Here’s Where To Find The Most Affordable Designer Handbags, Including Gucci For Just £200

You’re looking for a new handbag, but don’t want to/can’t afford to drop three months’ rent on something designer. What if we told you that you could spend £300 instead of £3,000 and still get something that’s exceptional quality, an investment purchase and on trend to boot? That’s right, trawl a luxury resale site – platforms such as Vestiaire Collective and Hardly Ever Worn It that sell new and used pre-owned designer clothes and accessories that are screened for authenticity before being uploaded – and it won’t be long before you truffle out a gem.

Don’t expect, however, to pick up this season’s 'It' bag on a resale site for under £300. Older editions, like Prada’s Tessuto and Dior’s Panarea, are more likely to come with a discounted price tag - and will be much more classic than the cult bag all the influencers are carrying today and sending back tomorrow.

Fendi’s Chef shoulder bag is £300 exactly on Vestiaire Collective, while Gucci’s Jackie shoulder bag is £200 on Hardly Ever Worn It. This is an especially sage investment, given that Gucci brought the vintage style back in its recent collections, meaning that come next year, it will be as popular as Dior's resurrected Saddle bag. As well as the Jackie, there seem to be lots of other Gucci handbags for under £300, including its backpacks with bamboo top-handles and its logoed shoulder bags. Prada's soft-sided Tessuto tote is another winner - Vestiaire has one for £180 - while old Céline fans will go wild for its sleek leather shoulder bag with gold clasp for £168.

Of course, just because the price is right, try not to impulse buy. There’s plenty of iconic check handbags by Burberry on resale sites like Rebelle, for example, but don’t be tempted if you prefer neutrals to print.

Now for some tricks of the trade. On Rebelle, you can see how much you’re saving as it lists both the original and resale price. This bamboo-handle bag from Gucci is down 66% from £810 to £278. You can also click the ‘watch this price’ button so that you’re notified if it drops and you want to snap something up. Hardly Ever Worn It has a ‘make an offer’ function so, like eBay, you can submit a counteroffer to the seller. It, too, has a ‘notify me of price reduction’ button for timely updates.

To get you started, we’ve found 12 oldies but goodies that are guaranteed to get friends asking, ‘Where did you get that from?!’ Ready, set, shop...