From Chanel bags and Celine loafers, to Prada purses, selling second-hand luxury designer goods is big business.
Designer pieces have continued to hold their own against the tide of increasingly fast fashion, proving their value as an investment.
The JustCollecting Rare Handbag Index, which tracks investment-level bags, found from 2004 to 2016, the Chanel 2.55 Medium Classic Flag bag had increased in value by 230%, according to the Financial Times.
With a multitude of fashion consignment sites popping up left, right and centre, it can be hard to know which ones will provide you with a secure and easy place to buy and sell (with a tidy investment in return).
Whether you’re selling unwanted gifts or on the hunt for a vintage must-have to keep forever, we’ve narrowed down the sites we think tick all of the boxes.
Vestiaire Collective
Boasting over 300,000 items to shop and 1,000 pieces added daily, Vestiaire Collective now has millions of members across the globe. With a team in place to check for authenticity - they’re all highly trained counterfeit experts - you can rest safe knowing the item you’ve just dropped top dollar for is genuine.
Note: You can interact with sellers to negotiate on offers.
Hardly Ever Worn It (HEWI London)
The London-based site, Hardly Ever Worn It, only want your brand spanking new items - or barely used pieces. With 55% of their website traffic being attributed to returning customers, they’re obviously doing something right.
And the process is simple: After you’ve bought something, HEWI collects payment from you and then only pays the seller once you’ve received your item - and vice versa if you’re a seller.
Note: They also sell kids’ clothing and accessories.
Rebelle
Founded by Cécile Wickmann and Max Schönemann, online marketplace Rebelle, sell jewellery, clothing and shoes with a luxury label.
With every item being checked for quality and authenticity by their in-house team, you can rest assured you’re in safe hands.
On their website some items are listed differently and it’s good to know why.
‘Concierge’ items marked saying ‘ready to ship’ have already been authenticated. They’re already with the team and can be shipped immediately.
Whereas, ‘self-service’ items are currently still with their seller - in other words they need to sent to Rebelle after they’re sold. Therefore, you’ll receive the item when it has passed quality control.
Tip: They have 48-hour guaranteed delivery service on hand for concierge items.
Vinted
Vinted is basically like a thrift store version of eBay. With over 12 million members and counting, and over 22 million listed items to pick from they know their market. And it’s easy to use, which is probably why an item is sold every 49 seconds.
All you have to do is list your item, set a price and once you’ve sold it you then post it on.
Note: You can directly message sellers to negotiate and ask for more information. Also - buyers pay a service fee of 4% of the item’s cost, plus a 60p fixed fee.
High Society
As you’ve probably already gathered from its name, High Society only allows luxury brands on their site.
If you’ve decided to sell, then all you need to do is complete an online form and send it off. The team will usually reply within 48 hours with a selling price estimation. You then need to send off your item to their London office. The team carry out the rest of the work, and once it’s sold you’ll receive your payment.
Note: In the past the site has received donations from celebrities, such as Sienna Miller, who then used it to raise money for children’s charities.