If ever there were proof that fashion is cyclical—and lucrative—it’s the handbag resale market. Much like the S&P 500, designer handbag values fluctuate with sentiment, scarcity, and celebrity endorsement. This year, that market has behaved less like a steady luxury index and more like a series of bold market swings.
According to new data from The RealReal, Rebag, Vestiaire Collective, Fashionphile, and eBay, 2026 has rewritten the hierarchy of investment-worthy handbags. Stalwarts like Hermès and Chanel remain rock-solid, but the field has opened to newcomers—and even a few nostalgic returns. Some classics are cooling (the Birkin’s growth has slowed to a modest 3%, per Vestiaire Collective), while others have exploded (The Row’s Margaux has nearly doubled in value).
The Handbags With the Highest Resale Value, According to Experts:
Meanwhile, eBay’s global data points to an even more dramatic shift: a surge driven by rarity, rediscovery, and the thrill of the hunt. The Row’s Banana Bag, for instance, has skyrocketed by over 600% year-over-year, while early-2000s icons like Marc Jacobs’s Venetia and Blake are experiencing triple-digit gains as a new generation of collectors approaches them less as throwbacks and more as archival finds.
“We continue to see handbags behave like a financial asset class,” says Kelly McSweeney, senior merchandising manager at The RealReal. “The pieces that perform best tend to balance scarcity, design integrity, and cultural relevance.”
That mindset is only accelerating on resale platforms. “Luxury shoppers continue to dress with an edited, intentional eye—where minimalism is more about fluency,” adds eBay’s resident stylist, Brie Welch. “Pre-loved has become part of the luxury language itself—offering access to rarity, longevity, and culturally relevant pieces that aren’t always available at retail.” In other words: what you carry now matters just as much as how—and where—you source it.
The Row Margaux
The year’s runaway success story. Vestiaire Collective records a 92% increase in resale value, nearly doubling since last year. Minimalism is clearly in its prime: the Margaux’s quiet structure and scarcity (The Row no longer carries the style) have made it one of the most hunted bags in luxury resale. The RealReal calls it “a modern heirloom,” while Rebag and Fashionphile both cite The Row’s craftsmanship and discretion as key to the brand’s sustained growth.
