It is the question we are asked most often, in the boutique and by message. The honest answer: the price of a second-hand bag cannot be read off a table, but it does follow six fairly stable criteria.
1. The house
This is the heaviest factor. Hermès and Chanel retain a very high share of their value, sometimes more than their original retail price on certain emblematic models. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci and Céline hold up well. More confidential houses depend more on the fashion of the moment.
2. The model
Within a single house the spread is considerable. An iconic, continuously produced model — Timeless, Birkin, Speedy, Baguette — always resells. A seasonal model, however beautiful, resells for less, unless it has become a cult object among collectors.
Some pieces from the 1990s and 2000s, long overlooked, are now highly sought after. That is the whole interest of vintage, and it is why a valuation made five years ago no longer holds.
3. Condition
This is the criterion sellers get wrong most often, almost always through optimism. What we look at:
- the corners — where a bag wears first;
- handles and straps — darkening, cracking, structure;
- the hardware — plating wear, scratches, how the clasp works;
- the interior — stains, lining separation, odours;
- the structure — a deformed or collapsed bag loses a great deal.
A declared flaw has never stopped a sale. A flaw discovered on delivery has.
4. Material and colour
Hard-wearing leathers (Togo, Epsom, caviar) resell better than delicate ones (lambskin, Swift, patent), simply because they arrive in better condition.
On colour, the timeless ones — black, beige, brown, off-white — always find a buyer. Bright colours resell more slowly but can reach very good prices with the right buyer. It is a question of time as much as of value.
5. Rarity
Limited editions, collaborations, archive pieces, rarely produced sizes: rarity can multiply value. But it has to be documented — an undocumented limited edition is, to the market, an ordinary bag.
6. What comes with the bag
Box, dustbag, card, clochette and padlock for an Hermès, original receipt. A complete set genuinely adds value, especially on the most expensive pieces. But its absence does not prevent a sale: we buy bags without their box every day.
How we work
We buy outright, which means you are paid quickly, without waiting for a buyer to appear. In practice:
- You send us a few photographs — front, back, interior, hardware, and any flaws;
- Our team comes back to you quickly with a personalised offer;
- If it suits you, we handle the logistics;
- You are paid once the piece has been received and verified.
We currently buy pieces located in France and Europe, and you are equally welcome to come to the boutique at 104 Rue de Turenne, in Le Marais.
A free valuation, with no obligation
Whether you sell or not, knowing what your piece is worth is useful — to insure it, to pass it on, or simply to know. Request your valuation: free, and with no commitment.