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The most common resell platforms in Europe are Vinted – use all the time – and Vestiaire Collective – never bought anything. I’ve never purchased from Vestiaire because of the high platform fees on both ends, which often make the prices unreasonable. Vinted is much better in this regard for both buyers and sellers. I’ve noticed that some sellers list their items on both platforms, with significantly lower prices on Vinted. Vinted also offers an authentication service, though it is not always available.

I’ve shopped once onTheRealReal, which is based in the U.S. The delivery costs with the EU import tax were rather high, but the shipping was fast. TheRealReal authenticates items before listing them and often offers great discounts. My experience was good, however, there are complaints from customers online, so be aware of that. Another platform worth considering is Neokyo or any other Japanese proxy website. No refunds are possible and communication is limited, but then you find the Comme des Garçons Fall 1996 tailored coat in perfect condition for less than 200 euros and decide that it is worth a shot. I found one on Mercari through the Neokyo service. The process can become addictive.

Less demanding alternatives

There are all kinds of private resell businesses with well-curated selections. You can find most of them on Instagram by typing in ‘archive’, for example, West Archive, Velvet Knife Archive, and Break Archive (for luxury bags). I can recommend Vaniitas for Belgian and Japanese labels, and Cop Me If You Can for Jean Paul Gaultier and Prada. Massive luxury resell platforms nowadays are no different than regular online retail, for instance, The Vintage Bar, ReSee and What Goes Around Comes Around. The prices are often higher, but the experience can be more pleasurable.

Fakes and ‘undercover’ Shein

When there is a new influencer’s favorite item—either Maison Margiela Tabi ballerina flats, Dries Van Noten suede sneakers, or the Paloma Wool Cayetano bag—fake listings from puppet accounts flood resale platforms, Vinted in particular, despite the platform fighting them. Be careful, if you see an account with a random name, no reviews and single listing uploaded. Do not trust receipts, sometimes scammers use one receipt for all the listings they create, so note down the code and see if you find a matching one in a similar listing. If the account seems credible but the price is suspiciously low, it might be that a person resells a fake item bought by mistake. Ask for authenticity proofs and close-up photos.

Be aware of Shein products, disguised as ‘vintage.’ I once found a nice-looking bag on Vinted. The images were too bad to tell the condition, and neither a brand nor a material was identified. I found the exact same dermantine bags sold on Shein for $15 through Google image search. It happens that people thrift items and resell them as ‘vintage,’ unaware that those are Shein. Google image search can also help to identify dupes for luxury products you might not have seen before.

Pictures by @west_archive on Instagram