The RealReal Analyzes the Year's Luxury Resale Trends

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If you have some extra holiday cash and are looking to make an investment in the form of clothing, The RealReal has the brands that give you the most bang for your buck. The luxury reselling site crunched the numbers and found best-selling resale brands, most popular items, and products that retain the most value.

The top five brands that sell best at resale are Chanel, Hermès, Céline, Louis Vuitton, David Yurman, and Cartier. The site believes that popularity among millenials is a driving force for many of these brands. Millennials now make up 40% of The RealReal's customer base.

Cartier in particular was bolstered by a younger crowd. "A lot of the younger girls, in their early 20s, are looking at heritage brands such as Cartier's Love bracelets and Infinity rings," the site's chief merchant Rati Sahi Levesque tells WWD.

The RealReal also found out which particular bags took the shortest time to sell. Louis Vuitton's Neverfull, Chloé's Marcie handbag, Chanel's WOC crossbody, Celinee's Trio handbag, and Gucci's SoHo bag all had high marks in that category.

The reselling site also gave more evidence that any press is good press, as increases in sales were heavily linked to news and events. For instance, Band of Outsiders saw sales go up 25% on The RealReal after it was announced the brand was shutting down. Gucci revenue on the site grew 60% when Alessandro Michele was named creative director and the value for Alexander Wang's eponymous line jumped 15% when he departed from Balenciaga.

The site also discovered which particular items best retained their value. Bags and clutches like Givenchy's basketball pouch, Louis Vuitton's Neverfull, and Chanel's Boy Bag all sold for over 80% of retail. A pair of shoes, Saint Laurent's Jodhpur boots, also made it on this list by selling for 85% of their retail price.