When shopping for designer items online, remember your ABC’s: authenticity, budget and comparison. To ensure the products are authentically designer, look for serial numbers and authenticity statements. Next, set a budget to force yourself to dig deeper for the best deal. Finally, search for photos of the bag you’re buying and compare details like hardware and stitching to original designer photos to make sure you’re getting the real deal.
One of the best sites I’ve found to score authentic designer and brand-name items for next to nothing is BidHere.com. This site is unique in that it has a pay-per-bid penny auction structure, but the small fee to bid can pay off big time. For example, a mint condition Gucci hobo recently sold for just $28 ($149 retail).
Other deals include a Christian Dior saddle bag for $650 ($1,250 retail) at efashionhouse.com, a Prada tote for $399 ($1,400 retail) at handbagbliss.com and an adorable pink Marc Jacobs for $389 (retail $850). All of these sites have search by designer features as well.
If committing to a real designer bag isn’t your thing, you can find a well made knockoff for an even better deal. Abagshop.com has some colorful Balenciaga-inspired pieces for around $34 compared to the designer versions priced at $300 or more. Anyknockoff.com specializes in celebrity-inspired bags and shows you who was recently spotted with a similar piece. I found a gorgeous Kelly style shopper inspired by a Victoria Beckham photo for just $40.