How to Sell Used Designer Bags on eBay in 2024?

There are a ton of options at your disposal for selling a used luxury bag, like high-end consignment stores or the ever-popular online resale platforms. One such platform, eBay, is especially popular for selling pre-owned designer handbags. Navigating a sale using the platform can be tricky, especially if it’s your first time, but it’s simpler than it seems. Keep reading to learn how to sell luxury handbags on eBay and get some tips and tricks to make your listing stand out!

Create an eBay Profile (or Use an Existing One!)

If you don’t already have an existing eBay profile, you’ll have to set one up. Luckily, it’s not very complicated—just provide your basic information, like your name, email address, physical address, and other relevant information that the site asks you for. You’ll have to verify your email address before getting started. You should also connect an account to receive the payment. Users can now pay with credit, debit, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal. eBay typically recommends using a PayPal account—protects your payment information and provides security in case of fraud.

Using an existing account may give you an advantage over using a brand new account, especially if you’ve sold other items and received positive reviews. This increases your perceived credibility and shows potential buyers that you are trustworthy and can deliver what you say you will. However, if you don’t have an account, using a new one is preferable to using someone else’s account, even if you know them well.

You need to be in control of the listing, able to answer any questions potential buyers might have, and, most importantly, receive your earnings straight to your own account. In the case that you do decide to use an account controlled by a trusted family member or very close friend, they can send you an invitation to access the account without sharing their login information.

Take Photos of Your Used Designer Bags

Taking adequate photos of the pre-owned luxury handbag or bags that you want to sell is one of the most important parts of listing an item online. Here are a few tips on some of the key aspects of taking photos of your used designer bags.

1. Use Good Lighting: Bright lighting in a white or neutral shade is the best lighting for taking photos of your used luxury bag. Lighting that is too warm-toned may cause the colours of the bag to appear different than they look in real life, confusing potential buyers. Sunlight works well, too.
2.  A Distraction-Free Background: The background of your photos should be clean and neutral. If possible, opt for a contrasting shade that will make your bag pop. You should remove as much background clutter as possible to enable viewers to focus on the item you’re trying to sell. Flat surfaces like tabletops or covered floors are great for showcasing
3. Camera: If you have a professional camera, great! If not, a phone camera works just as well, as long as you know what you’re doing. Make sure you’re not blocking your light source with your body or device when you’re taking photos, and hold still or use a tripod to make sure the photos aren’t blurry or out of focus.
4. Shot List: Having a list of the photos you want to take beforehand keeps you organised and will ensure you don’t forget anything. You should take distance and close-up photos of the front, back, both sides, bottom, and interior of the bag, as well as close ups of the material or pattern, any labels, any imperfections, and the hardware and handles. Many sellers find that placing a measuring tape next to the item while taking photos is helpful to providing context of scale to buyers, whether when showing exterior dimensions or when showing the size of scratches or tears.

Create the Listing

Once you have photos of your bag and an eBay account, you’re ready to create a listing!

Write a Compelling Title and Description

When selling something of high value, like used luxury bags, it’s important that the title and description are accurate, detailed, and get the attention of potential buyers. You’ll have a much faster and easier time selling a used designer handbag—and spend less time on back-and-forth communications—if you get the words just right.

Include as much detailed information as possible like:

• The designer or brand
• The dimensions
• The materials (fabrics, hardwares, linings, trim, etc.)
• The age of the item or what year it was produced, even if it’s an approximation
• The origin of the item (if possible)
• Any imperfections like tears, stains, rips, scratches, warps, or other marks
• The original retail price
• Any repairs or replacements you’ve had done
• The status of your home (smoke free, pet free or pet friendly, etc.)

You should also try to use keywords in both the title and description that will make it easy for buyers to find your used designer bag. Think about all the possible words and phrases a person might use when trying to find an item like yours, give them a Google yourself to test it out, and include the ones that make the most sense. 

Add Your Photos

Make sure they upload in high quality and show each of the things you mentioned in the listing—in order of mention, if possible. If the photos upload in poor quality or are pixelated, you should attempt to diagnose the problem and retake the photos if necessary. Buyers could be majorly dissuaded from purchasing if they have trouble seeing the item they’re trying to purchase. It could be as simple as switching from a phone to a desktop or vice versa. Call on a tech-savvy friend or troubleshoot the problem with Google if you’re struggling with it.

Provide Authentication

While providing authentication is optional, it’s a great way to make your listing stand out—some buyers may not even purchase without some kind of assurance that your used luxury handbag is the real deal. If you got it secondhand, you likely don’t have the original paperwork from the authorized retailer or the brand itself. There are other ways to provide authentication!

Why is Authentication Important?

Authentication proves to potential buyers that your used designer bag is a genuine article. The counterfeit industry is booming and eBay, along with other online platforms, is a hub for counterfeiters to peddle their knock-offs as true designer bags. Having a certificate of authenticity or other means of authentication establishes credibility with the buyer and assuages them of any fears that they may not be purchasing the real thing.

How Do I Authenticate My Luxury Pre-Owned Designer Handbag?

Luckily, if you don’t already have a certificate of authenticity, it’s easy to get one! Check out LegitGrails—an online authenticator that uses photos to establish authenticity, so you don’t have to worry about sending your bag anywhere. Just upload photos and wait for experienced authenticity experts to verify. You can even include your certificate in the listing for the next buyer so they don’t have to go through the process again!

Set Your Price

When determining how to set your price, do some market research. Look around the web and in resale stores to see what a similar bag in similar condition fetches on the market. You’ll also want to factor in fees, authentication, and the status of your bag. Is it rare or highly sought-after? Do you have an authenticity certificate? You can increase your pricing marginally depending on factors outside of the condition and age of the bag. eBay also offers two different types of ways to sell:

Auction

Auction enables you to set a base price and a time limit for buyers to place bids. This option is usually attractive to sellers with rare used luxury bags. The ability to place bids often means they get a higher price than they would have if they had just listed it outright. In some cases, you may fetch less than what you anticipated if not enough people bid. Auction pricing is higher risk but also offers the potential for higher reward.

Buy It Now

The Buy It Now feature works exactly like any other shopping cart: you set the price, the buyer clicks the button and orders the item. That’s it! This option is slightly less risky than the Auction option, however, it doesn’t offer the potential to fetch a higher price than you listed it for.

Shipping

Woohoo! You’ve sold your used luxury bag…now what? Now, you actually have to get it to the buyer. Unless they’re local to your area, you’ll have to ship it.

When to Ship

You want to ship the item as soon as possible to make sure your buyer is satisfied with the experience, however, you should always wait to make sure you’ve received payment before shipping an item. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing the item and receiving no payment. If you’re not able to ship within 1-2 days, let the buyer know so they can manage their expectations. Just be sure to stick to the agreed upon timeline.

Packing

If you don’t have packing materials lying around, no worries! Take your bag to your nearest UPS, FedEx, or USPS location—they usually have a packing station with everything you’ll need, from boxes to bubble wrap to tape. Packing your used designer bag carefully will ensure it makes the journey safely and arrives in the hands of the buyer in the same condition it left in. It also increases the likelihood that you’ll receive a good review, which will increase your credibility for future sales.

Rate the Transaction

Once everything is said and done—your buyer has received the item and you have received payment—eBay will prompt you to rate the transaction. Leave an honest review, good or bad. If you had a bad experience, you’ll want to warn future sellers about the buyer’s behavior, or solidify the credibility of a good buyer. It doesn’t have to be long, a short-and-sweet comment is fine.

Conclusion

As far as selling goes, eBay is a safe, reliable platform for offering used designer handbags, and with only a few steps, you can be on your way to earning money for your next luxury handbag purchase! Make sure bags on your wishlist are genuine by using an authentication service like LegitGrails—it only takes a few minutes to inquire and you’ll get a certificate of authenticity, great for reselling in the future.