Discounted Louis Vuitton bags do exist: here's how to find one

When it comes to bags, it doesn't get much better than Louis Vuitton. The French fashion house has been crafting luggage since 1854 and are still market leaders, making their iconic designs excellent investment pieces. While brand new Louis Vuitton bags can cost several thousands of pounds, if you know where to go, you can find the real deal LV for a fraction of the price. But where? And has the brand got an outlet?

Louis Vuitton has a long-standing reputation for producing some of the best designer bags, and so it's no surprise that celebrity fans include Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon and Kate Moss. Owned by parent company LVMH, luxury is in Louis Vuitton's DNA and a bag could set you back an average of £2,000 plus. Surging online searches for the famous monogram bag shows they're as popular as ever, but if you don't want to pay full price for an LV bag, you'll need to do your research.

The best Louis Vuitton bags are timeless heirlooms that you can pass down from generation to generation, so it's worth taking the time to find your perfect match. Read on for our guide on how to get a cheap Louis Vuitton bag, and let's dive into the world of purchasing pre-loved Louis Vuitton, which is the best way to get your hands on a handbag for less.

The best resale sites for Louis Vuitton bags

1. eBay

eBay’s Head of Handbags, Emma Hamilton, knows a thing or two about buying and selling pre-loved bags. She told us:

“If a Louis Vuitton handbag is at the top of your wishlist, eBay is a great place to get your hands on these iconic pieces. With a large breadth of models and styles available, and backed by our Authenticity Guarantee programme, it means you can get that designer handbag for much cheaper than the RRP.

"If there’s a specific iconic model you’re after, be that the LV Speedy, LV Neverfull or another in the classic monogram print, you can set up notifications on eBay to alerts you if someone lists it. Simply type in the Louis Vuitton product you’re looking for, select save search, and eBay will let you know when your designer dream is available to buy.

"When buying your pre-loved bag, look for LV listings with the blue tick. This means the items are vetted and verified through eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee programme by a team of experts at no additional cost. It allows you to shop for pre-loved luxury with complete confidence, knowing that you’re getting the real deal.”

• Browse all Louis Vuitton bags at eBay

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2. 1stdibs

Online resale market 1stdibs covers everything from fashion and jewellery to fine art and furniture. More than anything else though, 1stdibs specialises in luxury offerings. Products might not be as cheap as the thrift store finds, but for collectors looking for a certain model to add to a collection or a bag in certified mint condition, 1stdibs has a ton of offerings for different options.

• Browse all Louis Vuitton bags at 1stdibs

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3. The Handbag Clinic

The Handbag Clinic is a luxury handbag restoration and preowned designer resale retailer. Clients can book a consultation with one of a trusted team of dedicated experts, and they will be on hand to audit, authenticate, value, clean, restore, and sell your designer wares. All bags go through rigorous quality control and authenticity procedure before going on sale online and in stores.

Co-founder and retail director, Charlotte Staerck says, “Louis Vuitton is one of our top three bestselling brands. I think it's mostly down to its timeless aesthetic and longevity in the fashion industry. The Neverfull often sells within minutes of appearing on our website, and recently we sold one in just nine minutes. The Speedy bag is another hugely sought-after style. Made in 1930, it's still extremely popular today. Louis Vuitton bags are also highly durable - provided they have been well looked after correctly, the classic monogram and Damier styles will hold their value."

• Browse all Louis Vuitton bags at The Handbag Clinic

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4. Luxury Promise

Established in London, Luxury Promise is a premium marketplace, allowing customers worldwide to buy and sell their pre-loved luxury items from the comfort of their own homes. Each item is carefully authenticated and checked by a team of expert authenticators, going through a triple quality control.

• Browse all Louis Vuitton bags at Luxury Promise

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5. Sign of the Times

Sign of the Times can boast a rich history, with 45 years of experience in buying and selling pre-owned luxury, via both Sign of the Times in Chelsea and Timpanys in Berkshire. They select the most sought-after pieces. and handle everything from collection to delivery, streamlining the process for a hassle-free experience. In the January 2022 issue of British Vogue, model Kristen McMenamy revealed that she sources 70 per cent of her wardrobe from Sign Of The Times.

• Browse all Louis Vuitton bags at Sign of the Times

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How can I get a cheap Louis Vuitton bag? 

A Louis Vuitton bag will never be 'cheap', but you can get discounted LV bags, or lower-priced bags from reputable resellers. With the market for pre-loved handbags booming, the most timeless and recognisable designer bags will hold their worth for years to come, making them sound investments for the future. Dubbed the fastest-growing business in fashion, the resell market has been strengthened by both the ever-increasing price of new designer and luxury goods, as well as a greener mindset amongst consumers, with more people investigating how to sell clothes online and doing their bit to keep items out of landfills for longer.

Is there a Louis Vuitton outlet? 

There is no official Louis Vuitton outlet store that is associated with the brand. Official products are only sold through Louis Vuitton stores, the Louis Vuitton official website, and 24S - so be wary of any websites claiming to be an outlet.

 Does Louis Vuitton have sales?

Louis Vuitton never go on sale or markdown prices. If you're looking to get a LV for a smaller price tag your best bet is to look to resell websites that will have pre-loved Louis Vuitton bags.

What to consider when buying a Louis Vuitton bag

Charlotte's top tips for buying a pre-loved Louis Vuitton bag:

• Buy in the winter - As with most high-end luxury brands, fashion houses increase the price of their handbags annually in spring. For Louis Vuitton, this is normally around 5%, but over the last few years we’ve seen as much as 17% for the best Chanel bags and others. Between December and March is a great time to snap up an LV bag, as it will increase in value on the pre-owned market post-purchase, in line with the increasing prices at fashion houses.
• Colour affects resale value - If you're buying for investment specifically, think about the colour of the leather. As an example, the LV Monogram is on vachetta leather which is designed to develop a patina over time. This slightly changes and darkens the colour. So it’s important to try and avoid buying a handbag with a dark vachetta as it means it’s on its way out and considered too poor a quality to hold its value.
• Pay attention to the handles - Louis Vuitton leather is super absorbent and the handles are the worst affected by wear and tear. The only way to correct this is by replacing the handles, which highly trained artisans can do. This costs around £150 for styles such as Speedy, Alma, and Neverfull, so it's worth bearing in mind as an extra cost when buying preowned.

How to authenticate a Louis Vuitton bag

Owner & CEO Antonia Johnstone from Sign of the Times shares her expert knowledge with us. She says that all their bags are authenticated using Entrupy, to be sure, but here are her top tips:

• Monogram - this should always be upside down on one side of the bag.
• Logo - The LV logo on the monogram is always intact. On a fake often the LV logo is cut in half at the seam. It will always be intact on a real bag.
• Stitching - Louis Vuitton is is known for having a very mustard yellow stitching.
• Colour - Authentic bags are made from a natural oxidising cowhide leather, and over time this turns into a dark honey colour. With fake bags, it can often look too bright and too cheap.
• Date codes - The first two letters indicate where the bag was manufactured. The remaining 4 digits indicate the month and year of production. Make sure the look of the bag lines up with this.

How do I care for a Louis Vuitton bag?

"Storing your handbag properly is just as important as wearing your handbag properly," according to Antonia.

She says: "treat it like the luxury it is with a few simple steps - stuff it with tissue, store in a dust bag and you’re good to go. When it comes to cleaning, think of it as a spa day for your bag. A gentle brush alongside some leather TLC using leather cleaner (after a spot test, naturally), and it's as good as new. Remember, it’s great to get wear out of your handbags but rotating them is a fashion friendly way of preventing excessive wear to any one bag. Handle with care, avoid overstuffing, and if your bag needs extra love, leave it to the experts. Untreated leathers, such as Chanel lambskin, naturally soften over time. To sustain their shape (and resale value!), it’s essential to stuff delicate bags with tissue when not in use."

Our experts...

Antonia Johnstone

After studying Economics at Bath University, and training under Lorraine at Sign of the Times, Antonia set up a store of her own in Berkshire in 2009. Timpanys went from strength to strength, then received investment from Jo, a fellow female founder and Antonia's mentor of 3 years. This facilitated the acquisition of Sign of the Times.

Emma Hamilton

After completing university in Liverpool, Emma embarked on a retail buying career, specialising in luxury accessories for the past ten years. Her career journey includes positions in the Fine Watch Buying departments for both Bucherer and Harrods, before moving to eBay, as Head of Handbags to lead the marketplace's Authenticity Guarantee programme for luxury handbags.