The Designer Bags People Will Pay Top Dollar to Have in Their Closet

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(Image credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

Careful thought and consideration go into investing in a designer handbag. Sure, you need to adore the style, but you also may consider other factors when deciding to bite the bullet and purchase. For example, deciphering whether that luxury silhouette will hold its value over time. Well, after gathering data for the past five years, resale mecca Rebag just launched a revolutionary tool that will instantly reveal the resale value of a bag you’re considering (or already have in your closet). Say hello to Clair by Rebag, the Comprehensive Luxury Appraisal Index for Resale.

"As more and more people seek out transparency and think of their luxury purchases as investments, we want consumers to feel empowered to shop wisely,” said CEO and founder Charles Gorra. "Clair brings clarity to an opaque industry by showing the true value of any handbag you are looking to buy or sell.” So how does all of this work? As Gorra explained, each unique bag has its own Clair Code based on its style, brand, color, and size. Basically, Clair can determine the value of a handbag across more than 50 brands and 10,000 styles with just a few months. For Rebag specifically, Clair will also tell a customer the fully automated price Rebag is currently willing to pay to acquire that item.

On that note, we thought we’d put this all to the test to uncover which specific designer bags hold their value. But we took it one step further with help from Gorra and Clair to break down which styles are so coveted that people will actually pay premium prices (sometimes extra) to own them even at the resale level. With all that mind, keep scrolling to check out the three bags in question as Gorra explains why they're so desirable. (We bet you’ve already guessed one, as we covered it in the past.) Plus, shop the bags, along with other silhouettes that have higher resale values if you're looking to invest in something new. Oh, and don’t forget to check out more about this new innovation from Rebag on the app or here.

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The Chanel Flap Bag
(Image credit: Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

"This is one of the most popular handbags in the world that always garners a premium. It's an iconic piece that is constantly increasing in retail price with the brand’s annual price increases." 

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The Hermès Birkin Bag
(Image credit: Christian Vierig/Getty Images)

"The Birkin is very elusive and the ultimate status symbol in the world of luxury bags. It will also always garner a premium."

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The Dior Lady Dior Bag
(Image credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)

"Customers will also pay a premium for Christian Dior's Lady Dior, which is a more surprising pick. The price point is relatively accessible compared to Chanel or Hermès, and it's also an instantly recognizable handbag that is reproduced in exciting and trendy colors and materials year over year."

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Market Director

Bobby Schuessler is a fashion editor with over a decade of editorial experience covering shopping, style, and beauty. He's spent over seven years at Who What Wear, currently leading the market team to deliver highly covetable and convertible content. He creates data-driven shopping guides featuring top retailers like Nordstrom, Shopbop, and Net-a-Porter and is at the forefront of Who What Wear's shopping tentpole strategies, including Amazon Prime Day. He also works on branded content initiatives and appears on camera in video and shopping livestream franchises. He has also worked across a variety of other media brands and fashion retailers like Refinery29, PureWow, Men's Health, and Gilt covering commerce, trend reporting, women's and men's fashion, home, and lifestyle.