5 Reasons Why Vintage Luxury Bags Are a Smart Investment

Suppose you must choose between two Chanel bags: one is fresh off the store while the other is a 20-year-old. Which one should you get?

Many people are likely to buy the brand-new designer bag. No surprise there; The crackle of wrapping paper, the new leather smell, the tags, and the gleaming hardware—they have undeniable charm and evoke a certain joy.

However, if you have brand-new bags galore, a cabinet lined with the latest purses and handbags from your favourite maisons de couture, perhaps it’s time to consider buying that vintage Chanel bag instead.

Vintage items are old but not as old as antiques. Standards vary, but some say they’re at least 10 years old (some insist it’s 20) but not quite 100 years old; things 100 years or older squarely belong to antique territory. (On a happy note, this means that you millennials, Gen X and boomers are not quite antique but vintage.)

Many things recommend vintage luxury handbags. Here are some of them:

1. Superior Craftsmanship

You’ve probably heard this said many times. “They don’t make them like they used to.” People use this expression to say things now, especially furniture and appliances, are not as sturdy as they used to be.

People use it on bags, too. To wit, “The bags today don’t last as long as the bags made a few decades ago.”

It’s debatable whether this is universally true; some things, including bag-making, naturally improve with newly developed techniques and advanced technology. Luxury fashion houses also likely have consistent quality requirements. They’ve probably established systems and processes to ensure their quality remains the same over the years.

That said, it’s also true that the artisans and craftspeople who used to make designer bags had decades of bag-making experience under their belt. They defined what was standard and evolved the standard operating procedures that the brands follow today. Their expertise went beyond instructions found in manuals; it had been earned through years of actual hands-on work. They did things instinctively, like something dictated by muscle memory, and they delivered outstanding work; it came naturally.

This is why, with the proper care, leather bags from luxury brands made twenty plus some years ago last at least a few generations. That is the type of longevity and durability you can get when you opt for a vintage luxury designer bag.

2. Unique Style

Vintage bags, especially those whose designs have already been discontinued, are rare. They’re one of a kind because there are a limited number of them still in circulation, and there’s no expectation of more because they are no longer made today. Well, technically, the brand could decide to make it again in the future, but it’s not guaranteed.

Therefore, if you want something rare, unique and precious—something you won’t see on the arm of every other person you encounter—get a vintage bag. The grand shopping tote (GST) and the petit shopping tote (PST), both discontinued in 2015, are two vintage Chanel handbags you might want to shop in the secondary handbag market.

3. Sustainability

Sustainability requires following a circular economy model, which emphasises recapturing materials and reintroducing them into manufacturing or distribution and reusing them for as long as possible. Buying a vintage bag is aligned with this model. Instead of old bags going into landfills, they get a new lease on life when sold in the secondary market and become somebody else’s property.

Additionally, every consumer buying a second-hand bag (hopefully) means one less brand-new bag coming off a fashion house’s workshop. As more and more people transition to buying vintage over brand-new, there’d be fewer hides that require tanning and fewer cows and lambs that need raising, which should eventually translate to less hazardous water effluence and waste and a smaller carbon footprint related to livestock farming.

4. Value for Money

Luxury is luxury, and a 20-year-old vintage luxury classic flap from Chanel is as extravagant as one coming out for the store this year. If you walk into dinner with a 15-year-old Chanel ice cube clutch in your hand, there’ll be no “designer bag police” to tell you your vintage clutch is inferior to their latest silver-sequin fringe mini flap bag. There’s only one thing everyone in the room will see: someone clutching a Chanel bag with an interesting ice-cube design.

Therefore, buying a Vintage Chanel bag is an excellent way to get more value for your designer bag money. Depending on the brand and rarity, vintage fashion can be a cost-effective way to own high-quality designer pieces while foregoing the higher price tags of brand-new luxury items.

5. Accessibility

The internet makes vintage luxury bags highly accessible. Of course, you do need to make sure you’re buying your designer bags from trustworthy sources. You want a secondary market that curates its collections (instead of providing a mere marketplace for luxury goods). This adds a layer of security because someone is vetting items for authenticity.

Get That Vintage Luxury Handbag

If you can, shop for vintage designer bags. They’re worth it because they are exceptionally well-made, provide unique styles, are sustainable, offer excellent value, and are highly accessible.