When it comes to buying luxurious designer clothes, a charity shop isn’t normally the first place that springs to mind.
But it might be worth trawling through the rails of dusty second-hand wares after all, as a specialist has revealed how savvy shoppers could rake in a fortune by pawning them off to the right bidder.
Collectibles expert Mark Borgman of Catawiki has revealed a list of iconic second-hand fashion pieces that could help you make thousands of pounds.
Here, Mark reveals how to make a huge return on Chanel bags, Hermes suits and Louboutin heels – and where to buy and sell them.
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According to collectibles expert Mark Borgman, a vintage Hermes bag could help you make £6,000 if you know where to look (file photo)
1. Hermès Birkin Bag
Profit: Up to £6,000
‘Hermès Birkin bags that have exotic bi-colour, or mixed exotic leather skin, have been known to increase in value over the years,’ Mark notes.
‘Highly collectible and a great form of investment – editions in exotic leather are extremely rare and therefore tend to fetch the highest prices.
‘The most expensive Birkin bag was sold for £269,000 in June 2017. Prices have steadily risen since the 1980s, however on certain auction houses you can find used bags for as little as £5,000 to £6,000 which can be resold for at least £11,000 on eBay.’
2. Chanel Classic Flap Bag
Profit: Up to £1,500
A classic Chanel flap bag could go for as much as £2,00 on sites like eBay (file photo)
‘Very collectible and a good form of investment, Chanel is constantly raising its boutique prices and vintage bags fetch a high percentage of their value on the resale market, even with slight wear.
‘On certain auction houses you can buy vintage Chanel bags for as little £500 to £600 and they can be resold for over £1,500 on eBay, or over £2,000 if they are a limited edition.’
3. Chanel Suit
Profit: Up to £900 (based on average £100 charity shop price tag)
‘Early editions of the Chanel suit are very sought after in fashion museums all over the world.
‘You can resell a Chanel suit for over £500 today, though in a specialist vintage auction on sites.
‘The older it is, the more expensive it will be at resale, such as a £1,000 suit currently listed on [pre-owned designer site] Rebelle.’
4. Hermès Foulard
Profit: Up to £200
If you’re lucky enough to find an Hermes Foulard you could rake in as much as £200 (file photo)
‘More than 2,000 of these designs have been made, so it is no wonder this is one of the most collectible objects amongst fashion lovers.
‘You can buy one of these scarfs for £150 and resell it for over than £350, depending on the rarity of the design.’
5. Burberry Trench
Profit: Up to £170
A vintage Burberry trench coat can be spun into a £170 profit when sold online (file photo)
‘Due to their popularity and availability, Burberry trench coats can be easily found on the secondary market and therefore cannot be considered highly collectible.
‘A vintage Burberry trench coat can be resold for up to £250 but most are available [second-hand] for around £80 on sites like eBay.’
6. Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap dress
Profit: Up to £100
‘Only special or early editions are considered to be collectible. The wrap dress is a permanent model of DVF collections and it’s being produced in a great variety of designs at reasonable prices.
‘Therefore, it is not worth a huge amount at resell but can be bought for as little as £80 online and resold at £180 if it is one of the more rare designs.’
7. Yves Saint Laurent ‘Le Smoking Tuxedo’
Profit: Up to £260
‘Depending on the condition and design, this is a piece that has a good chance of remaining a collectible object, especially early editions of this brand.
‘These suits can be bought for around £220 and resold for more than double that at £480.’
8. Christian Louboutin High-heeled shoes
Profit: Up to £350 (based on average £50 charity shop price tag)
A classic pair of Christian Louboutin heels could make up to £350 in profit (file photo)
‘Due to the general wear and tear of shoes, they cannot be considered highly collectible.
‘However, if a very limited edition pair of Laboutins comes on to you radar, it could be worth keeping them unused in your wardrobe and seeing what happens in a few years. At the moment, you can resell a pair for around £370 to £400.’
9. Christian Dior ‘Lady Dior’ bag
Profit: Up to £700
You could make as much as £700 by selling off a vintage ‘Lady Dior’ handbag (file photo)
‘This is a very iconic bag, but unfortunately not very collectible. That being said, the classic bag tends to do quite well on the resale market.
‘They be bought for around £500 to £750 on sites like Catawiki and resold on eBay for £1,200 if they are in absolutely mint condition.’
10. Giorgio Armani’s The Power Suit’
Profit: Up to £160
‘The Giorgio Armani power suit can be very valuable if it is an early version, or if it has been worn by a celebrity in the past.
‘The average Giorgio Armani power suit can be bought for as little as £120 and resold for up to £280 on sites like eBay and Catawiki.’
[“Source-dailymail”]