As the marketplace's luxury categories continue to gain momentum with recent quarter over quarter growth, eBay announces the expansion of its Authenticity Guarantee service to include handbags. Starting this week, new and pre-owned handbags sold for more than $500 from 16 prominent luxury brands, including Saint Laurent, Gucci, Celine, Balenciaga, among others, will be professionally authenticated. The announcement builds on eBay's authentication program, which initially launched with luxury watches $2,000+ and was fast followed by sneakers $100+ in late 2020.
All eligible handbags sold for more than $500 in the U.S. will be vetted and verified by eBay’s team of professionally trained authenticators, using detailed physical inspection and advanced technical equipment in a state-of-the-art facility.
"Authenticity Guarantee has changed the way people buy and sell luxury items on eBay," said Charis Márquez, VP of Fashion at eBay. "There's a handbag bought every 12 seconds on our marketplace, and now we're expanding authentication to deliver an additional layer of trust and confidence for these shoppers and sellers."
All eligible handbags bought and sold in the U.S. will be vetted and verified by eBay's team of professionally trained authenticators, using detailed physical inspection and advanced technical equipment in a state-of-the-art facility. Shoppers can visit eBay.com/authentichandbags to browse and buy from a selection of tens of thousands of new and pre-owned handbags from in-demand designers – all marked with a badge of Authenticity Guarantee.
Since launching authentication for luxury watches and sneakers $100+, the company has seen significant growth: eBay's sneakers business has grown at a triple digit rate YoY for several quarters, while its watches business accelerated from 16% to 38% in Q1. Focusing on these core verticals has, in turn, lifted sales in other categories as well.
"Demand for luxury items on eBay is soaring – an iconic Hermes Birkin bag was recently sold for $98,000 and our watches business doubled last quarter, " said Tirath Kamdar, GM of Luxury, eBay. "People come to the marketplace knowing that they'll find the designers and items that they're coveting. And now, eBay is delivering a more seamless and accessible experience that lets shoppers buy and sellers sell luxury handbags with total confidence."
With handbags joining sneakers sold for $100+ and watches sold for $2,000+ in the Authenticity Guarantee service, eBay now offers authentication in three of its top-performing categories – solidifying the marketplace as a top destination for buying and selling high passion and high value items.
Authenticity Guarantee for Handbags: How It Works
When a handbag purchase is made, the seller ships it directly to eBay's team of professionally trained authenticators for a comprehensive, multi-point physical inspection, ensuring that the item and collateral materials are consistent with the listing title, description, and image. Following this rigorous assessment, the handbag is sent via expedited shipping to the buyer, at no-fee to the seller or buyer. Details on the handbags authentication process include:
- Thorough Inspection: eBay's authenticators inspect the general quality of materials and serialization, and use magnification and measurement to inspect the brand logo, hardware, chains, zippers, and snaps, analyzing the engraving and ensuring the stitching is uniform.
- Proof of Authentication: An eBay security tag, and unique Authenticity Guarantee card filled with detailed information and details about the item such as brand and model to guarantee its authenticity, is then attached to the bag to finalize the process, reaffirming confidence in collectability and resale value.
- Verified Returns: For sellers who choose to offer returns, eBay's handbag authentication program ensures the exact item initially sold is returned to the seller, via a verified returns process. Returns are shipped back directly to the authentication center, where authentication experts verify each item and its condition before returning to the seller.
- Eligible Brands: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Hermès, Saint Laurent, Celine, Dior, Prada, Fendi, Goyard, Burberry, Chloe, Valentino, Givenchy, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta
Shop luxury handbags at ebay.com/authentichandbags and learn more about eBay's authentication offering for watches, sneakers, and handbags at ebay.com/buyauthentic. For more, follow the conversation with @eBay on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
eBay Luxury Handbags By the Numbers
- eBay sells five handbags every minute, with a sale every 12 seconds
- On average, there are 1.41M handbags listings on eBay every day
- In 2020, eBay sold over 2 million handbags in North America
- Purchases of luxury handbags from top designers and brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Prada are +31% YoY
- Mini purses are +72% since February
- Clutches are +30% since February
Source: Numbers based on eBay U.S. 2020-2021 sales data