the chances you'll get scammed are super high.
BUT, people still opt to choose this route because they do not have to pay a high commission fee and they can control the price.
If you decide to do this, here are some things to consider:
Does the bag have any odors from smoke or perfume?
Do you have pets? Will the bag have dog hair or scents?
Do you have the original dust bag or box?Being transparent about the condition of your bag is very important, especially if you are selling directly to a buyer who won’t be able to inspect it before purchase.
Ebay
Pros: You can sell just about anything
Cons: very little protection from scammers, you need to do all the work yourself (upload photos and negotiate with buyers)
How To Sell on ebay
You need to create an account, then create a listing. You will provide a description of the item, take photos, and set the price. Ebay has authenticity guarantee, which means they check before it gets sold.
As an fyi, there is an ebay forum that's supposed to help protect from buyers that try to scam. Since I have never sold anything on ebay, I am unsure how much it helps.
How To Get Paid
After the buyer receives the item, they will post the money to your checking account or debit card.
Poshmark
Pros: You can sell just about anything
Cons: very little protection from scammers, you need to do all the work yourself (upload photos and negotiate with buyers)
How To Sell on Poshmark
Similar to ebay, Poshmark is a market place. You do all the work. You hav to create the listing and determine the price.
I have yet to find good reviews about the selling experience.
How To Get Paid
I believe Poshmark takes a 20% commission fee. After the buyer receives the handbag, they will post the money to your Poshmark account. You can withdraw the money either by PayPal, Venmo, direct deposit or instant transfer.
Just Go For It
I hope you found this helpful. Each way has pros and cons. I'm not a risk taker so Fashionphile seems like the way to go for me. I'm tired of seeing items that I no longer use when someone else could be enjoying it. Let me know if you come across any other option. Would love to expand this list.