If you’ve been keeping up with the pages of InStyle magazine or following top influencers on Instagram, chances are you’ve come across stunning handbags and purses that can cost $300 or even more. If, like me, you’re drawn to brands like Burberry, Celine, and Hermes, you might be interested in owning one of these fabulous accessories without breaking the bank.

The good news is, you don’t necessarily have to spend thousands of dollars to own a chic handbag-although a Birkin bag might always come with a hefty price tag. Whether it’s a Burberry, Celine, or Hermes purse you desire, you can find used designer handbags at a fraction of the cost compared to buying them brand new.

What’s great about opting for a used designer Louis Vuitton handbag or a Michael Kors purse is that you’re not getting something that’s been chewed up by a dog and discarded. They may look absolutely fantastic — almost like they’re brand new. That being said, you may need to conduct thorough research to locate the Louis Vuitton or Michael Kors bags you desire. Once you acquire them, you need to determine the legitimacy of Louis Vuitton items or Michael Kors products to ensure that your purchase aligns with the genuine products you intended to buy.

Buying consignment

When you opt for consignment shopping, it’s important to note that you’re not engaging in the typical thrift store experience. Consignment involves purchasing items that the store has paid the seller to acquire. In contrast to thrift shops that accept a wide range of donations, consignment stores focus on offering a higher quality of gently used items.

Consignment stores operate with the aim of making a profit from pre-owned goods. These establishments can be found in abundance in major cities and most suburban areas. One notable aspect is that the merchandise available in a consignment store is often influenced by the local clientele.

For those seeking more upscale products, exploring consignment stores in wealthier areas is a smart approach. In these locations, individuals parting with their items likely took exceptional care of their designer goods.

On the other hand, if you’re in search of something more eclectic or unique, consider exploring consignment shops in college areas or artistic communities near your location. Whether you’re into a throwback style reminiscent of the 50s or prefer contemporary fashion, consignment stores offer a diverse range of options to cater to various tastes.

Online consignment stores

There are so many different online consignment stores that are popping up. People are being able to buy and sell their gently used goods and make a profit in the process. Online consignment has really become a business for a lot of people who have tons of great products in their closets but don’t want to wear those products anymore.

Thredup is the largest online consignment store and thrift shop. Thredup sells over 35k different fashion brands. It started in 2009 as a men’s t-shirt swap service and has grown to be a company that now sells women’s, children’s, men’s, maternity fashions and accessories.

Thredup helps the environment by supplying upcycle centers which allows people to take clothes in to these centers to be redistributed instead of just throwing out their old clothes. Thredup receives and then puts up over 30,000 “new” pieces of fashion on to their site daily.

If you are looking for a used Chanel purse you can get one from at the most expensive being $5000, which can be over $7000 or more in other stores. You can also find many other Designer products on their website.

The RealReal is a luxury consignment business that doesn’t over 1.5 Trillion dollars of business. This company has products for Women, Men, Fine Jewelry, Watches, Art, Home, and Kids.

The RealReal will make sure that every product that they sell is 100% authentic. This means that when you buy a product from this company you don’t have to worry if it is a knockoff product because the people working for this company are already doing the leg work for you. That means that you can be assured that what you buy is what you will be getting.

The RealReal donates all the products they receive that cannot be sold on their site. By donating instead of throwing away these goods they are helping to not only keep goods that won’t break down out of landfills. Also, with them donating these goods they are giving back to people who may not be able to buy different clothes and goods.

Tradsey is a company that was founded by Tracy DiNunzio because of the tons of clothing she had in her closet that she knew she had never worn and possibly would never wear. This company is sells women’s clothing, maternity, wedding dresses, swimsuits, activewear and accessories.

You will get $50 off your first purchase and is available as an app on both Android and iPhone platforms. This allows you to enjoy buying from Tradsey no matter where you are. You can enjoy doing Spring Cleaning and getting a little something new in the process, who doesn’t love that.

Tradsey allows you to buy all kinds of different brands from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Fendi, and Givenchy. There are also brands like BCBG, Topshop, Zara and J.Crew.

Other places to buy used designer handbags

When it comes to the opportunity to buy used designer handbags and purses there are so many different places that are claiming that they have authentic designer products.

eBay has many different “designer” goods. The great thing about eBay is that they have a money back guarantee and are a well-known company. The sellers on eBay do have certain background checks that are done before they are able to sell on that huge platform. The goods that you get from this company should be what they claim to be.

There is also Facebook marketplace for buying used designer handbags. The great thing about Facebook’s marketplace is you can check out the persons profile before you decide if you want to buy from them. You can also do a search through their friends list to make sure that they are a real person. Buying through the marketplace doesn’t mean that you are getting a bonafide designer purse. You can ask for information about the purse and do research to make sure that the handbag is the real thing before buying.

Craigslist is another place that has used designer handbags and purses. The problem when it comes to Craigslist is that it is a mixed bag. You will find a lot of different people that are 100% legit and other people who would scam their best friend. In this medium ask A LOT of questions and use your best judgment when it comes to how the person is responding to you to see if you trust them to be who they say they are and if they would honestly have the authentic product that you are wanting.

One other possibility is if you have friends or family members who have amazing purses and handbags. If you are coveting their bag, tell them! You have no idea how many friends and family members may be sashaying around with a bag that they don’t even like. I saw a family member once tell a family friend how much she loved her purse and by the ending of the night that woman had purchased that other woman’s purse plus there was another purse that suddenly popped up and the family friend sold 2 designer purses in one night, at a family get together.

Infographic created by Clover Network – a pos systems company