Do you consider resale value when buying a bag?

[quackedup]

i never consider resale value when deciding whether or not to buy (yet another ) bag.
for most of us on this forum, the bags we buy arent just utilitarian purposes so it seems the value of the bag is more than just the $ or resale, but how happy it makes the owner feel.
if the bag happens to have strong resale when it no longer fits me, then great, if not im not going to fret over it.
(its not only premiere bags that may have good resale value, i have noticed some contemporary bags have relatively/proportionally good resale value also)

If youre buying a new car, is resale value top of the list of considerations? or is it other things like does it fit your budget? does it work for what you need it to do - take it off road/fit all the kids/transport goods/workhorse? does it make you happy to drive it? does it look good? is it economical to run?

 

[remainsilly]

Another thing --in the very anti materialistic society I'm in, carrying non premier is actually more comfortable for me to do in all situations.

Hmm.
I recycle my cardboard & plastics carrying whatever brand I like.
However see point of being situationally appropriate.
Also, you have several little children. So, different needs.

I want a bag to be premier but for nobody around me to ever notice that it is!!!!

They don't, imo.
Unless you run into another purse fiend.
Or you're acting terrified precious about using bag. So people wonder why.

No one notices when I carry chanel to grocery store. Or mulberry to outdoor festivals.
More people noticed me swearing at cambridge satchel--because it let my phone slide out & hit concrete repeatedly.(ol' cambridgey was donated after 2 months--so I make mistakes, too. Happens. Move on.)

If youre buying a new car, is resale value top of the list of considerations?

Exactly. With loss logic, definitely no one would buy vehicles.

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

Yep it definitely doesn't make sense to think of reselling when buying but it does just make me think hard about buying a bag for a few hundred when I know the resale value would be about twenty five bucks if somehow I don't end up carrying it. I suppose I often have the experience of a bag I thought I would use all the time just not getting used for some mysterious reason and then I hate just eating the price, which usually is between $100-350 in these cases. But if I spend $600 shrewdly on the secondary market and keep the bag in good condition, it is unlikely to fall below $350 on the secondary market if I ever decide to sell it. I have even made money. Of course every purchase I hope to be a forever bag but it's nice when unloading to feel that your bag is a similar value to what you paid for it, so you can finance a new bag using your updated knowledge of what bags work best for you!

 

[CaribeanQueen]

I dont consider resale value when purchasing, however, I do think about whether I can get the item during a sale for ex. Gucci and Saint Laurent are two brands that I am loathed to buying full price.

 

[Evia]

I don't think about resale value, I always think I'm going to keep the bag forever. Obviously that's not always the case, sometimes I get bored, sometimes however much I like it a style just doesn't work for me. I'd rather have a small return than leave a bag unused and cluttering up my wardrobe and my thoughts.
In my experience buyers of premier bags take good care of them, so I'm happy to buy second hand, especially if its no longer around new. But I only buy in super condition. In answer to the question I would prefer a second hand premier bag over a new contemporary brand.
Very occasionally people have recognised some of my Mulberry bags, but I think that's just because its a familiar brand in the UK and easily available. I don't have any qualms about carrying my bags anywhere. I have a few Hermes, and the only comments I've received have been nice compliments about the colour or the shape of them. On the whole, other people aren't that bothered

 

[ladysarah]

Goodness no!

 

[Mariapia]

The only time I decided to sell one of my bags, it turned into a nightmare.....
Fortunately, I managed to get it back...
The girls here know about the whole thing...
High resale value ( that was the case) or not....I will never try to sell it again!

 

[Minty Tea]

Yes I have thought of resale value when buying an expensive well known brand. This was 15-20 yrs ago when I had more disposal income (new career and no kids). I love fashion and I was trying to define my style. Although my city is big, it only had one luxury store Holt (like Saks) and the selection was very limited. I made most of my purchases whenever I traveled to the States or overseas.

Inevitably I would later outgrown the item or find that it wasn't as practical as I thought. It really helped that I was able to sell most of them through consignment or Kijiji because of the brand. Some items I was able to get my money back (since it was much more expensive here than where it was purchased) but I never thought of it as an investment or try to make a job of reselling luxury goods. Most items were sold at a loss or given away.

Now, I pretty much know what I like and what will work for me so I'm more careful with my purchases.

Buying preowned. I'm fine with it as long as the condition and price is right. It's always nice to own a luxury brand and have people in your social circle recognize it. But in the end, it is YOUR money and if you are comfortable with owning it then be happy.

There are many brands that are very luxurious and expensive but are not recognizable by most people.

 

[ladysarah]

The only time I decided to sell one of my bags, it turned into a nightmare.....
Fortunately, I managed to get it back...
The girls here know about the whole thing...
High resale value ( that was the case) or not....I will never try to sell it again!

Goodness what happened? I am thinking of parting with one of my Kellys?

 

[Mariapia]

Goodness what happened? I am thinking of parting with one of my Kellys?

A consignment store owner I had known for years kept my bag for three months, telling me he had sold it , then he said the buyer had changed her mind, then that he wanted it for his mother, then that his mother found it too heavy, then that she wanted it again, and so on so forth.
In the end, I asked him to give it back to me. It wasn't easy, I can tell you....
I realized my bag had probably been worn....
A few months later, he disappeared from town, leaving with all the items ( shoes, bags, clothes) the ladies had put for consignment.
No one knows where he is.

 

[HopelessBagGirl]

A consignment store owner I had known for years kept my bag for three months, telling me he had sold it , then he said the buyer had changed her mind, then that he wanted it for his mother, then that his mother found it too heavy, then that she wanted it again, and so on so forth.
In the end, I asked him to give it back to me. It wasn't easy, I can tell you....
I realized my bag had probably been worn....
A few months later, he disappeared from town, leaving with all the items ( shoes, bags, clothes) the ladies had put for consignment.
No one knows where he is.

Omfg!

 

[ladysarah]

A consignment store owner I had known for years kept my bag for three months, telling me he had sold it , then he said the buyer had changed her mind, then that he wanted it for his mother, then that his mother found it too heavy, then that she wanted it again, and so on so forth.
In the end, I asked him to give it back to me. It wasn't easy, I can tell you....
I realized my bag had probably been worn....
A few months later, he disappeared from town, leaving with all the items ( shoes, bags, clothes) the ladies had put for consignment.
No one knows where he is.

What a horror story! I did wonder about consignment stores, say if they go into receivership how does one get the items they consigned? And when?

 

[Yoshi1296]

I don't. If I did then I would end up with a bunch of bags that I don't even like. What's the point in spending the money in the first place if you're buying it with the intent to sell it? I feel like handbags are just something you buy to use...like anything else. Handbags are nowhere near real investments like jewelry, a home, other properties, stocks, etc.

I've never sold any of my designer pieces and I dont think I ever will. Some things in my closet are super classic, and some things are very trendy that are already probably "out of style". But I don't care if it's out of style, I'll make it work and just enjoy wearing it regardless. I hate following trends anyways so I always try to stay different. Not selling the bag forces me to change up my wardrobe every now and then so that I'm able to wear the bag that I'm not wearing as much, for me the result is a nicely spread out wardrobe ranging from edgy to preppy and all things in between. So far it's been pretty successful and has helped me really figure out that having variety is key to great style. Wearing the same type of clothes and similar pieces often tends to get boring after a while. Keep it fun, different, and versatile!

 

[lulilu]

I never buy a bag as an investment, but over the years my tastes and needs have changed and I came to realize the poor resale value of some bags. I know my Hermes items and Chanel stuff will retain some of their value, but certain brands do not. So now, before I buy e.g., a Celine or Gucci or Dior bag, I think really hard about it, knowing it is likely a "forever" purchase or a purchase that I will not be able to sell readily, or for anywhere close to retail. Like someone said, the "loss" can be considered the cost of enjoying the bag while you own it -- that's a good and fair evaluation. But it does enter my mind and has made me not pull the trigger as readily as I once did.
I don't think it makes you somehow a superior bag lover to admit that resale value does not in some small part factor into decisions. JMHO It doesn't mean you love the bag less. I is just a practical consideration.

 

[Mariapia]

What a horror story! I did wonder about consignment stores, say if they go into receivership how does one get the items they consigned? And when?

The thing is he knew I had that bag and....never carried it.
He just phoned me and said that a lady customer he knew had been looking for it and would fly here first thing if he found it for her.
All in all, it would take one week.....
He gave me a receipt but there was no mention of how long he would keep the bag should his customer standhim up....Silly me! The lady never came....
If you go to a consignment store, make sure of when you can take your K back if it doesn't sell ..