What To Look For When Buying A Designer Handbag
Is your Gucci worth its weight in gold? Is your Vuitton worth more than your pension? Does your Hermes hold more hope for the future than your savings account?! Well it’s possible the answer is yes, as a well-made, good condition handbag of the right design can be a worthwhile target when it comes to investing.
Belle About Town has discovered a list of the most ‘investible’ handbags in the world, with advice on what you should look for when investing in enviable arm candy. There’s also a handy guide on what to look out for when buying a designer handbag, including how to spot a fake.
Like with most collectible items, handbags must be in mint condition to command a high price, including leather, hardware and liner condition. Scuffs on the leather or tears in the material can diminish the value of the bag by more than 70%. So Annieth Woollery, handbag expert at LoveAntiques.com, has written a set of guidelines on what to look out for if you want to start investing in handbags. Annieth’s advice is to always see the handbag before buying it, even with online purchases, whether that’s through Skype or another video platform because photographs can be doctored and the condition is key.
With most designer brands, there are obvious indicators to determine whether it’s real, for example with Chanel quilted bags, the ‘diamonds’ should always align and Louis Vuitton handbag stitches will always be mustard in colour.
Annieth told us: “The designer handbag market has constantly gone from strength to strength since they started to become really collectable 80 years ago. I’m not sure what makes handbags the most desired and coveted fashion accessory but to put it into perspective, Birkin bags have never experienced a devaluation, they’re actually a more sound investment than some stocks!
“There are many handbags that are great investments, it was quite hard to narrow just 15 down, but I believe the list represents a good variety of prices and they’re all bags that I believe will continue to go up in value. Some may be astonished by the high prices, but it’s important to understand that some of these bags are made in very small quantities, like the Cleopatra clutch where only one is made a year, and others contain very rare material like crocodile skin. Like with most things something is only worth what someone is willing to pay, but it appears someone is always willing to pay a pretty penny for a beautiful handbag.”
Will Thomas managing director at LoveAntiques.com, added: ““Handbags are the most collectible and therefore investible fashion item. However, it can be a bit of a minefield when it comes to knowing which ones you should buy as an investment. What is clear that you need to have a very keen eye for detail and really give these bags the once over before parting with any cash!
“There are so many designers creating beautiful bags but only some will increase in value over time. I hope this guide and list will help prospective investors choose which handbags they should be spending their money on.”
The 10 most investible handbags available on the market today are:
1. Hermes Himalayan crocodile Birkin bag £293,912
2. Louis Vuitton Urban satchel £116,225
3. Louis Vuitton Kusama Pumpkin Minaudiere Jewel bag £103,363
4. Lana Marks Cleopatra clutch £100,000
5. Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork bag £38,753
6. Fendi Selleria bag £29,443
7. Gadino Bag by Hilde Palladino bag £29,814
8. Marc Jacobs Carolyn bag £29,449
9. Chanel Timeless bag £5,000
10. Chanel 2.55 bag £3,874
- The full list of the most investible handbags and investor guidelines can be found here.
