Which brands are worth the purchase, now and in the future? There’s literally nothing worse than taking a giant L on old loved items you’ve consigned or thrown up on Poshmark. Trust me, I’ve been there. As the years go by, and our attention to our formerly loved gifts and belongings start to fade, the question arises: can I make anything back on it?
Over the years, I’ve started to learn the tricks of the resale trade, and most recently in New York, my other closet hack outside of Rent The Runway: Crossroads’ concierge service. Every month, I’d gather up the outskirts of my closet and meet their team at my door to send it out. Some pieces held their own, and the others that didn’t sell got donated. I’m also not talking about the usual high-value suspects like Chanel, Givenchy, Hermés, and Louis Vuitton either. If you don’t have a designer bag arsenal, there are still ways to make quality purchases your friends and family will love and not take a loss on later. These are 4 top brands that retain value over time that you may not know about yet!
Rebecca Minkoff
I love her designs for so many reasons: the elegant edge, playful colors, and well-crafted designs. However, I’ve noticed that the few bags I have consigned over the years have yielded major ROI. Oddly enough, one I thrifted back in 2014 for $100 resold for $160 in 2018 at Buffalo Exchange in San Francisco. Today, the same bag retails for $129. I researched it further this past month and it turns out I was on to something: according to a data analysis by thredUP, it rings in 22% of its retail value on consignment. It’s a safe bet to gift: your friends and family can make the most of it when it comes time to part with it! My favorite picks:
J. Crew
J. Crew is one of those mainstream brands that retain their value: hard. Some styles and pieces more than others, too. I’ve resold my cashmere items for nearly 20% of its full retail value, and more on Poshmark sometimes! Same goes for my brother: many of his cashmere sweaters either become a permanent staple or get consigned with top dollar back. My top picks from their current stock:
Carbon38
This is a newcomer you likely won’t expect to be one of those brands that retain their value. I’m a firm believer in the ethos of this brand, and so is the resale market. As an ambassador, yes, I receive gifted items and purchase my own picks at a discount. However, how they performed on consignment was when I really got the picture. Quality fabrics and materials go a long way, but the real value is in the beautiful and functional designs.
It blew my mind that the pieces I sold far outperformed my Lululemon pieces. While Lululemon holds the mass popularity because of its ubiquitousness, luxury activewear brands like Carbon38 are closing in with their higher quality products. I’m pretty sure the last Lululemon purchase I made was almost 5 years ago. I haven’t looked back because of these reasons. Pieces I love for gifting are below and don’t forget to use code MGRAGG50 at checkout for an extra 20% off your entire purchase:
Free People
Despite boho being my least favorite style, there are so many pieces from this brand that speak to me. It’s a safe bet for any girlfriend as a gift! While I haven’t resold any of my pieces from this brand because I love them so much, they do yield a great return if I did. The quality is much higher than brands like Zara, which means the products stay like-new longer. They’re also notorious for creating cult items that sell out, making the resale sometimes creep above retail on resale sites like Poshmark and thredUP.
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