I’ve loved fashion for as long as I can remember. Each month when my favorite style magazines would come out – Vogue, InStyle, People StyleWatch, Harper’s Bazaar – I would spend hours pouring over the pages, picking out all the items I would buy if I had an unlimited budget for the wardrobe of my dreams. In reality, I was in high school and had no money of my own at all to buy the beautiful clothes and bags on those glossy pages that I so wanted. Despite my lack of funds, my love for fashion only grew stronger, and I dreamed of the day I would be able to own my own luxury bag like the models and celebrities inside the magazines.
That may seem like a silly or vapid goal to some, but to me, it was an exciting prospect. Fashion is my hobby as well as my form of self-expression, and the idea of creating a closet full of treasures I loved that could be passed down to my children one day brought me joy. It still does! Now that I am about to turn 27 (in two weeks! That is crazy to type), I own three designer handbags that were thoughtfully and carefully decided upon.
But just like high school me, I’m not made of money. I’ve had to be smart with what I’ve got, and through some tips and tricks, I was able to get every single one of those bags at a discount. If you’re also looking to invest in a piece for your wardrobe, you are in luck – I am going to share those tips and tricks for buying designer luxury handbags for cheap with you today.
Before we begin, let me start by saying this – no one needs a designer handbag to be cool or fashionable. It’s hard today with Instagram and the internet in general. You see all the influencers with their Chanel classic flaps or their Dior saddle bags, and it makes you feel like you need them to. But you don’t – there are PLENTY of gorgeous handbags you can get for under $200 (even under $100) that will last you forever and will garner you a plethora of compliments. I’d be happy to do a post on that in the future if that’s something that interests you (leave a comment and let me know!)
Even with the tips I’m about to give you, designer purses are still expensive. It’s an extreme privilege to be able to spend that kind of money on an accessory. It’s not a necessity whatsoever, so if you don’t have the funds right now for a brand new bag, don’t buy it! Don’t put it on a credit card to pay it off later. It’s not worth damaging your credit score and accruing tons of interest. Make sure you are sorting out your priorities first (bills, savings, debt repayment, investing for retirement, saving for college, etc.) before you take the plunge on a luxury item. Once you have your affairs in order, the cash saved up and have determined that you want to spend it on a designer bag, that is precisely the time to start thinking about your purchase.
Without further ado, here’s all you need to know for buying designer luxury purses at a discount.
End-of-Season Sales
When I talk about designer handbags throughout this post, I’m referring to the big guns – Chloe, Chanel, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Balenciaga, Celine, Valentino Garavani, etc. Certainly other brands can be referred to as designer (Kate Spade, Tory Burch, Coach, etc.), but this post will focus on showing you how to score discounts on labels whose bags usually start around the $1,000 mark.
One of the EASIEST ways to grab a discount on a super pricey bag is by waiting for end-of-season sales, specifically at the end of summer and at the end of winter. You’ll see these pick up steam around January and July. Chloe and Valentino usually do a 30% off to 40% off sale right on their respective websites. Places like Net-a-Porter and Ssense do a limited-time-only sale that disappears after a few weeks but is full of fantastic items. Last year in January, I was able to purchase my Chloe Mini C bag pictured at the top of this post on 24s.com for about $800 off. They retailed at the time around $1700 for the croc effect, and I bought mine for $900.
Now, there’s a few things to keep in mind when it comes to end-of-season sales. First, you’re only going to see certain brands involved in these sales. Chanel and Christian Dior do not participate whatsoever in online sales. The only ways you can really get a discount on these two brands are by physically visiting their boutiques during sale season OR via the method I will detail later in the post.
For Yves Saint Laurent, Loewe, Prada and Miu Miu, you can only access their private end-of-season sales through an invitation. That might sound exclusive, but it’s really not. Sign up for emails on their websites and on places like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus or even Nordstrom, and they’ll let you know when the sale begins. This sale will only last a few days, so you’ll have to be quick if you have your eye on something.
For brands like Chloe, Valentino Garavani, Stella McCartney, or Balenciaga, you’ll be able to shop these easily on a plethora of sites come sale time. Discounts typically range anywhere from 15% all the way through 70% off, depending on the item.
The next thing to know about end-of-season sales when it comes to designer luxury handbags is that you’re not going to find every single style that brand makes on a discount during that time. It sounds like common sense, but some people are surprised when they learn that cult-favorite bags aren’t included. Typically these sales are comprised of seasonal styles that may not be released again the following year or they are seasonal colors of a fashion house’s staple bag. An example of the former is my Chloe Mini C bag – they’re not releasing new ones anymore – and an example of the latter is an iconic Chloe Tess bag in a neutral colorblock. The Tess will stick around, but you won’t be able to buy that shade come next year. You will *usually* never see classic bags in neutral colors in these sales.
Here are a list of websites that do amazing end-of-season sales, where you can be sure to snag a bargain:
Coupon Codes
Similar to end-of-season sales, periodical coupon codes are another awesome way to buy designer luxury handbags for a cheaper price. They’re a great option if you don’t want to wait for January or July. The same brands with the easiest access for sales – Chloe, Valentino Garavani, Stella McCartney, or Balenciaga – are also going to be eligible for the most coupon codes. Typically these coupon codes aren’t crazy, but every dollar saved definitely helps!
Sites you are going to want to keep your eye on for coupon codes include Bergdorf Goodman (they do an incredible extra 30% off their sale every once and a while. It’s one of my favorite discounts ever), Luisaviaroma (they regularly have 10% to 40% off coupon codes on their website that end lightning fast so jump on them when you see them – item exclusions sometimes apply), and Farfetch (they have 10% off for essential workers and, if you’re a new customer, they have 10% off coupons for you, too – they work on pretty much everything).
Discount Websites
Discount websites are fantastic places to shop, especially for designer luxury handbags. Some sites are membership-only like Rue La La (it’s free to join) and some are regular sites, like Bluefly, The Outnet and Saks Off Fifth. The Outnet and Saks Off Fifth are actually outlets for Net-a-Porter and Saks Fifth Avenue, respectively – they sell merchandise that no one purchased on those original sites.
With these types of sites, you are most likely going to find items from previous seasons at a significant discount (usually at least 30% off and often more). Stock is typically low due to the items being older and sometimes selection is not the greatest (you can find a lot of strange colors/styles). But they’re worth combing through if you’re looking for a diamond in the rough at a pretty price.
Buying Secondhand
This is my FAVORITE tip of all and one that I think is massively overlooked. I don’t think there’s any greater discount that you can get on a designer bag than the price you pay when you are buying a preloved purse. If you’re really balling on a budget, are looking for a more sustainable option, or just want a fabulous deal, look no further.
There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to buying secondhand designer luxury purses, such as the items are gross/worn out, they’re knock-offs, people might make fun of you/look down on you for owning an “old” bag, etc. These are all so wrong!
If you buy from a reputable website such as Fashionphile (my favorite and where I bought both my Chloe Nile bag and my Valentino Rockstud Spike bag), Rebag or The Real Real, you don’t have to worry about buying a fake or knock-off item. They each have a team of experts who closely examine every single bag to ensure its authenticity. These websites also have literally thousands upon thousands of bags that are new with tags, new without tags or in such excellent condition you would never know they were owned by someone else before you. That means no one else will ever know either – unless you tell them about how much of an insane deal you got.
For most brands and styles, you’ll be able to get amazing prices when buying secondhand. My Chloe Nile bag retailed for around $2,000, and I got it in excellent condition (maybe used once or twice if that) for just over $650. It’s hard to argue with the math of a bag in perfect condition for nearly 70% off. Yes please! Buying preloved is also a great way to get discounts both on brands that elude online sale season like Chanel, Christian Dior, Gucci, Celine, or Louis Vuitton AND on cult-favorite brand styles in neutral colors that never seem to hit the clearance tabs.
Now, one word of warning I will share when it comes to shopping secondhand for designer luxury handbags is that you need to do your research when it comes to certain brands. 9.5 times out of 10, buying preloved will net you a sweet deal. BUT on labels like Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton (there may be more but those are common culprits), you will see a lot of bags listed and selling for prices way higher than their original MSRP. Why does this happen? It’s typically due to insane price increases (hi Chanel), limited edition collections and scarcity. Those three reasons drive demand through the roof for a supply that is limited, causing prices to rise. A few years ago, you could buy a preloved Chanel classic flap for $1,500-$2,500 and a vintage one for even less. Today, you’re looking at $3,000-$6,500. Just be sure to look into any Chanel, Hermes or Louis Vuitton before you pull the trigger to make sure you’re paying a fair price.
Something that’s cool about buying with Fashionphile is that they will buy your bag back at the end of the year for a large portion of the price you originally paid. So, if you get sick of it after a year or just want to try something new, you have that option! You obviously can keep the bag forever if you want, but this helps cut down on waste, making buying secondhand even more sustainable. I’ve included a ton of fab bags below that are in giftable or new condition (meaning new with tags or new without tags) on Fashionphile, just to show you how easy it can be to save. This isn’t sponsored by them at all (I wish), I just truly love/have been so impressed with their service and think you guys would love it too.
Earning Cashback
After you’ve perused the ideas above and decided on which designer luxury handbag you want to buy for cheap, the savings doesn’t have to stop there. Your next opportunity to save some extra money is by earning cashback on your purchase. So basically, you get your bag on sale and then you get to save even more after that – it’s a win-win.
One way to do this is by taking advantage of credit card rewards programs. You should always have the funds saved up first before you buy your designer luxury handbag. BUT, that doesn’t mean you need to be paying for it with physical cash or your debit card. If you have a credit card that gives you cashback on each purchase, you should absolutely be using that to buy your bag. Then, simply pay it off at the end of the month in full to avoid any interest. Most cards offer 1% cashback for shopping. That might sound small, but on a $1,000 bag, that’s $10, and every dollar adds up quickly.
Another secret weapon for earning cashback is Rakuten. If you’re not using this site when you make any kind of purchase online, you are throwing away money. Here’s how it works – before you shop, search the website you are buying from on Rakuten. If it’s on there, it will pop up and show you the current cashback percentage you’ll earn on that purchase. Click the shop button, and Rakuten will automatically take you to the retailer’s page. There’s nothing more for you to do other than shop and buy! The cashback will be added to your account usually within a few days. Just make sure that if you exit the page for some reason (like go to a totally different site or close the browser window) that you go back through Rakuten again before you check out so you get the money back. If you sign up for Rakuten with my link here, you’ll get $30 back when you spend $30!
Rakuten has significant cashback deals on a ton of websites. Some places are 1%-5%, but others are more. Bergdorf Goodman, for example, has 10% cashback pretty much all the time. If you’re grabbing a $1,200 bag during their end-of-season sales, that’s an extra $120 back in your pocket.
Those are all of my tips for buying designer luxury handbags at a discount! If you have any others that I might have forgotten, leave a comment. I’d love to hear them!
