The why: luxury at a fraction of the price – and footprint
Cast your mind back over the last few decades of fashion. The incredible catwalk shows, hundreds of stores offering on-trend styles, new collabs, and drops – all the time. What happens to these mountains of well-made outfits, ‘it’ bags and designer jewels after they stop being brand new? They’re still out there somewhere. Ideally loved and worn by one careful owner, but if not, hopefully set free to re-enter the marketplace rather than sent to landfill.
Pre-loved style has fascinated me since I was a teenager. My first part-time job as an editor at the iconic London vintage store Rokit, coupled with my obsession with fashion, meant I learned young how to recreate a straight-from-the-runway look using well-made vintage pieces at a fraction of the price.
It’s also why, to this day, my preferred shopping destinations offer vintage and secondhand – including eBay. For me, the ability to apply current style knowledge to the thrill of the hunt for that thing is utterly addictive, in the best way.
It’s not just vintage. If you’re after an autumn winter 2023 hit – whether it’s one of Balenciaga’s army bags, Prada’s Triangle, or the latest Bottega weave, you’ll find them, often at a fraction of their original RRP, on eBay. And with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee (more on that later) you know that thing is the real deal.
Which is even more important when you’re finding something special for someone else. This year, for the second time, the majority of my Christmas gifting will be pre-loved purchases. Not only does it mean my friends and family can expect more luxurious presents, but it also means that what they’re getting is going to be more special and interesting. And, when the day comes, I know that shopping secondhand means I’m not adding to the mounds of Christmas waste.
I was an outlier in the noughties, when conspicuous consumption and one-wear-only items were a prerequisite of modern life. But not today. As more and more people understand that we need to honour the fashion in circulation rather than continue to buy new, the pre-loved and resale industry has steadily become huge, worth $177bn (£145bn) globally, and its growth is set to continue as more of us realise pre-loved makes perfect sense in the face of the climate emergency.
Luxury fashion resale plays a huge part in that growth. Anyone who has ever invested in a designer piece will know that while a little bit of wear and tear may be a given (and easily repaired), overall quality never fades. Ever!
Besides, making use of a beautiful thing, created by experts from quality materials pulled from the planet’s precious resources – leather, cotton, cashmere, wool, wood, gold, diamond and even oil – is logical, ethical, sustainable, and it prevents further waste in an industry plagued by it.
Moving to pre-loved is the shift we should all make – and a period of extreme consumption like Christmas is an excellent place to start. But how to find the best pre-loved out there?
The how: ‘the trick is in the search terms’
Shopping secondhand, my go-to family gifts are high-quality designer knitwear, rare books, and vintage 1990s sportswear. But my main interest is in finding vintage jewellery, luxury handbags and wallets from iconic brands such as YSL, Mulberry and Gucci. Because: quality, style and the ability to resell later. Also, hunting down signature pieces of apparel from designers I admire, like JW Anderson, Comme des Garçons, Ganni, Marques Almeida, Simone Rocha, Bode, The Row and Marine Serre, is always irresistible. Finding a piece that you know costs thousands new on offer at an affordable price is golden.
Last year, I was still testing the pre-loved waters with my Christmas shopping. This year, I’m fully prepared. My guru is Amy Bannerman, eBay’s pre-loved style director, who really knows what she’s doing on the platform, she even shares her watch lists on Instagram to save you time shopping.
The trick is in the search terms. First decide what you’re looking for – if it’s a brand, or a designer, use that search term first, and be as specific as you can be. Type “Louis Vuitton Yayoi Kusama bag” and you’ll get dozens of global hits featuring the real thing. If it’s vintage jewellery, it’s smart to use every filter on offer, and there are dozens of them. If you filter by item, style, metal, era, and price, the final edit served should be more or less exactly what you want to see.
Next, look for eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee. The guarantee is eBay’s own “blue tick”, given to authentic products over a certain price point, eg a designer handbag costing more than £500 or a watch over £1,500. If an item has Authenticity Guarantee, it means the item you buy will go to eBay’s dedicated team to be checked over to see if it’s the real thing. Once inspected and approved, it’ll be shipped to the buyer with a card proving its provenance. You can also save and filter by stores you know specialise in big-ticket, authenticated accessories.
Last year, I filtered my results to UK sellers to ensure delivery in time for Christmas. This year, I’ve given myself even more time to trawl through my watch list. Admittedly, my current watch list is huge, running the gamut from Bottega Veneta Puddle Boots, to louche Rick Owens joggers, a floral Ganni top and a Vuitton Alma bag. Further refinement is needed, but I have time, and I’m starting to know which sellers have both consistently good stock, and near 100% positive feedback by clicking through to their stores and homepages and reading their reviews.
On eBay if you take care of finding out the small details on offer by the platform, you’ll have a successful pre-loved gifting organised in a matter of weeks. Family kudos earned, along with a more planet-friendly Christmas. What’s not to love about that?
Melanie Rickey’s eBay picks*
1 Louis Vuitton. My other Louis Vuitton bag, a Stephen Sprouse “Speedy”, is 15 years old, and looks as good as the day I bought it. So I know this beautiful Alma BB bag in classic LV monogram leather is an investment to treasure. You can “buy it now” for £565, (RRP, £1,380). Judging by the photos it’s in excellent condition, complete with packaging and Authenticity Guarantee.
2 Lofty-Castle. I discovered this store in an idle moment searching Barbiecore on eBay. It’s a candyfloss explosion of pink cuteness, from pristine – and Authenticity Guaranteed – Mulberry, YSL and Prada bags to varsity jackets and prim cottagecore floral knits. Most amusingly, among the A-list accessories it offers a fine assortment of 1980s My Little Pony, 1990s Secret Keepins Pups, and a pearl encrusted baby pink beret worthy of Emily in Paris. My pick: this Mulberry Croc Pink Bayswater.
3 Clares1225 is a jewellery store on eBay that has been on the site since 2005. It offers a consistently good edit, and the curator of the store clearly has a great eye for elegant pieces.
4 Simone Rocha catwalk dress, £299. So pretty but with the addition of the woven black detailing, it takes on an irresistibly high fashion edge, but above all it’s signature Simone Rocha, instantly recognisable, and worth its price point, given her new dresses cost about £1,000.
5 Diamond Jewellery United. This store offers diamond jewellery of all kinds, from engagement rings through to diamond studs. A tennis bracelet has long been on my wish list, and this one is beautiful. Better still, this eBay store has Authenticity Guarantee, so you know you’ll be getting the real thing.
Found The One?
Once you’ve found the perfect pre-loved gift, The One for your one, you can make sure it’s the real deal with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee – where blue ticked luxury bags, watches and jewellery are inspected and authenticated by experts. Shop eBay’s pre-loved luxury present collection
*All product listings live at the time of publishing.
‘Authenticity Guarantee’ is independent from, and not associated with any brands sold on eBay.
eBay’s Authentication Guarantee programme covers jewellery and handbags over £500 and watches over £1,500. The programme does not cover fashion and clothes.
