When you think of investment designer handbags, what comes to mind? Do you think of pieces that will last a lifetime? Or do you think of pieces that resell for large portions of their initial prices? They're called investment bags for a reason... when it comes to resale, a well-cared-for handbag can recoup a lot of its original price. For some limited edition bags, it can be even more. In the world of resale, it's all about buying wisely and caring for your investments. Here are the top three things you can do to get the most out of your designer handbags:    

Store Designer Handbags Properly

Proper storage goes a long ways towards preserving bags. For example, color transfer is one common issue we see with patent leather. Color transfer happens when a lighter color patent bag rubs against a darker fabric. Unfortunately color transfer is permanent, so it's always wise to wear patent leather pieces with lighter colors and store them in light-colored dust bags. Three things you can do to protect your bags are:

• Clean your bags before storing them
• Stuff handbags to maintain their shapes
• Store them in well-ventilated areas

For more information, check out our post The Right Way to Store Designer Handbags.    

Buy Popular Brands and Hard-to-Find Pieces

Which brands fetch the highest prices? The big four- Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes have good returns when they're in good condition. Fendi, YSL, and Givenchy are also safe bets. Lesser known brands like JW Anderson and Loewe don't fetch quite as much of their original prices, but they still have undeniable cool factors. Limited edition and hard-to-find pieces are often desirable because they have cult followings. Chanel lucite minaudière bags are great examples. These sought-after clutches hold their value remarkably well and sell quickly.    

Care for Handbags and Save Original Packaging

Try to minimize wear and tear by being conscious about avoiding surface abrasion and and protecting bags from moisture. Hardware, bottom corners, and top edges of bags tend to show the most surface abrasion. Check those areas of your bag regularly. When you start to see wear, you may want to put it away for a while and switch to another bag. Having a high closet turn-over rate is one of the best ways to maximize your investments. After all, the newer the bag the higher the resale price. Bags from current or recent seasons are always highly sought-after. While packaging and receipts won't increase selling prices, they might help bags sell more quickly. Customers like to see purchase histories, and original dust bags show that your pieces were properly stored.    

Do you have any questions about re-selling your designer handbags? If so, we'd love to help!