Buying pre-owned Chanel jackets is my favorite thing to do. Once you start buying pre-loved, you have officially become a Chanel RTW connoisseur.
Most of my Chanel purchases are used/pre-owned. As much as I love buying from Chanel boutiques, the thrill of hunting a dream jacket somewhere in the corner of the web never gets old.
Here are my go-to sources for pre-owned Chanel. Now, remember that this is not a comprehensive list of all the sources out there. These are the ones I have used, tried, and have been satisfied with.Â
eBay
Several of my jackets are from eBay. I absolutely love hunting for them on eBay. You never know what’s going to pop up in your searches. I have a detailed blog post about my tips and standard practices when buying on eBay here. I have purchased from the following sellers on eBay, and I have received authentic items in the past.
Of course, I have purchased from others, but these sellers have a long history of selling high-end fashion, and in many cases exclusively Chanel, on eBay. They have excellent feedback. I follow them, so I am up to date on their latest drops.
The Real Real
The Real Real has been my 2nd most-used resource for some amazing pieces from the past collections. I have limited means & I am slow to jump on the latest & greatest.
As a result, I buy things that are from previous seasons or even older. TRR is a great resource for pre-loved luxury. Here is a blog post about my tips when shopping on TRR.
I like TRR because it’s returnable. Sometimes, I am unsure, so I would like to have the option of returning things if they don’t work out. I also buy final sale items with confidence on TRR. If a final sale item was totally misrepresented, and you didn’t get what you promised, you can request their customer service to review your purchase.
I once received a Chanel jacket advertised as “very good,” but in reality, it was dirty, the tweed looked very tired, and I didn’t think it was even in “good” condition. I called their customer support, and they resolved the issue quickly.
Vestiaire Collective
This has been my newest source for browsing Chanel. I purchased this beautiful vintage Chanel on Vestiaire and was very pleased with my experience.
Vestiaire is a great source to buy from a 3rd party individual seller with an intermediary that checks for authenticity and condition claims made by the seller.
I intend to purchase more from here to solidify my opinion about them.
Social Media Sellers
I am not a fan of this buying method because it’s a fast and furious method of buying. You can’t plan a purchase, and you can’t mull over the decision to buy. It’s basically an item you want to pop up for sale. You buy it now or cry forever. Haha! There are two types of social media sellers, and I prefer the first category over the second.
Instagram Sellers With Websites
Sellers like The Veste and Rarchive have a website where you can go look at more pictures. You can also pay with a credit card. It’s super helpful to have a running list of “items desired” or “a bucket list of jackets” when buying from private social media sellers.
If the jacket on your wish list comes in your size, you better have fast fingers to complete the purchase. There is no time to sleep on it as someone else may snag your dream piece if you sit on the fence too long.
Live Auctions Only sellers
There are some sellers that do an Instagram auction type of sale. I have watched many. I can’t buy in such a fast-paced situation. There is usually no preview, no way to zoom in on pictures, and no way to mentally prepare for such a large purchase.
Even though items are marked much below going retail (usually), the fear of making a mistake is too high for me. It gives me a great deal of anxiety to make a buying decision in 30 seconds or less. I can’t. I haven’t been able to as of this writing.
Final Thoughts
Buying pre-owned Chanel jackets is a lot of fun!
You will need to learn to enjoy the hunt.
It’s a place to get the jacket of your dreams for 1/2 price or less.
It’s also a fairly risk-free buying because you can get your money back if an item is not as promised.
Happy Shopping!
