Vintage Chanel bags – your guide to buying secondhand ...

The best vintage Chanel bags to buy in 2022. Plus, how to buy second hand Chanel handbag online and top tips on how to spot a fake. 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JeremyMoellerGettyImages RelatedStory ThebestvintageGucciwatchestoshopnow Soifyou’vebeengearingupforabigpurchase,likeaninvestmenthandbag,itmightbeworthconsideringavintageoptioninstead.There’ssomethingnonchalantaboutapre-lovedbag,imbuedwiththepatinaofpastowners’stories,alreadyslightlywornandsoftenedwithage.Byforgoingthebox-freshfeeling,youcanreduceyourcarbonfootprint,easeyourconscience,andsavesomemoney. DominiqueCharriau That’snottosaythatasecondhandChanelcomescheap.Liketheever-appreciatingBirkin,maintainedvaluetendstobeasignifieroftimelessness–whichmakesitevenmoreimportanttobuytherightbag.Luckilytheriseofecommercemakesthatalotofeasier;becauseasromanticassiftingandthriftingatvintagestoresandfleamarketsmayseem,itdoesn'tcomewithoutrisks.ButnowthatsecondhandsitessuchasLampooandVestiaireCollectiveexist,andluxurye-tailerslikeSelfridgesandFarfetcharestockingpre-loveditems,buyingauthenticvintagebagsjustgoteveneasier.Still,itpaystopreparedandmakesureyou’recluedupongettingthebestdeal(andspottingcounterfeits).We’velaiddownthelawinourhelpfulguidetobuyingavintageChanelbag. GettyImages AbriefhistoryofChanelflapbagsWhenyou’reshoppingforvintageChanelbagsonline,ithelpstoknowwhatyou’relookingat.Youmayknowthe2.55tobethemosticonicofthehouse’saccessories,butdidyouknowhowmanyiterationsithas?Theoriginal2.55debutedin–youguessedit–1955.Itwasoneofthefirstbagstocomewithastrapwhichenabledwomentobehands-freeratherthanclutchingthetophandleofaframedbagorpouch.Frequentlyinspiredbymenswear,withapenchantforwearingitherself,CocoChanelwasalreadymakingwaveswithherfuss-freeapproachtodesign.Forthefirsttimeinhistory,women’sclotheshadpockets,weremadefromcomfortablefabricslikejersey,andforwentuncomfortableboningandpetticoats.The2.55wasbothchicandliberating,soitcomesasnosurprisethatitbecameaninstanticon. GettyImages RelatedStory VintageChanelsunglassestowearallsummerlong Thisdiamond-quiltedleatheraccessoryhadachainstrap(Chanelusedtostitchchainstothehemofjacketsandskirtstomaintaintheperfectdrape)thatfloatedwithintworings,soitcoulddoubletogoover-the-shoulderorslipthroughtocreatealongercross-bodylook.Theburgundyinteriorhadahandydivider,aswellasasecretzippedcompartment,andtherewasaslippocketonthebackforstowingcashorlipstick.Becauseofthesedetails,somedescribedthe2.55asa'rebellious'bag–whoknewstoragecouldbeasignifierofthecosmopolitan,independentmid-centurywoman?Thelockisyourbestbetondeterminingwhenyour2.55wasmade–itwasoneofthefirstthingsKarlLagerfeldchangedwhenhebecamecreativedirectorofthehousein1983.Heswitchedtheoriginal'Mademoiselle'oblongtwist-locktothedouble'C'styleweallknowandlove,succumbingtothelogomaniaoftheperiod(which,needlesstosay,provedsuccessful).Healsotookontheleather-interwovenchain,sometimesusedtobolstertheoriginalbags’handleswhensupplieswererunninglow,asapermanentfeature.Thequiltedleatherupperisoftenrememberedinadiamondformationbutmatelasséandchevronstylessoonfollowed,soit’sworthkeepinganopenmindwhenitcomestothisdetail.Thisre-issueisoftenreferredtoasthe11.12,orjusttheChanelflapbag. GettyImages RelatedStory VintageGuccibagstoinvestinandloveforever LagerfeldalsointroducednewiterationsofthisaccessoryduringhisstintattheFrenchfashionhouse.HismostfamousdesignsaretheDiana,createdin1989forDiana,thePrincessofWales,andtheBoybag,namedafterGabrielleChanel'sfirstlover,Arthur“Boy”Capel.LagerfeldalsochangedtheproductionmethodsofChanelbags.Lampoo’sHeadofBrandValuation,ErikaVecchiatti,toldus:"Before2008theflapbag'shardwarewasmadefrom24karatgold,bearingatypicalhallmarkthatshowedthekindofmetal."Itiskeydetailslikethiswhichmakeresearchimperativetoinvestmentbuys,andmayswayyoutobuyingvintageChanelbagsinsteadofpre-loveddesigns.HowtofindvintageChanelbags(andhowtospotafake)ItgoeswithoutsayingthatwhensourcingvintageChanel,onlyusereputablesupplierswhohaveauthenticatedpieces.Whileitmightseemobvious,thecounterfeitsindustry–whichisincrediblylucrative–hasbeengoingstrongforhalfacenturynow,somanysuppliershavemasteredtheartofimitation.Somesignifiersareeasytospot,suchasyourmatelasséandquiltingstitchesmatchingupattheseams–orthelogoisagoodindicator,saysVecchiatti."Itshouldbeembosseddirectlyontotheliningoranattachedleatherpatchandsayeither'MadeinItaly'or'MadeinFrance'."It'salwaysworthlookingatthequalityofthelining(thereshouldbenobubbling)andthebrandstampinsidethebag."Thisshouldbethesamecolourasthebag’shardware,"sheadds."ButonarealChanel,metallicleafingmayruboff,changecolouroralmostcompletelydisappear,withstrongsignsofuse."Thereareafewwarningsignsthatmaybelessobvious.TinaLipfriend,FounderofrentalsiteBagButler,shareshertoptipshere:Useyourcommonsense:iftheitemseemstooaffordable,itprobablyisn'tgenuine.Chanelquiltingneedstobeplumpandfull–itmaystillguideapositiveauthenticationwhendeflated,butthatdoesn'tmeanit'sstillworththepricetag.Avintagepieceneedstosmellright–inotherwords,itshouldnotsmellnew.TheteamatVestiaireCollectivealsowarnsofmodificationsorsignsofwearandtearthatcanconfuseauthenticationprocesses."IfyoubuyasecondhandChanelbag,itcouldhavebeenrepairedormodifiedbyitsowner.Therefore,it’sessentialtobaseyourjudgementmainlyonthequalityoftheleatherandlining,ontheweightofthehardwareandstraps."Luckily,ifyoubuythroughthelikesofLampoo,VestiaireCollective,SelfridgesReSellsection,FarfetchorCocoon,theyhaveexpertswhowilldothisforyou.ArevintageChanelbagsmoresustainable?Inthesimplestterms,buyingsecondhandisalwaysmoresustainable.Asidefromshipping,youautomaticallybypassthecarbongeneratedfromproductionbybuyingsomethingthatalreadyexists."Chanelisabywordforluxuryand,assuch,oftenimitated,"saysLipfriend,BagButler'sfounder.Shealsopointsoutthewiderimpactthishasontheplanet."Itiscrucialtoensurethatyouarepayingfortherealthing,notonlysothatyouaren’tduped,buttopreventmorecounterfeitscirculating.It'sbetterfortheenvironment:fakesinevitablyendupinlandfill.Chanelbagsdonot."Lipfriendalsorecommendsbuyingtimelesscolourwaystoensureyougetthemostwearsoutofyourinvestment."Blackwillalwaysbedesirableanddoesn’teverlookdated,"shesays. GettyImages RelatedStory Gucci'sBamboobagisasrelevantasever WheretobuyvintageChanelbags:ItusedtobejustVestiaireCollectivewewouldtrulytrustwithsuchabigpurchaseasaChanelbag.Inrecentyearshoweverluxurye-tailerslikeFarfetchandSelfridgeshavelaunchedpre-loveddepartments;andin2022,eBayintroduceditsAuthenticityGuarantee.Thisyear,Italianre-salesiteLampooevenlaunchedaphysicalstoreontheKing'sRoadinLondon,wherecustomerscanbrowsetobuyorhavetheirownunwanteditemsauthenticatedtothensellon.It'sworthnotingthatreputablere-salesitesarenotalwaysallperfecttolookat.Mostsecondhandbusinessesworkwiththirdparties–intersectingonlyattheauthenticationandshippingprocess–soproductshotsarenotnecessarilyprofessional.Rentalandre-salesiteCocoonhoweverbuysstockoutrightandstoresitin-house,asdoesLampoo.Here,discoverourfavouriteluxuryresalesites,andeverythingweknowabouttheirprocessesforauthentication. 1990sbeltbag VintageChanelviaFarfetch£4,398SHOPNOW Flapquiltedbag VintageChanelviaVestiaireCollective£2,000SHOPNOW Redcamerabag VintageChanelviaVestiaireCollective£680SHOPNOW Diana1994-6 VintageChanelviaCocoon£3,500SHOPNOW Shoppre-lovedChanelhandbags:IfyouarenotfussedaboutbuyingvintageChanelspecifically,thisdoesexpandyourchoicewhenitcomestosearchingforaninvestmenthandbag.Anything20yearsoldormoreisofficiallyclassedasvintage,sobagsmadefrom2000onwardstendbetaggedaspre-lovedinstead.Eitherisamoresustainablethanbuyingnew,asyou'rereducingyourcarbonfootprintandextendingaluxuryitem'slifespan. Navyflagbag ChanelviaLampoo£3,665SHOPNOW Whiteleather19 ChanelviaLampoo£4,200SHOPNOW Chainmail2.55re-issue ChanelviaLampoo£1,040SHOPNOW Boybag £3,860ChanelviaLampooSHOPNOW Patent2.55 ChanelviaVestiaireCollective£1,761SHOPNOW Silkclassiquebag2016 ChanelviaVestiaireCollective£2,920SHOPNOW OrangeleatherClassique ChanelviaVestiaireCollective£2,995SHOPNOW Redcamerabag ChanelviaSelfridges£2,920SHOPNOW RentvintageChanelhandbags:AtBazaar,wealwaysthinkit'swisetorentyourdreamhandbagfirstbeforeinvesting–youneedtoseewhetherthedesignworksforyourlifestyle.Howdoesthesizeserveyourday-to-dayneeds?Arethezipandpocketseasilyaccessibly?Isittooheavyforthecommute?ThesamegoesforavintageChanel.Itmightbeworthrentingforspecialoccasionsbeforetakingtheplunge–andonsomesites,youmightbeabletomakeanofferonyourrentalifyoufallinlovewithit.CocoonhasawidearrayofChanelbags,allinimpeccablecondition,tochoosefrom.Andit'sboundtokeepinvesting,sinceChanelhasaccountedforover25percentofallbrandsearchesonitswebsiteinthepastthreemonthsalone. Dianabag1994-6 VintageChanelviaCocoonFrom£79permonthRENTNOW ClassicDoubleFlapBag1991-4 VintageChanelviaCocoonFrom£79permonthRENTNOW SingleFlapSingleChain1997-9 VintageChanelviaCocoonFrom£79permonthRENTNOW Patenttote1989-1991 VintageChanelviaBagButler£114forfourdaysRENTNOW RelatedStory WhyanylonPradabagistheultimateinvestment Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow MoreFrom Shopping Ourfavouritesustainablebrands WhyanylonPradabagistheultimateinvestment Advertisement-ContinueReadingBelow VictoriaBeckhamlaunchesleathergoods Howtocareforandresellyourwardrobe SecondhandSeptember:thebestresalesites 10beautifulwinterdressestobuynow Thebestblackcoatstobuynowandwearforever 10cardiganstowrapyourselfinthiswinter Thebestleathercoatstowearthisautumn Howtostyleknee-highbootsthisautumn&beyond