How to get your hands on a discounted Louis Vuitton bag

Louis Vuitton bags are very coveted, but did you know you can actually buy originals for a fraction of the price?

According to Forbes, Louis Vuitton is currently the world's most valuable luxury brand. It's also one of the most profitable brands in the world, which doesn't come as a surprise. A Louis Vuitton bag could set you back an average of £1,500, and online searches have surged for bags with the famous LV monogram.

But if you don't want to pay full price for an LV bag, we have great news...

How can I get a cheap Louis Vuitton bag?

The answer to buying an LV bag for a fraction of the price? Re-sale websites!

With the designer resale market now being dubbed as the fastest growing business in fashion retail, demand for pre-loved luxury handbags has soared to unprecedented heights. Great news for buyers who want to get their hands on a Louis Vuitton bag, but don't have upwards of £1,000 to spend.

Handbag Clinic 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 LV Neverfull often sells within minutes of appearing on our website, and recently we sold one in just nine minutes. The LV 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."

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

1. The best time to snap up a bargain is between December – March

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 this year we’ve seen as much as 17% with brands such as Chanel – this is due to the COVID-19 impact and the increased cost of sourcing raw materials. Between Dec – March is a great time to snap up an LV bag, as it will increase in value on the preowned market post-purchase in line with the fashion houses.

2. Pay attention to the colour of the leather

The LV Monogram, for example, has vachetta leather which is designed to develop 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 it’s way out and considered too poor a quality to hold its value.

3. Pay attention to the handles

Louis Vuitton leather is super absorbent and the handles are the worst affected through wear and tear. The only way to correct this is by replacing the handles, which our highly trained artisans can do. This costs around £149 for styles such as Speedy, Alma and Neverfull – so worth bearing in mind as an extra cost when buying preowned.

Do Louis Vuitton bags go on sale?

Sadly there isn't an official Louis Vuitton outlet store associated with the Louis Vuitton brand, and they never mark down prices.

So if you're looking to get an LV bag for smaller price tag, re-sale sites are your best bet.

The best specialist designer re-sale sites for Louis Vuitton bags

Vestiaire Collective

Founded in Paris, in 2009, Vestiaire Collective has one of the largest selections of pre-owned items. Posting thousands of new listings each week, customers have affordable access to a variety of luxury labels. Boasting an online fashion community of more than 3.5 million shoppers, items you buy on Vestiaire Collective are guaranteed to come from a respectable closet.

Top tip: set up an email alert if you are looking for a particular item, so you don't miss out!

Cudoni

Each piece showcased on this specialist marketplace is fully authenticated by in-house authentication experts that have been trained to the highest standard within the luxury resale industry and have over 25 years experience. Cudoni ensure only genuine, quality items are featured, giving the you full assurance of product authenticity.

The Handbag Clinic

The Handbag Clinic is a luxury handbag restoration and preowned designer re-sale retailer. Clients can book a consultation with one of Handbag Clinic’s trusted team of dedicated experts, and they will be on hand to audit, authenticate, value, clean, restore, and sell your designer wares. With restoration at the heart of its business, customers can also sit back with the peace of mind that their beloved handbag will fetch its best possible price. They have stores in Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle as well as three international stores. All bags go through a vigorous quality control and authenticity procedure before going on sale online and into stores.

Luxury Promise

Established in Knightsbridge, 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.

Top tip: Follow Luxury Promise on Instagram where they regularly upload video clips of new products onto stories. This is a great way to see items up close and from all angles.