Why Has Vintage Coach Gotten to be So Expensive?

For me, there is no better and more luxurious material than the leather of a vintage Coach bag (sorry Louis Vuitton, although your canvas makes a close second). Since early 2024, I have been searching for these bags in the wild at consignment or thrift stores and of course, online. That is how I acquired my collection, and honestly, I am not mad at it. Thanks to TikTok, I am not the only one who hunts for these bags.

I, on the other hand, have been lucky. I found bags at great prices thanks to sales and coupons via consignment, and of course, making sure I wait until the right time to strike. This method comes with the need to have some good old fashioned luck. It is safe to say that this method of procuring items for my collection is not for the patient.

However, over the last few months, I have noticed a huge increase in the price of these bags no matter where you’re looking. I’ve noticed this through my scroll of items on Poshmark and when browsing online at my local consignment store’s new item posts on Instagram — the same items that I used to procure bags for $25 are now $50-$70 on the low end.

What is the cause of this?

I believe that this was caused by one thing — the popularity that these bags have now gained. These bags have grown in demand. We’ve seen the TikToks of those who find these bags at the thrift store and go to work to restore them back to their former glory. The fact that these pieces were made so well that with a little pixie dust (aka leather cleaner and moisturizer), they are restored to as good as new. These bags are worth way more than their former thrift store prices — and they have caught on. Plus, if you can sell it for that price and you can actually sell them to make that profit, why wouldn’t you?

The same thing goes for Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

I also believe that another culprit is the very fact that Coach is reissuing some of the classic bags. They’ve released the Ergo, the Soho, the Patricia, and the Hamptons — just to name a few. Therefore, with those new bags on the shelves, some people flock to the preloved market to get some of the original ones. After all, sometimes the original is better. That definitely drives up the prices on the preloved market, as people are getting the older versions of the bag, and people are realizing that they can sell these pieces at those prices.

Unfortunately, with the economy going the way that it is, everything has been so expensive including the items at the thrift. Coach bags are no exception to this rule.

Will this stop me from continuing to search a vintage Ergo?

Absolutely not.

Gems will continue to pop up. After all, thrifting is like treasure hunting. Sometimes you never know when you’re going to find an incredible find at an incredible price.