In 2021, the global market value of second-hand and resale apparel was estimated to be worth £84 billion. By 2026 this is estimated to rise to £192 billion. The shift from fast fashion to a more sustainable means of purchasing clothes and accessories has become evident from this increasing trend.

With this in mind, luxury watch experts at Chrono24 have analysed purchase history data from the last 90 days on eBay to reveal the top ten most popular second-hand designer brands. Each brand mentioned in this study is part of the 50 most valuable luxury & premium brands in 2021, according to the Brand Directory. The list of 50 brands was individually imputed into an eBay search while applying the relevant filters; sold items, second-hand or used items, and they had to be sold in the UK. This data was then filtered into vintage items sold to rank the top ten vintage designer brands sold on eBay.

1. Gucci

Gucci sits in the top spot as the most popular second-hand designer brand to be purchased online, with 13,994 used items sold in the UK over the past 90 days. The most expensive piece sold was a floral shoulder bag listed at £8,000.

Once the search had been filtered into vintage items (items older than 20 years), Gucci ranked in second place with 727 vintage items sold. The cheapest vintage Gucci item sold was a pair of vintage wash bags, which both sold for £5.00.

2. Ray-Ban

Ray-Ban is the second most popular designer brand to buy second-hand in the UK, with 11,260 items sold in the last 90 days. The most expensive item was a pair of limited-edition 18-carat solid gold Ray-ban Aviators which sold for £2,149. On the other end of the scale, the cheapest item sold was a pair of Round RB Double bridge Ray-ban sunglasses for just £1.00. Ray-Ban also ranked sixth in the vintage rankings, with 196 vintage items sold.

3. Burberry

Burberry takes third place with 11,006 second-hand items sold in the UK over the past three months. The most expensive item sold was an authentic Burberry leather biker jacket that was listed for £1,100 and sold to the highest bidder. The lowest-priced piece was a pink Burberry shirt purchased for £4.95.

4. Prada

Prada is the fourth most popular second-hand designer brand in the UK, with 6,917 items sold on eBay over the past 90 days. The most expensive piece sold was a £1,850 red velvet crossbody Cahier bag, whilst the cheapest item sold was a pair of Prada men’s black leather trainers selling for just 99p.

5. Omega

Omega takes fifth place with 6,680 pieces sold on eBay in the UK over the last 90 days. The most expensive timepiece sold was an Omega Seamaster 300 military 165.024 watch which was bought for £10,320.

Omega takes first place in the top ten most popular vintage designer items to be bought second-hand in the UK with 782 pieces sold. The most expensive vintage piece was a Collectors Omega Ed White ST105.003 made in 1964, including its original box, hang tag and papers selling for £8,250.

6. Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton is sixth place, with 6,240 second-hand pieces sold in the last three months on eBay. The most expensive piece sold was a £9,220 second-hand Louis Vuitton Sarah purse in its original box, and the cheapest was a Brazza monogram leather card case selling for £5.00.

Louis Vuitton also ranks in fourth place in the top ten most popular second-hand vintage brands to be sold in the UK, with 390 pieces sold.

7. Rolex

In seventh place, Rolex. 5,459 Rolex pieces were sold in the past 90 days, but it is important to note that only 546 were sold with the original box and papers. The most expensive of these was a Yellow Gold Rolex Daytona Factory Green Rare Dial 116508 watch made in 2017, selling for £80,999.

Rolex also came in third place in the ranking for the top ten most popular second-hand designer brands in the UK, selling 475 pieces, the cheapest of which was a vintage leather Rolex watch strap that sold for £9.50. The most expensive vintage piece sold in the UK was a Rolex Daytona White Dial Steel two-toned watch with diamonds Ref 116523, which sold for £18,995.

8. Tiffany & Co.

Tiffany & Co. came in eighth place in the study, with 5,149 pieces of jewellery sold over the past 90 three months in the UK. The most expensive second-hand piece of jewellery sold on the site was a 1.71ct Tiffany diamond engagement ring. The cheapest item sold was a sterling silver Tiffany 6mm band ring for just 99p.

9. Versace

Versace takes ninth place as the most popular second-hand designer brand in the UK, with 4,856 pieces sold on eBay in the last 90 days. The most expensive piece sold was a rare vintage Versace cocktail dress encrusted with Swarovski crystals selling for £1,500. On the other end of the scale, the cheapest item sold was a casual Versace men’s crew neck T-shirt selling for just £1.20.

10. Dolce & Gabbana

The tenth most popular second-hand designer brand in the UK is Dolce & Gabbana, whose used pieces have been sold 4,780 times in the UK over the past three months. The most expensive piece sold was a Dolce & Gabbana rose print Seath dress for £1,290. The cheapest second-hand item sold on the site was a Dolce & Gabbana navy blue men’s shirt for just £3.99.

A representative from Chrono24 commented on the study:

“It is interesting to see the price variations between the highest and lowest price items sold; this demonstrates just how much more accessible designer brands can be when buying second-hand. Those who wish to enter the luxurious world of designer brands might consider shopping second-hand as a cheaper and more sustainable choice. It is refreshing to see so many used items essentially being recycled to a new home

As for watch brands in the study, Omega, Rolex, Tissot, Longines and Cartier all made it into the top ten most popular vintage designer brands. It is clear from this study that timepieces are the most sought-after vintage designer brands in the UK. While you can get a great deal on eBay when it comes to purchasing second-hand, purchasing a watch as an investment is best done at www.chrono24.co.uk as they have a high percentage of listings that are inclusive of the original box and paperwork, and all listed watches are authenticated.”