Consignment & Resale Fees Calculator
The sale price is not the payout. This is the gap, channel by channel.
Selling a designer bag, luxury consignment typically keeps 20–40% of the sale price, peer-to-peer luxury marketplaces 12–25%, general marketplaces 10–15%, and auction houses 15–30% while also charging the buyer a premium. A buy-outright dealer pays 35–55% below the sale price, but pays today. On a $4,000 sale that is roughly $2,400–3,200 through consignment and $1,800–2,600 from a buy-out desk.
Figures reviewed September 2026
$1,080 – $1,440
60–80% of the $1,800 sale price
The commission usually falls as the sale price rises, and the platform sets the price, not you.
Weeks to months, and only once it sells
| Channel | Commission | Shipping | Money in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury consignment | 20–40% | Included | Weeks to months, and only once it sells |
| Peer-to-peer marketplace | 12–25% | Seller pays | Days to weeks |
| General marketplace | 10–15% | Seller pays | Days, once listed |
| Buy-outright dealer | 35–55% | Included | Immediate |
| Auction | 15–30% | Included | Weeks, to a fixed sale date |
Indicative rates. Commission tiers, promotional splits and category rules differ by platform and by price band — read the seller terms for the numbers that will apply to you.
What the platform keeps, and what actually reaches you
The listing price is not the payout. Between the two sit commission, postage, insurance, authentication and, on some platforms, a promotional discount you did not choose. Sellers are routinely surprised by the gap, and the gap is the whole decision about where to sell.
This instrument takes a sale price and a channel and reports the range you would actually receive, with the other channels beside it for comparison. Rates are indicative: commission tiers and category rules differ by platform and by price band.
Consignment: the most money, the least control
Luxury consignment typically takes twenty to forty percent of the sale price, with the commission falling as the price rises. In exchange the platform photographs, authenticates, markets and ships, and its buyers pay more than a private buyer would because they trust it.
What you give up is control and time. The platform usually sets the price, may discount to move stock, and you are paid only when the bag sells — which can be months.
Peer-to-peer and general marketplaces
Peer-to-peer luxury marketplaces charge roughly twelve to twenty-five percent and let you set your own price, answer your own questions and ship yourself. Authentication is often deducted from the payout rather than charged up front.
General marketplaces are cheaper still — ten to fifteen percent — and carry the most risk. Chargebacks and "not as described" claims land on the seller, and high-value handbags are a favourite category for them. Photograph everything before it leaves you.
Buy-outright: a wholesale price, paid today
A buy-outright desk is not charging a commission; it is offering you a wholesale price. Expect a third to a half below what the same bag would make privately, because they take on the funding, the authentication risk and the wait for a buyer.
That is a fair trade when you want the money now, or when the bag is difficult — an unpopular colour, heavy wear, no paperwork. It is a poor trade on a classic that will sell itself.
The costs people forget to count
Before you compare offers, add these to the fee column:
- Insured postage, both ways if the buyer returns it.
- Paid third-party authentication, where the platform does not include it.
- Payment processing, where it is charged separately from commission.
- Any promotional discount the platform applies to close the sale.
- The time value of waiting months for a consignment payout.
Which channel suits which bag
The right channel depends less on the fee than on the bag. A classic in a neutral colour with its receipt sells itself, and the lowest-fee channel you are willing to manage nets the most. A bag a buyer will worry about — no paperwork, a colour that has dated, visible wear — is worth the higher commission of a platform whose authentication a buyer trusts, because that trust is what the buyer is paying for.
A Birkin, Kelly or other waitlisted piece is the exception to every rule here: specialist resellers and auction houses compete for them, commissions are negotiable, and a buy-outright offer can be close to a private sale.
| Channel | Cost to you | You receive | How fast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxury consignment | 20 – 40% with costs | $2,400 – $3,200 | Weeks to months, and only once it sells |
| Peer-to-peer marketplace | 14 – 27% with costs | $2,900 – $3,500 | Days to weeks |
| General marketplace | 12 – 17% with costs | $3,300 – $3,500 | Days, once listed |
| Buy-outright dealer | 35 – 55% with costs | $1,800 – $2,600 | Immediate |
| Auction | 15 – 30% with costs | $2,800 – $3,400 | Weeks, to a fixed sale date |
From the calculator above. Authentication is not included where the platform deducts it separately, and a buy-outright figure is a wholesale price rather than a commission.
Questions we are asked
- How much does consignment take on a handbag?
- Luxury consignment commission generally runs twenty to forty percent of the sale price, falling as the price rises. Postage and authentication are usually included, and you are paid only once the bag sells.
- Where do I get the most money for a designer bag?
- Selling privately or peer-to-peer nets the most, because the commission is lowest — but you carry the authentication and dispute risk. Consignment nets less and is easier. A buy-outright offer nets least and pays immediately.
- Why is the buy-outright offer so much lower?
- It is a wholesale price rather than a commission. The buyer funds the bag, authenticates it, carries it as stock and waits for a retail buyer, and the discount is the price of that risk and delay.
- Who pays for authentication when selling a bag?
- It varies. Consignment platforms usually include it; peer-to-peer marketplaces often deduct it from the payout; on a general marketplace it is yours to buy if you want it.
Designer Bag Resale Value by Brand
What the bags people actually own fetch on the secondary market, against what the boutique charges today — dated, sourced and read maison by maison.
Before You ListRead the bag itself
Know what it is before you price it. Photograph the bag and the instrument gives you a range to list against.