Balenciaga Demand/Desire going Up or Down?

[hrhsunshine]

I think Bal's value has definitely gone down. So many of the ladies in the prior posts bring up great points and I agree wholeheartedly.

I noticed a plunge last summer and it has not recovered. Yes, astonishingly enough, I too see many coveted Bals just sitting on auction and resale sites. Would NEVER have seen that prior to last summer.

As for the oldies....The collectors who have been doing this for a long while likely have the oldies they want and I think newer collectors may not be as interested in the older bags or the older bags just are not in conditions that appeal to them enough. with each year, those great oldies are getting more used and worn, so they will look more tired.

I have only 3 Citys left. They are colors that will serve me very well, so they are a good investment for my wardrobe. It will take a VERY special Bal to get me to buy another. I have some colors that I really really love but I'm being much more reserved about clicking that "buy" button...they are not investments but I certainly don't want to lose a ton on a bag I probably shouldn't have bought.

I cannot take part in the poll cuz I believe Bals' value is going down but I don't think I will sell them for a long time.

 

[chubbyshopper]

In the end my only pace of advice is NEVER buy a handbag under the illusion that it is an investment. It really bugs me when people consider their handbags as investments because they are not. I consider buying a handbag similar to buying a car, it instantly looses value once used/driven off the lot.

ITA with Pixiejenna...
I buy as an investment to my "wardrobe" not for resale value. That's probably why I still have all 17 of them!!

 

[Cait]

I think it's going down, but with Chanel's price increases, the re-sale value will probably always be there. I am amazed at what dingy Chanel's on Fashionphile or Yoogi's go for, but whatever floats one's boat I guess.

I still love Balenciaga (and I will probably always prefer the classic/original/G21 giant hardware!); but I'm also keenly aware I'm not a wealthy socialite so I don't have to worry about my friends clucking about my looking passe. I think for 90% of women with a bag fetish, trends don't matter too much - it's much more about what the woman herself likes (and I still carry my Gaucho & Paddington on occasion, dagnabbit! )

 

[chloe speaks]

Very good points ladies. I might add that Balenciaga sure isn't creating any brand loyalty with their less than stellar customer service. So maybe according to the business oriented, flooding the market and not taking care of customers will hurt them in the long run.

I probably should not have skewed the polls to suggest that perceived value necessitates selling. i certainly am not having a fire sale with my favorites.

I've never been one to think of pieces as 'investments' in the sense of my wallet. I suppose you could say if you love something and it is quality and it gives you something you reach for time and time again, it's an investment in wardrobe. It's not realistic and I certainly don't expect to fund new purchases with old ones; I hope most people aren't buying handbags or shoes with this expectation. these are consumer goods (leather!) that have a limited lifespan!

 

[maxxout]

^^^
Leather lasts a really long time and I plan on using these beautiful,cool bags for a VERY VERY long time.
They are pretty classic and the style will always work. They are not extreme or baroque or over-designed. They don't stand out that much and for that reason are elegant. At the moment, small, structured (and usually hard shell) bags look the best with the clothes that are out now so that is what you see all the time. That will change. No mater what the prevalent style, a moto bag will always look right.
These moto bags look good with the clothes I wear and THAT determines their value and not some external idea of what's current. I'm smitten by the oldies and I don't care if they are losing their resale value. (I really don't think they are)
I'm holding on to all of them (just like I have with my Apple stock) because they will always be cool.

Oh, and I have a theory about Balenciaga production and quality that I would like to put out and see what you guys think. It occured to me that quality is good every other year starting with 05. There are many exceptions so please don't be pissed at me if I say a year is bad...OK?
Its just a theory...and possibly a lame one.

05=good
06=bad
07=good
08=bad
09=good
10=bad and so on.
Could there be any truth to this?


I just wish Balenciaga would get their quality under control and quit being so greedy.

 

[yoyotomatoe]

^^^
Leather lasts a really long time and I plan on using these beautiful,cool bags for a VERY VERY long time.
They are pretty classic and the style will always work. They are not extreme or baroque or over-designed. They don't stand out that much and for that reason are elegant. At the moment, small, structured (and usually hard shell) bags look the best with the clothes that are out now so that is what you see all the time. That will change. No mater what the prevalent style, a moto bag will always look right.
These moto bags look good with the clothes I wear and THAT determines their value and not some external idea of what's current. I'm smitten by the oldies and I don't care if they are losing their resale value. (I really don't think they are)
I'm holding on to all of them (just like I have with my Apple stock) because they will always be cool.

Oh, and I have a theory about Balenciaga production and quality that I would like to put out and see what you guys think. It occured to me that quality is good every other year starting with 05. There are many exceptions so please don't be pissed at me if I say a year is bad...OK?
Its just a theory...and possibly a lame one.

05=good
06=bad
07=good
08=bad
09=good
10=bad and so on.
Could there be any truth to this?


I just wish Balenciaga would get their quality under control and quit being so greedy.

Interesting theory. Well I only have 07 and 09 bags and the leather is fab. I've heard of some good 08s and 2010 then the years after that are bad. So I don't know . It's a thought though.

 

[Lakotan]

^^^
Leather lasts a really long time and I plan on using these beautiful,cool bags for a VERY VERY long time.
They are pretty classic and the style will always work. They are not extreme or baroque or over-designed. They don't stand out that much and for that reason are elegant. At the moment, small, structured (and usually hard shell) bags look the best with the clothes that are out now so that is what you see all the time. That will change. No mater what the prevalent style, a moto bag will always look right.
These moto bags look good with the clothes I wear and THAT determines their value and not some external idea of what's current. I'm smitten by the oldies and I don't care if they are losing their resale value. (I really don't think they are)
I'm holding on to all of them (just like I have with my Apple stock) because they will always be cool.

Oh, and I have a theory about Balenciaga production and quality that I would like to put out and see what you guys think. It occured to me that quality is good every other year starting with 05. There are many exceptions so please don't be pissed at me if I say a year is bad...OK?
Its just a theory...and possibly a lame one.

05=good
06=bad
07=good
08=bad
09=good
10=bad and so on.
Could there be any truth to this?


I just wish Balenciaga would get their quality under control and quit being so greedy.

Agree with everything except for biannual leather quality. I love my 08 Marine Day bags ( i have 2, btw), they both have great thick, smooshy, highly distressed leather. I think it really is a hit or miss with every bal bag, and that is what makes them so special and exciting!

 

[Lakotan]

I voted "about the same" because i do not want to sell any of my bals, i did not buy them to resell, i wish i could keep all of them, but my closet space is limited. I did notice that the number of bal bags for sale has increased, but that could be due to economy. I have never been attracted to Chanel or any other brand, do not like the labels, so Bal with its absence of visible logos appealed to my sense of privacy. I am still looking out for new colors and love reading the posts and looking at reveals at the PF, may be i am still new to Bal, but it still feels special to me.

 

[hgbags]

I think the demand has definitely gone down from what I have observed. So many factors paying attribute. First off, there is so much more supply now than before (online and in stores) - a few yrs ago, Bal NY, Barneys, Bal Paris, and only a very few NMs carried them - the stores outside of Bal NY and Bal Paris had a very limited selection. They were super hard to find and there was a "hysteria" to get certain colors. Secondly, I think the mini giant HW, was the start of the LARGER decline as a whole - the majority of people prefer the G21 to the G12. I agree with many comments on pre-owned - there are so many great newer colors that have been close repeats of sought after colors from seasons past that people are not willing to spend crazy amts of money on pre-owned items that were inflated to begin with.

Overall, even though demand has gone down, it's still very strong compared to other brands - the hysteria is just not there like it used to be. I truly believe Balenciaga has become a classic staple that will be popular forever, and has definitely proven it's more than just a "fad bag".

 

[CeeJay]

^^^
Leather lasts a really long time and I plan on using these beautiful,cool bags for a VERY VERY long time.
They are pretty classic and the style will always work. They are not extreme or baroque or over-designed. They don't stand out that much and for that reason are elegant. At the moment, small, structured (and usually hard shell) bags look the best with the clothes that are out now so that is what you see all the time. That will change. No mater what the prevalent style, a moto bag will always look right.
These moto bags look good with the clothes I wear and THAT determines their value and not some external idea of what's current. I'm smitten by the oldies and I don't care if they are losing their resale value. (I really don't think they are)
I'm holding on to all of them (just like I have with my Apple stock) because they will always be cool.

Oh, and I have a theory about Balenciaga production and quality that I would like to put out and see what you guys think. It occured to me that quality is good every other year starting with 05. There are many exceptions so please don't be pissed at me if I say a year is bad...OK?
Its just a theory...and possibly a lame one.

prior to '05 - ALL GOOD; leather & color saturation!
05=good TOTALLY agree!
06=bad TOTALLY agree!
07=good TOTALLY agree!
08=bad '08 S/S was great, but '08 F/W - yup, agree
09=good Leather was good, but the '09 F/W Black turned GREEN (I have a major 'swamp thang' bag -- uggh!)
10=bad and so on I ended up selling all of my '10's - what does that say?!?!
Could there be any truth to this?


I just wish Balenciaga would get their quality under control and quit being so greedy.

^^ my comments above; agree on a lot of these! Totally agree on the quality control .. the greed, unfortunately is the nature of the biz now. Since the corporations have bought up the various fashion lines, they want that double-digit return .. which drives down the quality, yet drives up the $$$. That's why I don't want any investors in my business; I'll sink or swim on my own .. thank you very much!!!

 

[maxxout]

Hello HG Bags

Since you currently sell mainly new bags and do not have a single oldie (02-05) on your site, your comment that “people are not willing to spend crazy amts of money on pre-owned items that were inflated to begin with" should be seen in this context.

And speaking of inflated prices. I equate inflated price with inferior quality. I have heard many people on this forum complain about the recent price increases of the newer bags and the quality issues of smaller hardware, dry, thin leather etc. but I have NEVER heard anyone complain about the quality of an oldie.

Since you are a well-known and respected seller of these bags, I feel it is a bit irresponsible of you to proclaim that prices of pre-owned bags are inflated.
While this is might be nice for people like me who buy the oldies and might benefit from the fallout and get the lower price, it diminishes the resale value of these bags and hurts other women here on this forum who might wish to sell their oldies.

 

[mere girl]

Hi - I've had oldies from 02 onwards but currently only have 3 bags, one from 2011 and two from 2012. Two of these bags have been used constantly in the last 7 months, both an equal amount.
Both of them now have super soft squishy saturated leather that rivals any of the older bags I owned. That is why I don't crave the oldies like I used to. With the new colours similar to the oldies, I personally think that when these newer bags break in, they are just as beautiful, (and I think they tend to wear a little better on the handles and sealant)
Hey....just my opinion!

 

[shelzbags]

Well, one thing's for sure---I sure love to read your opinions. I learn so much! Thanks for everyone sharing their thoughts.

 

[luvprada]

I went thru a Bal frenzy faze. Stopped around the beginning of the year. Only have 2 left a Black GGH Work (which I have never used), no reason why - and an Antracite Work which has taken a beating.

My tastes have moved to Chloe, Bottega and Prada

 

[hrhsunshine]

Hi - I've had oldies from 02 onwards but currently only have 3 bags, one from 2011 and two from 2012. Two of these bags have been used constantly in the last 7 months, both an equal amount.
Both of them now have super soft squishy saturated leather that rivals any of the older bags I owned. That is why I don't crave the oldies like I used to. With the new colours similar to the oldies, I personally think that when these newer bags break in, they are just as beautiful, (and I think they tend to wear a little better on the handles and sealant)
Hey....just my opinion!

^^ Agree!

I know that there are general opinions on the quality of the leather from year to year. However, as I have said in other posts, my 10 leathers are some of the BEST I've felt...BABY soft and saturated, 09 can be good or bad, and I have felt an 07 with good leather and 07 with horrifically plasticky leather...I mean like cellophane. It really depends on the individual bag.

I agree with Mere, there are newer bags that have amazing leather and saturation and can likely rival any oldie. I've spoken with enough Bal collectors who have experienced both oldies and newer bags and many are just as happy with newer bags. Inconsistency is something we can definitely count on from Balenciaga...that is what fuels the addiction...that hunt for what one deems the ideal and perfect Bal.