Hermès, Goyard, Louis Vuitton and Chanel show the clearest brand-level resale signals in the 2025 reports cited here—but none is a guaranteed investment. The reports measure different things, and a brand’s result cannot predict what a particular bag will sell for. The evidence supports 11 brands, not a defensible ranking of 14, so this guide focuses on those with a named style in Fashionphile’s top-shopped list or a result in Rebag’s brand index.
What “investing” in a designer purse can—and cannot—mean
For a handbag, “investment” is best understood as the possibility of retaining desirability and resale value, not as a promise of profit. A bag may sell for less than its retail price after fees and other selling costs, even if its brand performs well in a resale report. And a brand-wide estimate is not a valuation of every model, material, size or condition.
The two 2025 reports discussed below use different measures. Rebag reports brand-level value-retention estimates. Fashionphile names ten top-shopped styles on its platform; that is evidence of shopping activity in that channel, not a ranking of resale returns. The results should not be blended into one universal leaderboard.
What the 2025 resale reports actually say
| Brand | 2025 evidence | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Hermès | Rebag reports 138% value retention. Fashionphile’s top-shopped list includes the Evelyne. SACLÀB’s March 2025 update analyzes more than 1,490 Birkin and Kelly resale data points from January 2020 to November 2024. | Rebag’s percentage is a proprietary brand-level estimate, not a guaranteed return. SACLÀB’s dataset concerns Birkin and Kelly bags and excludes limited and special editions. |
| Goyard | Rebag reports 132% value retention. | A Rebag brand-index estimate; it is not a sale-price promise for an individual Goyard bag. |
| Louis Vuitton | Rebag reports 77% value retention. Fashionphile’s top-shopped list includes the Speedy. | The percentage is Rebag’s brand-level estimate; Fashionphile’s style listing indicates shopping activity, not appreciation. |
| Chanel | Rebag reports 77% value retention. Fashionphile’s top-shopped list includes the Double Flap. SACLÀB’s 2025 update also analyzes Chanel secondary-market data. | Rebag’s figure is brand-level. SACLÀB’s report is a separate dataset and should not be treated as interchangeable with Rebag’s measure. |
| Gucci | Fashionphile lists the Marmont among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Saint Laurent | Fashionphile lists the Loulou among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Christian Dior | Fashionphile lists the Lady Dior among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Bottega Veneta | Fashionphile lists the Mini Jodie among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Prada | Fashionphile lists the Nylon Re-Edition 2005 among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Fendi | Fashionphile lists the Baguette among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
| Celine | Fashionphile lists the Ava among its 2025 top-shopped styles. | This shows shopping activity in Fashionphile’s channel, not a measured retention rate. |
These figures describe the reporting companies’ own analyses. They are not independently comparable market-wide estimates, and a percentage above 100% should not be read as a guaranteed gain for someone buying a new bag at retail.
#1 Best Overall
11 brands and the styles that anchor their resale signals
Fashionphile’s list identifies the specific styles below as top-shopped on its platform in 2025. That evidence can help identify models with activity in that resale channel, but it does not establish a future sale price or prove that the listed style will appreciate. Goyard is included because Rebag reports a brand-level retention estimate; no specific Goyard style is identified in the cited evidence.
Hermès
Rebag’s 2025 report puts Hermès at 138% value retention, while Fashionphile names the Evelyne as a top-shopped style. SACLÀB’s separate analysis offers a more specific, but narrower, view: its Birkin and Kelly data run from January 2020 to November 2024, distinguish regular from exotic leather, and exclude limited and special editions. Those exclusions matter; its findings should not be applied to every Hermès bag or configuration.
Goyard
Rebag reports 132% value retention for Goyard in its 2025 index. This is one of the two highest brand-level figures highlighted in that report, but the evidence cited here does not name a Goyard model or establish how any particular bag will perform.
Rank #2
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Louis Vuitton
Rebag reports 77% brand-level value retention, and Fashionphile names the Speedy among its top-shopped 2025 styles. The two observations answer different questions: one is Rebag’s brand estimate, the other is activity in Fashionphile’s channel. Neither establishes the resale outcome for a particular Speedy.
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Chanel
Rebag reports 77% value retention at brand level, while Fashionphile includes the Double Flap among its top-shopped styles. SACLÀB also analyzes Chanel resale data, but its separate report should not be combined with Rebag’s figure as though both used the same sample and method.
Gucci
Fashionphile lists the Marmont as a top-shopped style in 2025. That makes the model a concrete point of comparison for shoppers; the report does not provide a brand retention percentage for Gucci in the evidence cited here.
Saint Laurent
Fashionphile lists the Loulou among its 2025 top-shopped styles. Its inclusion indicates demand within that platform’s shopping activity, not a measured resale return.
Christian Dior
Fashionphile’s top-shopped list includes the Lady Dior. The listing is useful as a signal of interest on Fashionphile, but it does not show that the bag will resell above retail or outperform another Dior style.
Bottega Veneta
Fashionphile names the Mini Jodie among its 2025 top-shopped styles. The evidence supports its inclusion as a model shoppers sought on that platform, not a numeric claim about its retained value.
Rank #4
Prada
The Nylon Re-Edition 2005 appears on Fashionphile’s 2025 top-shopped list. That platform-specific shopping signal is not a resale-return ranking for Prada or for the model.
Fendi
Fashionphile lists the Baguette as a top-shopped style in 2025. No brand-level retention percentage for Fendi is established by the figures cited here.
Celine
Fashionphile includes the Ava in its 2025 top-shopped list. Its presence supports noting activity in that channel, not a forecast of the style’s future price.
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How to evaluate a specific bag before buying
Brand reputation is only a starting point. Compare the exact model and configuration, not just the label. Ask what similar bags have actually sold for—or what a specialist estimates—then account for the costs and uncertainty of selling.
- Model and configuration: Check the exact style, size and material. A brand-level number cannot tell you how one configuration compares with another.
- Condition and completeness: Inspect wear and confirm which original components or documentation are included. A resale estimate depends on the item being assessed, not simply its name.
- Material and edition: Material can change the comparison. SACLÀB, for example, separates regular from exotic leather and excludes limited and special editions in its Birkin and Kelly analysis; its results therefore do not describe those excluded bags.
- Rarity, provenance and demand: Sotheby’s says its specialists assess rarity, provenance, condition and market demand when evaluating items. Treat those as appraisal considerations, not a promise that any one factor raises a sale price.
- Purchase price versus likely net proceeds: Compare what you will pay with a realistic resale estimate, then subtract the selling route’s fees and other costs. A resale estimate is not the amount you will necessarily receive.
- Evidence quality: Prefer information about the exact model and condition over a broad brand average. Note who produced the estimate, when, and whether it is a completed-sale figure, an asking price or a preliminary estimate.
Where to sell and how to manage authenticity risk
Sotheby’s describes auction, marketplace and private-sale options for handbags and accessories from Hermès, Chanel, Goyard and Louis Vuitton. Its process allows a seller to submit photos and information for a preliminary estimate, after which specialists assess the item. Sotheby’s says it markets accepted luxury items to buyers in 85 countries; that is the auction house’s description of its reach, not a measure of handbag sales or a guarantee of a buyer.
For buyers, authenticity is a separate decision from resale potential. Sotheby’s warns, “Because forgeries exist in the marketplace, request a complimentary estimate from Sotheby’s.” That is the auction house’s own commercial guidance, not an independent authentication standard. For a pre-owned purchase, assess both the seller and the specific item, and use a reputable specialist when you need an expert review. An estimate or brand reputation alone should not be treated as proof of authenticity.
Quick Recap
A practical decision rule
- Choose the exact bag first. Identify its model, size, material and condition rather than buying a brand name on the assumption that it will hold value.
- Check the evidence that matches it. Separate brand-level retention estimates from platform-specific shopping lists and from model-specific resale analysis.
- Get an item-specific estimate. Provide clear photos and details to a reputable specialist or resale channel, and understand whether the figure is preliminary or tied to a particular selling route.
- Calculate your downside. Compare your total purchase cost with plausible net proceeds after selling costs. If the decision only works under an assumption of appreciation, it is not a sound personal-finance case for the purchase.
- Set an authenticity and exit plan. Decide how you will verify the bag before purchase and where you would sell it if you later need to.
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