5 Tips On Buying Preloved Luxury Goods

Yuenny Lam
Oct 25, 2017
6 min read

I get a lot of questions about where I buy my preloved luxury goods and what to look for, so I've decided to write a bit about it. I am in no means an expert or a pro on this subject matter, but I have been buying and selling (mainly) Louis Vuitton items for over two years (since early 2015), so I have learnt a few things on the way and I would like to share these tips with you.

1. Where To Buy

eBay is a great place to find preloved Louis Vuitton items, which I have had experience with. Purchases like my vintage Speedy 30, Bosphore Backpack and Medium Ring Agenda were all from eBay. I personally love buying off eBay, because you can find great bargains on there if you know what you are looking for. I would recommend checking the seller's feedback and what other items they

are selling to get a feel for who they are. Another advice would be to ask the seller some questions, for example, if the listing doesn't state any smell/odour, then that could something to bring up to get the conversation going. Then another question could be to ask them why they are selling. Maybe I'm just nosy, but I like to know a little bit about what I'm potentially buying. Having an engaging conversation with the seller can give you a little peace of mind (in my opinion). I generally stay away from sellers who either don't reply, respond with short answers or if I get the impression they're annoyed with me. Usually if a seller is good, they will be happy to answer any questions you have. If the listing is thorough and you can't think of any questions to ask, then request extra photos, for example from a certain angle or of a certain corner. Anything that lets you engage in a conversation gives you the opportunity to gauge the situation.

Instagram is another place where I have had experience in buying and selling preloved Louis Vuitton. This is a great way to buy from and sell to people you know, or from legitimate sellers who do this as a business. But the downside is that sometimes it's difficult to know where the sellers are based and a lot of them only ship to the US (I live in the UK). However, if you follow people who are in the same country or even within Europe, this is a good way to buy preloved goods.

Facebook groups are great places to find authentic items. The Admin members of the group usually monitor what is being listed for sale and pick up on anything that may be dodgy. The groups I am part of are closed groups, so sometimes you need to request and be accepted to join. They also generally limit the number of members in the group and this is to keep everyone save by sticking to a certain number where they can monitor the posts being uploaded.

Vide Dressing is a website I have purchased from once and it has been very positive. I have read a lot of negative reviews about the site, but I personally have not had any issues and I would certainly buy through there again, should the opportunity arises. Because it was my first experience with them, I applied the same rules I would if buying through eBay - engage with the seller etc.

Other websites I have heard of, but do not have personal experience:

Vestaire Collective

NPN Handbags

Labels Most Wanted

Finer Things of Aberdeen

2. Research

I suggest doing a lot of research on the item you are interested in purchasing preloved. Sometimes just knowing about the brand will help you spot any counterfeit products. With Louis Vuitton, there are a number of things to check and look out for. One of the authentication is the date code, although replicas are becoming increasing good at copying date codes. As a general rule, try to find out when a style of bag was in production and whether or not they have been discontinued, and if so, when. Items made pre-80's will have date codes consisting of two letters and three numbers (e.g. SA853 - made in France in March 1985). The two letters tell you where it was made and the numbers are the year followed by month. However, I have also seen bags made in the late 80's with four numbers, but I've only seen 1989 bags with four numbers. Then between 1990 (and some 1989 pieces) and 2007 the date code is two letters and four number, where the first and third numbers represent the month and the second and fourth is the year - e.g. 1918 is made in the 11th month (November) in 1998. From 2007, the date code changes again where the second and fourth numbers remain as the indication of the year, but the first and third numbers now represent the week it's made - e.g. 3175 is 37th week of 2015.

Other things to look out for are the details of Louis Vuitton pieces. They are generally immaculate and the stitching is perfect, although in recent years, that's not always the case (unfortunately). But knowing the brand and what they focus on is a good way to recognise counterfeit items.

3. Authentication

I have used Authenticate First a few times to authenticate preloved Louis Vuitton items. They offer services for both pre-sale and post-sale. I have paid to have an eBay listing authenticated in the past and it costs USD $10 for an e-mail opinion, but you have the option to pay more for a certificate of authentication, which is USD $20. Sometimes I have an item authenticated before I purchase, as well as after the item arrives. The reason being that the item you saw previously and have had authenticated may not be the item that is being shipped to you, i.e. the seller could list a genuine item, but once you have made a payment send you a replica. I wouldn't say that this happens often, but you can never be too sure.

The other service I have used is Authenticate4u. It costs USD $5 or GBP £5 and this can be paid via PayPal. Once payment is made, you send them photos in a message via their Facebook page and they will come back to you with their opinion of authenticity. My experience with them has been very positive and they generally come back to me within a day or two. For a fiver, I would definitely recommend to get the peace of mind. They also send you an electronic certificate which is useful as proof of authenticity if you wish to sell your item in the future.

I haven't personally requested authentication service through Vide Dressing, but it was offered to me free of charge when I purchased

my Chanel Square Mini. When an item sells on Vide Dressing, the buyer has the option to pay EUR €30 for the seller to post the item to Vide Dressing's in-house authentication service. Your item will be authenticated and posted to you together with a certificate of authentication. In my case, the seller offered to pay for the service, which I am very grateful for. This service is optional and if you prefer, you can have the item posted directly to you by the seller and order an authentication service yourself elsewhere once the item has arrived.

4. Stay Safe

I recommend buying from reputable websites like the ones mentioned above and even through reputable sellers, I still strongly suggest paying through PayPal and selecting the Business/Service option rather than Friends/Family, unless you know someone personally. PayPal provides protection for both buyer and seller in case something goes wrong. Usually there's a fee of around 3% to get the PayPal protection, but in my opinion it is worth the extra cost if buying from a source I am not absolutely sure about, i.e. not friends or family.

5. Too Good To Be True

This is pretty self-explanatory. If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. However, sometimes you might just get lucky and actually find a bargain. In that case - congratulations.

Good luck to you all in finding your ideal preloved luxury item!

Video: How I Buy/Sell Preloved Luxury Goods