6 Top Takeaways From The RealReal’s Decade in Resale Recap

Luxury resale and consignment was a rising force in retail in 2019, but it’s been an evolving sector for years now. With that in mind, The RealReal is celebrating the dawn of a new decade by recapping some of the biggest resale trends of the last 10 years. Here are six key takeaways from the full report.

1. Supreme Reigned Supreme
In news that will likely shock no one, Supreme was the brand with the highest resale value this past decade. The box logo hoodie in particular was considered a “standout item.” Goyard — with its St. Louis tote — came in second. Jewelry and watch brands made up the bulk of the top-10 list, including Van Cleef & Arpels, Rolex, Tiffany, Patek Philippe, and Cartier. Below is the full list.

2. Hiring the Right Creative Director Is Key
Kim Jones’ arrival at Dior Homme had a massive impact on the brand’s resale value, increasing it 5.2 times. Louis Vuitton men’s, Burberry, Balenciaga, and Celine all saw an increase in value for collections by Virgil Abloh, Riccardo Tisci, Demna Gvasalia, and Hedi Slimane, respectively. But a designer doesn’t need to be a celebrity or have a built-in fanbase to have an impact. Daniel Lee increased Bottega Veneta’s value fourfold, and Alessandro Michele raised Gucci’s value 1.7 times.

Virgil Abloh and Kim Jones (Getty Images)

3. Streetwear and Luxury Brands are Worth More When They Collaborate 
Better together! It turns out when a luxury brand teams up with a streetwear brand on a collab, the resulting collection has a higher resale value than each brand brings in on its own. For example, the resale value of Louis Vuitton X Supreme is 4.5 times stronger than LV and 1.9 times strong than Sumpreme alone. Meanwhile, Off-White X Nike is 6.3 and 6.1 times stronger than Nike and Off-White, respectively.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2017 (Getty Images)

4. Stella McMartney Is the Most Popular Sustainable Brand
Since The RealReal has strict rules about only carrying luxury labels, it’s unsurprising that Stella McCartney would be the #1 sustainable brand on the site. For a long time, she was biggest name in ethical luxury fashion. But might soon change, as sustainability becomes increasingly important in the luxury sector. Nanushka, a label launched in 2006, saw a 1,090% spike in demand in 2019, while the rising menswear brand Bode has the “highest average resale value for a sustainable brand.”

5. Everyone Loves a Logo
Items with a logo had a higher resale value on average than items without a logo. Dior’s saddle bag, the Hermes logo belt, and Chanel’s cuff bracelet were among the items with the highest return on investment.

6. Shoppers are Increasingly Willing to Break Gender Barriers
As gender fluidity becomes more accepted — or perhaps as more and more people realize that gendering fashion items is stupid — shoppers are more willing to “purchase across departments.” For example, women buying men’s sneakers has increased 3.5 times since 2017. Meanwhile, men buying women’s handbags has increased 1.6 times since that year.

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