TRR Top 5: Gucci Bags With The Best Resale Value
A bamboo-handled Gucci tote carried by Princess Diana. A chic, slouchy GG logo-accented bag gracing the shoulder of Jackie Kennedy. A GG Marmont crossbody at the hip of Kendall Jenner. For decades, Gucci bags have been go-to companions for the most stylish of stars. The house of Gucci was founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci as a Florentine luggage company, and what was once a small Italian workshop quickly became a household name, a sartorial force of nature.
“Gucci continues to be one of our most in-demand brands, and their handbags in general retain very high resale value — some of the highest in the market,” notes Women’s Category Director Sasha Skoda. This, in large part, is due to Alessandro Michele. Michele worked as an in-house Gucci designer for thirteen years before he was tapped to be creative director in 2015, and it shows — Michele is intimately familiar with the brand’s handbag history. He understands how to transform a classic bag silhouette into something fresh, how a minute detail like Web trim can change everything. And perhaps most importantly, he understands the power of a logo.
“The demand is definitely in the details,” adds Fashion Valuation Manager Ian Sexton. “The magic of Michele’s Gucci bags is their incorporation of house codes in a fresh way. While these bags have satisfied the current appetite for logomania, many styles are also timeless — they have staying power.” So which Gucci bags are most popular in the secondary market, translating to incredibly high resale value? Read on for Sexton’s expert insights on the most coveted styles, how to spot the real deal and what you should be selling now.
5. Gucci Arli Bag
Gucci Arli Suede Shoulder Bag; Gucci Arli Small Shoulder Bag; Gucci Arli Medium Shoulder Bag
The Resale Stats: Gucci Arli bags hold an average resale value of 61%.
The Story Behind The Style: The Gucci Arli bag was first seen in the Cruise 2019 collection, though like many of Alessandro Michele’s designs, the Arli has its roots in the past. Michele reworked a ’70s-era silhouette found in the brand’s archives to create the Arli. The bag actually made its debut in the city for which it was named — the French town of Arles. The Cruise 2019 runway show took place in Arles’ Promenade des Alyscamps, a 4th century Roman burial site which was transformed into a promenade in the 1700s.
What You Should Sell Now: Smaller bags have been trending for multiple seasons, and the demand in the resale market reflects this. If you’re thinking of selling, now is the time — on average, the smaller Gucci Arli bags hold resale value anywhere from 70 to 80%.
How To Spot The Real Deal: Pay close attention to the stitching on Gucci Arli bags; all stitches should be consistent in sizing, and the thread should match the predominant color of the bag.
Gucci Bag Care Tip: If suede is your material of choice for the Gucci Arli, you can use a dry cloth to clean off the surface of your bag between trips to a trusted leather repair shop. However, suede is notoriously hard to care for, so make sure to gently wipe off any marks to avoid harming the suede’s texture or coloring.
4. Gucci Soho Bag
Gucci Soho Leather Chain Backpack; Gucci Soho Disco Bag; Gucci Soho Medium Tote Bag
The Resale Stats: The classic Gucci Soho bag line typically holds a 62% average resale value.
The Story Behind The Style: The Gucci Soho bag line is the only one on this list designed by Alessandro Michele’s predecessor, Frida Giannini. Gucci Soho bags were first released in 2014, just as logomania’s second wave was ramping up. With its take on Gucci’s GG logo and tassel detailing, the bag became an instant hit for Gucci and is still currently in production.
What You Should Sell Now: The Gucci Soho Disco bag is a fan favorite, holding strong at an average resale value of 83%. The bag falls right at the hip for maximum comfort and ease of movement, and is about as minimalist as a Gucci bag can get.
How To Spot The Real Deal: The tassel adornment on Gucci Soho bags, which can be included as either a zipper pull or merely an accent, should include a screw on its hardware. The head of the screw should always be slotted; Phillips head screws are commonly used on faux Gucci Soho bags.
Gucci Bag Care Tip: Gucci Soho bags made of lighter-colored leather are susceptible to color transfer. Make sure to avoid pressing lighter leather bags against denim fabrics.
3. Gucci Padlock Bag
Gucci Padlock GG Supreme Bag; Gucci Padlock GG Tian Bag; Gucci Padlock Embroidered Bag
The Resale Stats: With an average resale value of 63%, Gucci Padlock bags come in third as the Gucci bags with top resale value.
The Story Behind The Style: Gucci Padlock bags were first introduced in the house’s Spring/Summer 2016 collection. This archival padlock or key lock closure is accompanied by a key with a sleek leather covering. Many of Gucci’s Padlock bags are crafted with the house’s signature GG Supreme canvas material. The GG canvas print we know and love today was preceded by a woven, diamond-patterned hemp material, which stemmed from the rationing of textiles in WWII. Leather was hard to come by, so founder Guccio Gucci started using substitutes like hemp in the late 1930s. The GG logo was also inspired by a design from the ’30s — Gucci’s rhombi pattern. GG-covered canvas, however, did not make an appearance until the 1960s, when it began popping up on small leather pieces, luggage and handbags.
What You Should Sell Now: Similarly to the Gucci Arli, small Gucci Padlock bags are incredibly popular in the resale market, with an average value of 67%. We see strong demand in almost any model of handbag featuring the GG Supreme print; Gucci Padlock bags in GG Supreme canvas tend to sell faster than full leather iterations of these models.
How To Spot The Real Deal: As the name of the bag suggests, Gucci Padlock bags should always have the classic padlock closure with a total of six rivets on the hardware. There should be two on the nameplate, and four on the setting with the lock.
Gucci Bag Care Tip: The padlock closure can scratch if it’s not handled properly. Avoid lying the bag down on its padlock or hitting it against hard surfaces, and always store the bag in its dust bag when not in use.
2. Gucci GG Marmont Bag
Gucci GG Marmont Matelassé Belt Bag; Gucci GG Marmont Denim Shoulder Bag; Gucci GG Marmont Gucci Ghost Bag
The Resale Stats: The Gucci GG Marmont bag collection holds an average resale value of 72%.
The Story Behind The Style: The Gucci GG Marmont bag line first launched in the Fall/Winter 2016 show, though the now-iconic GG Marmont belt came a year earlier at Alessandro Michele’s Fall/Winter 2015 Gucci debut. The hardware was inspired by a 1970s-era belt that Michele found in the archives, so it’s no surprise that a belt kicked off the GG Marmont collection. Michele once said in an interview that updating Gucci’s logo was like “drawing on the Mona Lisa,” and in his own way, Michele created a commercial masterpiece. The rounded (and often gold) GG logo is the GG Marmont collection’s crowning feature, reminiscent of Old Hollywood glamour while the line’s namesake directly speaks to a beacon of cinema’s Golden Age — Los Angeles’ famed Chateau Marmont hotel, a haven for stars of the silver screen.
What You Should Sell Now: As a result of Michele’s creative ingenuity, many GG Marmont bag styles are incredibly popular in the resale market. Michele has stayed true to Gucci’s history while infusing it with an innovative twist, and timely artist collaborations like Trevor Andrew’s (Gucci Ghost) have helped to keep Gucci at the forefront of the fashion game. Ultimately, Gucci GG Marmont belt bags retain the highest resale value of the collection, with an average of 80%.
How To Spot The Real Deal: On authentic Gucci GG Marmont pieces, both Gs on the logo hardware should face the same direction. Neither G should be flipped or inverted.
Gucci Bag Care Tip: Keep velvet versions of Gucci GG Marmont bags out of direct sunlight to avoid fading.
1. Gucci Ophidia Bag
Gucci Ophidia Mini GG Round Bag; Gucci Ophidia GG Flora Tote; Gucci Ophidia GG Supreme iPhone Belt Bag
The Resale Stats: In a surprise twist, the Gucci Ophidia collection actually ties with GG Marmont — both hold an average resale value of 72%.
The Story Behind The Style: Gucci Ophidia bags first hit the scene in the Cruise 2018 runway collection. Alessandro Michele again took inspiration from the archives to create an updated take on Gucci hallmarks. Ophidia bags are identifiable by the combination of two house codes — the GG logo and Web accent — though some styles have only one or the other. Though Michele loves to pull inspiration from the 1970s, the green and red Gucci Web stripe goes back even further; it emerged in the early 1950s as an equestrian-influenced signature.
There’s another iconic Gucci staple that embellishes many an Ophidia bag: the Flora print. In 1966, actress and Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly visited the Gucci store in Milan to purchase a classic bamboo handle bag. Rodolfo Gucci, the son of founder Guccio Gucci, wanted to gift Kelly something extraordinary. He commissioned Italian artist Vittorio Accornero to create a special scarf for Kelly, and the Gucci Flora print was born. Inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s Allegory of Spring, Accornero created a silk Flora-print scarf with forty-three different types of flora and fauna. It also included more than thirty-seven different colors and — to top it all off — was painted by hand.
What You Should Sell Now: The majority of Gucci Ophidia bags are made of GG Supreme canvas, and as mentioned above, there’s a high demand for all bags crafted with this material. The bestselling Ophidia bag (which arguably breaks the Gucci Ophidia-GG Marmont resale value tie) is the belt bag with an average resale value of 89% — 9% higher than its GG Marmont belt bag counterpart.
How To Spot The Real Deal: On authentic Gucci Ophidia bags with a Web stripe, there should never be any glue or adhesive residue where the accent is attached.
Gucci Bag Care Tip: If there are any marks or spots on your Gucci Ophidia bag’s GG Supreme canvas, use a baby wipe to clean them off, and use a dry cloth to clean the canvas bag’s trim. Harsh cleaning products can potentially damage both the bag’s canvas and leather.
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