There are some luxury brands that are difficult to find on the market, and there are others which are virtually impossible to invest in without the right connections and your name on all sorts of waitlists. The latter are brands which underpin their popularity with limited supply, ensuring that every bag and piece that they release is coveted and sought after – driving prices high, and ensuring demand never dips.
Chanel is one of these brands, elevating its collection of bags to such a status that bags are purchased on the retail market and sold regularly to second-hand buyers and resellers in an effort to collect hih returns on investment.
In this blog, we’re focussing not just on the popularity of Chanel bags and why they are so coveted on the market, but where you can buy and sell your own Chanel bags for the best price.
Why Is Chanel Such a Sought-After Brand?
In order to understand the popularity of the Chanel brand, we need to go right back to the origin of the brand and its founder. Coco Chanel is and always has been a revolutionary in the world of fashion, spearheading a multitude of trends which remain popular today – from the Little Black Dress to long shoulder strap bags.
Even in more recent brand history, levelled by Karl Lagerfeld and most recently Virginie Viard, Chanel has held onto the legacy of its most important historical influences, while embracing the priorities of the modern audience and the trends which keep its pieces at the forefront of the luxury industry.
Studying what makes Chanel such a highly sought-after brand brings us to a number of features that span virtually every bag and accessory that the brand makes. The first is the unrivalled quality of a Chanel bag, necklace, bracelet, or item of clothing. To focus specifically on Chanel bags, every bag is made using the finest materials and the highest level of craftsmanship to ensure durability as well as the highest possible attention to detail.
Another feature we cannot ignore is the aforementioned investment potential, propped up by the limited supply, which ensures that every bag that is produced is released to market with a huge following and with countless prospective buyers all vying for the same piece. Even when a piece has been purchased, its value does not decrease – rather, as is the case with so many luxury items, on the second-hand market its price is often elevated beyond the retail cost. Provided you retain the authentication certificate and all original packaging, any Chanel bag that you purchase could well be worth and be sold for more if you find a reputable reseller.
More on that later in this blog though, as first we want to touch on the role of Chanel bags in transforming the market.
How Chanel Bags Changed the Market
This is where we talk a little about the Chanel 2.55, which was launched in 1955 and ticked one very big box that Coco Chanel wanted from her own accessories. The Chanel 2.55 was a small bag with a shoulder strap, which allowed it to be used and carried around without hands – making it not only more convenient for women but much more lightweight and stylish.
Despite a multitude of design changes over the years, and countless collaborations and one-off designs flooding the market, the concept remains very much the same – with the Chanel 2.55 the original shoulder strap bag designed for women, by a woman.
In fact, if you are seeking a vintage Chanel bag with exceptional investment potential and value, you often can’t go wrong with a 2.55, as these bags are still considered such a prominent part of the luxury bags industry.
Buying a Chanel Bag
So, how and where can you buy a Chanel bag? For the most part, you will find that buying through auction or from a reputable reseller is the easiest way to get your hands on a Chanel bag – however, you need to be wary of authentication. The challenge faced by so many luxury brands is the high standard of counterfeit goods on the market today, which so closely resemble the originals that it can be difficult to tell them apart.
As such, familiarising yourself with the authentication trademarks of a real Chanel bag is important – as is buying only from reputable and reliable resellers who offer their own valuation services and are full of information and guidance to help you buy the right bag for you.
While Chanel is careful not to reveal all the signs of a genuine bag, to avoid scammers from catching on and linking counterfeit bags even more closely to the real deal, some of the signs of a counterfeit bag to be aware of include:
- Misspellings on the logo
- Poor-quality stitching
- A deal which is too good to be true
It is always recommended that you only buy Chanel bags which have been properly authenticated and which have the original packaging, as well as a certificate proving their authenticity.
How to Sell a Chanel Bag
In much the same way, the only way to ensure the best possible deal when selling a genuine Chanel bag is by taking it to a reputable reseller or buyer. Most resellers will carry out their own valuation and authentication checks onsite to ensure that the bag you are selling is original and genuine – providing further proof that they are trustworthy.
In Dubai, the market around luxury goods means that finding a buyer for a genuine and high-value Chanel bag is not difficult. For help in ensuring that you get the right price for your bag, and for unrivalled access to the widest selection of Chanel and other luxury bags on the market, take the time to visit the finest boutiques and research the companies that specialise in these brands.
Operating in London, as well as Dubai, our team of luxury enthusiasts are always happy to help.
