There’s no heritage house quite like Louis Vuitton. While lauded for everything from shoes to ready-to-wear, the brand’s masterful malletier roots as a trunk-maker have ensured that their handbag offerings are always top of their class. The fleur-accented LV monogram, initially crafted to foil counterfeiters, has become legendary, helping the house rise as one of the top ten bestselling resale brands of the decade. But which handbags will earn you the most in the resale sphere? Regional Lead Fashion Valuation Manager Elizabeth Sennett counts down the top five Louis Vuitton bags that will earn you the most. Read on for her expert take on the styles to sell now, the stories behind the bags, how to spot the real deal and care tips for keeping your pieces in top resale condition, then get started on your next consignment. -Louis Vuitton Bags-
5. Louis Vuitton Chantilly Bag
Louis Vuitton Reverse Monogram Chantilly; Louis Vuitton Monogram Chantilly;
Louis Vuitton Chantilly PM
The Resale Stats: On average, the Louis Vuitton Chantilly bag holds an 85% resale value. Though retail prices are subject to change, that means if you bought a new Chantilly for $2,290, it could sell in the secondary market for $1,946.
The Story Behind The Style: The Chantilly bag was first released in 1978, and is one of the brand’s longest-standing styles. For the Spring/Summer 2018 collection — the bag’s 40th anniversary — Creative Director Nicolas Ghesquière gave the bag a makeover. The re-release, seen at top left, featured a redesigned padlock, prominent monogram accent and contrasting calf leather strap. -Louis Vuitton Bags-
What You Should Sell Now: Due to the re-release’s sleek style and unique mix of calfskin and monograms, this bag was an instant hit. It’s also frequently unavailable on Louis Vuitton’s site, making it a sought-after style in the secondary market. Sell Ghesquierè’s white and reverse-monogram iteration now — it should go fast.
How To Spot The Real Deal: On the re-released Chantilly, the padlock should be crafted of multi-tonal hardware. Most versions of re-released Chantilly bags feature a gold-tone lock with palladium at the inner circle.
LV Bag Care Tip: Keep Louis Vuitton bags out of damp or humid environments, direct sunlight and any direct source of heat. These environments can impact the bags’ shape and warp the materials.-Louis Vuitton Bags-
4. Louis Vuitton Petite Boite Chapeau Bag
Louis Vuitton Monogram Petite Boite Chapeau
The Resale Stats: The Louis Vuitton Petite Boite Chapeau bag typically holds an 87% resale value. -Louis Vuitton Bags-
The Story Behind The Style: This Ghesquière-designed bag made its debut on the Louis Vuitton Cruise 2018 runway in Tokyo. The bag is a miniature version of the house’s iconic hatbox and is another example of creative directors continuing to pull inspiration from heritage houses’ archives.
What You Should Sell Now: The appetite for logos and nostalgic house codes has kept the hatbox-shaped Petite Boite Chapeau’s resale value high. Consign your Monogram and Reverse Monogram styles in top condition to earn the most for them.
How To Spot The Real Deal: On authentic Monogram Petite Boite Chapeau bags, you should be able to find the 6-digit date code embossed directly onto the lambskin lining. It should never be foiled or printed on a leather tab.
LV Bag Care Tip: Over time, vachetta leather trims on Louis Vuitton bags may acquire a “patina.” Due to the natural cowhide the vachetta leather is made of and the vegetal tanning process it goes through, natural marks or general irregularities will occur.-Louis Vuitton Bags-
3. Louis Vuitton Neverfull Bag
Louis Vuitton Kusama Waves Neverfull
The Resale Stats: The ever-iconic Louis Vuitton Neverfull bag holds an astonishing 91% resale value on average.
The Story Behind The Style: Marc Jacobs is the mind behind the must-have Neverfull, which has quickly become a classic — it has only been in production since 2007. The bag comes in three sizes — PM, MM and GM — and was designed to carry all the essentials you may need throughout the day. It comes in coated canvas, as well as various colors of textured Epi leather. The most common canvas bag patterns are Monogram, Damier Azur and Damier Ebene.
Even now, sold-out styles can create a waiting list for Louis Vuitton lovers. Throughout the years the Neverfull has been featured in special collections, including the recent, hyped “Monogram Giant” collection. -Louis Vuitton Bags-
What You Should Sell Now: Limited-edition Neverfulls sell well above the retail price. Due to its limited release, the Monogram Jungle Neverfull sells for 2x its retail price in the secondary market. The Yayoi Kusama collaboration debuted in 2012, and as Kusama’s popularity has risen, so have resale prices for Kusama-designed Infinity Dots and Waves Neverfulls. These sell for upwards of $2,100 — usually $1,000 over the retail price. The classic Louis Vuitton monogram Neverfull also has the potential to hold a resale value of up to 96%, especially if it has tags or is in excellent condition.
How To Spot The Real Deal: Look for the Neverfull’s date code at the interior upper right corner behind the pocket. The tab should be made of the same leather as the bag’s vachetta trim.
LV Bag Care Tip: Avoid contact with greasy substances, perfumes, cosmetics and liquids to avoid locking an odor into the canvas.
2. Louis Vuitton New Wave Bag
Louis Vuitton New Wave Bag; Louis Vuitton New Wave Love Lock Heart Bag;
Louis Vuitton New Wave Wallet
The Resale Stats: Though the Louis Vuitton New Wave Bag is fairly new to the Louis Vuitton family, it beats out the Neverfull with a 92% resale value.
The Story Behind The Style: Inspired by New Wave music, Ghesquière debuted the New Wave bag in Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2018 collection. The early-2000s Multicolore motif also lends its influence here — the rainbow-colored “Vuitton” accent, book-ended by two flowers, graces all of the New Wave styles’ handles. The New Wave bag’s initial silhouette can be seen at top left, and due to its success, styles like the heart-shaped New Wave bag and long wallet have joined the New Wave family.
What You Should Sell Now: While most of these styles hold 80 to 95% of their resale value, the original New Wave bag silhouette holds the highest resale value out of the entire collection.
How To Spot The Real Deal: The original New Wave bag should close with a branded push-lock closure. The female end of the closure should have the brand’s signature etched into the hardware.
LV Bag Care Tip: Do not store your bags side-by-side with other leather goods, as colors can easily transfer.
1. Louis Vuitton Bumbag
The Resale Stats: The Louis Vuitton Bumbag comes in at first place with a 119% resale value, making it a true investment piece. On average, if your Bumbag is in excellent or like-new condition, you can earn more than you paid for it initially.
The Story Behind The Style: This Nicolas Ghesquière-designed bag first premiered in Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2018 show amid the huge belt bag resurgence. A versatile piece, it can be worn over-the-shoulder, crossbody or as a belt bag, and is a great example of streetwear influencing a luxury brand.
After immediately selling out and creating hype, the Bumbag became a fan favorite, contributing to its high resale price. But it’s important to note that the Bumbag’s resale price can be volatile. If Louis Vuitton releases more of them, which they have done in the past, the resale prices have been known to drop below retail. However, once they sell out in the retail market again, the resale value spikes back up.
What You Should Sell Now: The Louis Vuitton Monogram Giant Bumbag and Monogram Galaxy were released in small quantities, and are hard to find in stores. If these bags are in excellent condition or pristine with tags, they sell well over the original retail price. The regular Monogram version is difficult to get as well. Louis Vuitton is aware of how desirable and on-trend this style is. They restock every so often, and it sells out almost instantly. Again, depending on condition, it generally sells on The RealReal for $200-$500 over the retail price.
How To Spot The Real Deal: Every Louis Vuitton bag has a date code that indicate the month, year and location it was produced. As of 2007, the second and fourth digits of all codes correspond to the production year, while the first and third digits refer to the week. For instance, the code SD1176 would indicate the piece was made in the 17th week of 2016. If you see a Bumbag with a date code pre-dating 2018, like SD1176, it’s sure to be counterfeit since the date codes signify where and when the bag was manufactured. Any date code indicating release prior to 2018 is a red flag.
LV Bag Care Tip: When not in use, store your bag in its dust bag. For softer, less structured bags like the Bumbag, use stuffing to ensure the bag does not fold and crease.