Why Travel Pieces Are One of My Favorite Ways to Buy Pre-Owned Luxury

If you’ve been curious about pre-owned luxury but aren’t quite ready to make your first handbag purchase, I think there’s another category worth considering: travel and toiletry pieces.

Some of my favorite travel pieces were purchased pre-owned, and I’ve realized that I shop for them a little differently than I shop for handbags.

I’m more flexible about condition

When I’m buying a handbag, condition matters quite a bit to me. Of course I know I’m shopping pre-owned, but I still have certain things I’m looking for.

With travel and toiletry pieces? I can loosen up a little.

These are pieces that are going inside suitcases, sitting on bathroom counters, getting packed and unpacked, and occasionally being tossed around. Something may spill. Something may rub against it. That’s simply part of actually traveling with your things.

So a little corner wear or evidence that a piece has already been used doesn’t necessarily bother me in the same way.

In some ways, it makes me more comfortable using it.

The price can make a lot more sense

Something else I’ve noticed while shopping the resale market is that travel and toiletry pieces can sometimes be found at a much more approachable price than comparable handbags.

That isn’t a rule, of course. Brand, style, age, condition and demand all affect resale pricing. But I’ve personally found some really good value in this category.

And when the purpose of the item is ultimately to hold my toiletries or travel essentials, paying the premium for a brand-new one isn’t always where I want to spend my luxury budget.

I’d rather find a beautiful pre-owned piece that still has plenty of life left in it — and actually use it.

They’re supposed to be lived in

This may be my favorite part.

There can be a little anxiety that comes with buying something expensive and brand new. The first scratch. The first water spot. The first time something spills.

A pre-owned travel piece has already crossed that bridge.

I don’t have to spend the trip protecting it from the trip.

I can pack it. Use it. Toss it into my luggage. Set it on the counter. And if it picks up another little sign of a life well traveled, that’s okay.

Luxury doesn’t always have to mean precious.

Sometimes the best luxury pieces are the ones that fit easily into your actual life.

A great first step into pre-owned luxury

If you’re interested in pre-owned luxury but still aren’t sure whether it’s for you, a travel or toiletry piece can be a great place to start.

You can experience the craftsmanship, materials and little details you love about luxury without necessarily making the same investment you would in a handbag. And because the piece is meant to work for you, a little previous wear may feel much easier to embrace.

I’ve loved getting my own travel and toiletry pieces pre-owned.

They’ve also reinforced one of my favorite things about shopping pre-owned in the first place: I don’t just want beautiful things. I want beautiful things I feel free to use.