San Diego's #1 Designer Consignment Shop

Should I consign a handbag or sell it outright?

Sell outright when you want the money settled today and want the decision behind you. Consign when the bag is scarce enough that waiting for the right buyer is worth more than closing now, and when you can afford to wait for it to sell.

The split and the period on a consignment are quoted per bag rather than posted as one number, so ask us about the specific bag and we will tell you what it would look like before you commit to anything.

How do you authenticate a designer handbag?

In house, by our own team, before any offer is made. We read date codes and heat stamps against the years those formats were actually used, check hardware weight and plating, inspect stitch count and alignment on the seams that counterfeiters get wrong, examine the lining and the interior tags, and compare the piece against examples we have handled.

Boxes, dust bags and receipts help but they are also the easiest parts to fake, so the bag itself decides it.

Does wear kill the value of a bag?

It reduces it and rarely kills it. Corner wear, handle darkening and interior marks are ordinary and get priced in. What does serious damage is anything structural or chemical: water staining, mould, a broken frame, a replaced strap, an odour that will not clear, or a poor previous repair. Bring it either way.

A bag you assume is finished is often still worth a real number, and we will tell you honestly when it is not.

How long does authentication take?

With the papers and receipts, while you wait. Without them, anywhere from an hour to 24 hours, because the bag has to prove itself on its own construction rather than on its documents. We authenticate in house rather than sending it to a third party, which is why that window is hours and not weeks. Nothing is quoted, consigned or bought until it has passed.