Is anyone else fed up with all the talk of resale value?

[renee_nyc]

Interesting question! I would like to offer a bit of a counterpoint.

I don’t baby my bags at all and I use them often.

While I don’t buy bags with the express intention of selling them, I do sell them as I trade up. I’ve been able to purchase 2 expensive bags (Hermes & Chanel) over the last few years and because I love and use them I am selling others (Balenciaga, Mulberry, Jerome Dreyfuss) that I previously used but aren’t in as high rotation and still have lots of life in them.

I have never ever paid for a bag that I don’t outright have the cash for. But what is ‘affordable’ is different for everyone. I make more than a decent living but I do think about what would happen if disaster struck and I needed extra cash. We don’t have a car (live in NY) and if I needed to sell a bag or two to pay our mortgage I would do it in a heartbeat.

That of course is an extreme example and of course there are other options that would come before that. I might be old fashioned but there is something comforting about knowing that I might be able to get something for it if it was urgent.

I don’t sweat the small things (scratches will inevitably happen) although I do get my bags cleaned and serviced.

Hilariously DH has told me he’s fine with me buying H and C because of the resale value. A Vintage Chanel I paid $500 for in 2006 is selling for between $1100 and $1500 today and mine is in better condition.

Finally I am reading a really interesting book about living a more sustainable life, and part of that talks about resale. It’s not just about putting $ in your pocket, it’s about releasing higher quality goods into the hands of people who might not otherwise afford them. I’m always shocked at my old DVF and Helmut Lang dresses that sell on RealReal. But then I think, ‘why not?’ They’re in great condition and better that they’ll not end up in a landfill. And consignment priced similarly to J Crew or Zara but less likely to fall apart. My old Mulberry double zip which was a great work bag for years is now gracing some else’s arm and I hope she’s wearing it well. [emoji3]

 

[Sparkletastic]

I say to each his or her own. There are many attitudes and perspectives on tPF that completely flummox me - like purchasing bags and then being scared to use them. Or buying 10 of x brand bags when you really want 1 of y brand bags but see the y bag as “too expensive”.

But, people come to bag acquisition with a variety of experiences, cultural norms, biases, etc. So, we cannot presume that an action comes from a certain place. Case in point - those who say people who worry about resale value or baby their bags or are persnickety about one stitch “can’t really afford the bag in the first place” are talking out of the sides of their neck. You don’t know why any person is doing something til they tell you.

For me, I absolutely look at resale value of my bags before I buy. This is because I can and do get bored with a bag and want to sell sell it for something else. It makes smart money sense to have bought something from which I can recoup funds to help buy the next bag.

But, I have easily bought all my bags with fun money and don’t “need” the funds from any other bag. I just have a value system from my family that smart money management is well...smart. And, for me - a saver / investor / builder by nature - it’s fun!

And, yes, I actively use and baby my bags. But, that is because I was taught to take care of my things as a sign of respect for myself. I’m not in the evaluating one crooked stitch crowd but hey - if it works for them... Maybe I’m the short sighted one and should be more exacting about what I buy.

So, I totally get that all the talk about bags as investments (they’re so not) and questions about resale value may be cuckoo to some. But, I can tell ya. I am not buying any more bags that will plummet in value just like I won’t buy a car that will plummet in value. I have to love what I buy first. (Well, strong like on the car. I’m really not a car gal. Lol!) But I do evaluate durability, style staying power, resale value, quality, among other things whenever I buy.

 

[rose60610]

A bag is never an "investment". As for me, I only feel comfortable buying bags, clothes, etc with the results of earned income, or REAL investments, the kind you pay taxes on. That said, it's nice to know you can get some money from selling desired brands, never anywhere near the retail purchase prices, of course. There are some extremely expensive bags that aren't well known that won't bring anything from resale (example VBH). No serious person uses the term "investment" for an almost guaranteed 40-95% loss on capital. You're better off trading stock options.

 

[whateve]

I say to each his or her own. There are many attitudes and perspectives on tPF that completely flummox me - like purchasing bags and then being scared to use them. Or buying 10 of x brand bags when you really want 1 of y brand bags but see the y bag as “too expensive”.

But, people come to bag acquisition with a variety of experiences, cultural norms, biases, etc. So, we cannot presume that an action comes from a certain place. Case in point - those who say people who worry about resale value or baby their bags or are persnickety about one stitch “can’t really afford the bag in the first place” are talking out of the sides of their neck. You don’t know why any person is doing something til they tell you.

For me, I absolutely look at resale value of my bags before I buy. This is because I can and do get bored with a bag and want to sell sell it for something else. It makes smart money sense to have bought something from which I can recoup funds to help buy the next bag.

But, I have easily bought all my bags with fun money and don’t “need” the funds from any other bag. I just have a value system from my family that smart money management is well...smart. And, for me - a saver / investor / builder by nature - it’s fun!

And, yes, I actively use and baby my bags. But, that is because I was taught to take care of my things as a sign of respect for myself. I’m not in the evaluating one crooked stitch crowd but hey - if it works for them... Maybe I’m the short sighted one and should be more exacting about what I buy.

So, I totally get that all the talk about bags as investments (they’re so not) and questions about resale value may be cuckoo to some. But, I can tell ya. I am not buying any more bags that will plummet in value just like I won’t buy a car that will plummet in value. I have to love what I buy first. (Well, strong like on the car. I’m really not a car gal. Lol!) But I do evaluate durability, style staying power, resale value, quality, among other things whenever I buy.

I agree with this. I can afford any bag I want. However, I can't get myself to spend many thousands for a bag because I know I'm fickle. I'd rather have lots of things rather than one or two special things. My very expensive bag wouldn't get used more than my others, and then I'd start to feel guilty. I was also raised with a value system that doesn't allow me to be wasteful. I do think about resale because cutting off those tags is so final. What if I end up not liking it? I don't like the idea of losing a ton of money on something that was a mistake, something I only used once. I feel more comfortable buying used or on sale. When I've gotten a bargain on something, I can relax, knowing that if I get tired of it, I can sell it and recoup most of what I spent. It doesn't make sense to spend $3000 on a bag at the boutique that I can find on ebay slightly used for $600 or less. So I guess I'm thinking about resale value, not because I'm planning on reselling, but because I like to make smart financial decisions.

I remember when we were young and struggling, there was this couple at a party. She was wearing a gown, and they mentioned that it was the most expensive piece of clothing they had ever bought. They were counting the number of times she wore it in order to get the cost per wear down to something reasonable.

 

[mdcx]

I remember when we were young and struggling, there was this couple at a party. She was wearing a gown, and they mentioned that it was the most expensive piece of clothing they had ever bought. They were counting the number of times she wore it in order to get the cost per wear down to something reasonable.

Haha. This reminds me of someone I knew when I was in my twenties who had a rule that she couldn't have sex until the sixth date. Then she crammed all six dates into about two weeks just so she could get busy and still "follow the rules".

I like to imagine the husband telling the wife "wear the dress to the supermarket honey, then we're down to only $120 per wear!".

 

[sonicxml]

I agree with some of the posts here that sometimes it’s just different personalities. I don’t think about resale value too much but I do get annoyed about scratches or small scuff. I do love my bag collection and I don’t want to get through the trouble of selling them, but for clothes and shoes which everyone knows have little resale value, I will sell or donate them right away if there are any damages that I cannot bear

 

[Antigone]

For a brief time, I was flirting with the idea of buying the LV Speedy B for my next bag because at least I can recoup some of my money if I get tired of it. I know I get tired of things and what's wrong with wanting to get some money from it? However, looking at it doesn't really give me joy. So I moved on to Chanel, thinking for an additional few hundreds, I can already get a WOC. But then same thing, no joy.

Maybe someday, when I have a different lifestyle, I'll get a Boy. That design makes me smile. (However, the Rebecca Minkoff Love makes me smile too...)

So yes, I absolutely consider the resale value of bags I buy. Hence, I am not fed up and actually get all this talk about resale value. To me, it's being practical. I can relate. While I buy bags with fun money (I don't go into debt for them), I try to sell stuff I don't need to fund new stuff.

However, I still find myself ending up buying the bags that make my heart sing.

Anyway, I'm hoping that I don't fall for another bag with low resale value anytime soon. I already have too many Balenciaga and Givenchy.

 

[peachylv]

This is the bag chat thread on FB... first post of the day

View attachment 4186507

This person obviously doesn’t love either that much if she’s thinking of resale before she even buys it. My favorite is when someone has 6 Chanel black flaps ( this is an exaggeration), but this one has this hardware and this one has caviar at instead of lambskin. Which should I sell?

 

[QuelleFromage]

It doesn't bother me if people think about resale. I think it's sensible to understand that bag X (say, Hermès, Chanel) will have meaningful value in a few years, whereas bag Y (let's say The Row, Nacy Gonzalez, VBH) will have less. Nothing wrong with a cost per wear analysis in my eyes.

Now, the constant agonizing over resale in a decision on what to buy? Don't understand that. It's a bag - it's style - relatively frivolous in essence - NOT an investment -stocks, bonds, maybe precious metals are investments - you know you can do something more profitable with the money - buy what you enjoy.

 

[ccbaggirl89]

If someone is debating resale they are doing it for a reason, and it's financially sensible imo. They probably don't have money to waste and are trying to make an informed decision. Too many people are just careless with finances and don't know what they're doing, so at least when I read someone is thinking about resale I have the opinion they care about making a realistic budget choice. No bag is an investment, but just like any car you shop for, some retain value over time and some don't. Nothing wrong with assessing those factoids beforehand and being an educated buyer.

 

[fabuleux]

I love my bags and they are not an investment.

I buy them if/when I can afford them and I use them with absolute joy.

The thought of selling them or constantly worrying what they’re worth if I scratch one, use it too much, if it becomes dated, if the designer quits, if IG bloggers suddenly hate it, if it becomes common .... and on it goes ... doesn’t matter to me.

What are your thoughts?

I agree with you!
People who worry too much about resale value are often people who can't really afford the luxury bags they purchase. Don't get me wrong: it's nice to get a chunk of your money back when you resell a bag 5 or 10 years later. But if it's your obsession, then you're missing the point of owning and enjoying a bag!

 

[peachylv]

It doesn't bother me if people think about resale. I think it's sensible to understand that bag X (say, Hermès, Chanel) will have meaningful value in a few years, whereas bag Y (let's say The Row, Nacy Gonzalez, VBH) will have less. Nothing wrong with a cost per wear analysis in my eyes.

Now, the constant agonizing over resale in a decision on what to buy? Don't understand that. It's a bag - it's style - relatively frivolous in essence - NOT an investment -stocks, bonds, maybe precious metals are investments - you know you can do something more profitable with the money - buy what you enjoy.

This is exactly how I feel. I just don’t f

If someone is debating resale they are doing it for a reason, and it's financially sensible imo. They probably don't have money to waste and are trying to make an informed decision. Too many people are just careless with finances and don't know what they're doing, so at least when I read someone is thinking about resale I have the opinion they care about making a realistic budget choice. No bag is an investment, but just like any car you shop for, some retain value over time and some don't. Nothing wrong with assessing those factoids beforehand and being an educated buyer.

I see your point, and from that perspective it sounds sensible. Believe me, while I can afford my bags, I certainly don’t have money to waste. What if someone loves a bag that is really well made and beautiful, but doesn’t have good resale value? From everything I’ve read on resale, it’s literally 6 bags that are good contenders. There are 2 from Hermes (which can be difficult to come by) 2 from LV (which are everywhere, one is even in my closet), and one or two from Chanel. Oh, and the Chanel bags have to be black. If you are in love with a bag that has good resale, then great, but if you are passing over a bag that you really love and buy a bag with great resale instead, because it’s a better financial choice, then you are kind of missing the point and joy of owning a luxury item.

 

[madamefifi]

I don’t mind the resale mindset so much but I do get annoyed by the folks who freak out over minor flaws and normal wear and tear, and the ones who are “afraid” to even use their luxury bags. What is the point?!

 

[whateve]

This person obviously doesn’t love either that much if she’s thinking of resale before she even buys it. My favorite is when someone has 6 Chanel black flaps ( this is an exaggeration), but this one has this hardware and this one has caviar at instead of lambskin. Which should I sell?

I read that thread. She was trying to decide if she should buy the lambskin and sell the caviar at a loss, or just keep the caviar and try to use it. She overpaid for the caviar but then discovered that it is very stiff so she doesn't use it. To me, it was a reasonable dilemma to ask for advice.

 

[BlueCherry]

I agree with you!
People who worry too much about resale value are often people who can't really afford the luxury bags they purchase. Don't get me wrong: it's nice to get a chunk of your money back when you resell a bag 5 or 10 years later. But if it's your obsession, then you're missing the point of owning and enjoying a bag!

You have absolutely understood what I’m saying