The Economics of Resale, From Investment Jewelry to Nostalgic Comebacks

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The RealReal (Nasdaq: REAL) – the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated resale luxury goods – today released its annual Resale Report. For the past 14 years, The RealReal has been at the forefront of a cultural shift, redefining luxury resale as both desirable and accessible. With a community of more than 40 million members, the company enables people to discover pieces they love while unlocking the value of luxury assets in their closets. Drawing on years of proprietary data and authentication expertise, the 2025 Resale Report explores the state of luxury resale today, analyzing the shopping and consignment behaviors of The RealReal’s members and highlighting the cultural and economic forces reshaping demand and value.

Findings show that fine jewelry and timeless handbags continued to hold strong, while cultural shifts, the current political climate, and creative director shakeups also shaped demand. Nostalgia remained a powerful force, fueling the revival of 2010s fashion and high heels alongside the return of 1980s maximalism. The Row stayed a defining anchor among American brands, while both established names like Coach and emerging voices such as Diotima gained fresh relevance with new takes on American style. Vintage pieces reached new highs, with nearly 30% more members searching for vintage this year than last, as shoppers sharpened their eye for long-term value, turning to resale to both express personal style and invest strategically.

“Resale has gone from disruptor to cornerstone in the consumer journey: *nearly one-third of clothing purchased in the U.S. last year was secondhand, and 58% of consumers now prefer the secondary market outright. Today, shoppers are not only defining their style through resale, they’re also considering resale value at the point of purchase. In a year defined by instability, AI blurring real and synthetic, and trends flattened by social media, consumers rejected uniformity and sought out pieces that felt real, unfiltered, and unreplicable. The result is a moment in fashion not shaped by brands or trends, but by individuals expressing their personal style.” — Rati Levesque, CEO & President, The RealReal.

2025 RESALE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

• The Economics of Resale
  
  
  • With inflation and rising retail prices, consumers are increasingly factoring resale value into purchase decisions: *47% now consider resale value before buying new.
  • Accessories Are Assets: Some of the smartest investments in 2025 weren’t on Wall Street. Resale values climbed steadily for classics like Rolex Datejusts (+17%), Goyard Saint Louis totes (+18%), Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry (+20%), Hermès Birkin 30 (+15%), and Louis Vuitton Speedy bags (+13%)
    
    
• The Brands That Defined the Year
  
  
  • Top 10 most-searched brands, plus breakout year-over-year search leaders: Coach, Ferragamo, Pucci, Toteme
  • American Designers on the Rise: CFDA members drove strong momentum — Diotima (+152%), Zankov (+65%), Marina Moscone (+44%)
    
    
• Creative Director Shakeups & Cultural Moments
  
  
  • Jonathan Anderson is The RealReal’s Creative Director of the Year — Loewe searches spiked +488% following his departure
  • Celebrity impact: Kendrick Lamar’s Celine Super Bowl jeans drove “Celine Flare Jeans” searches +963% in 24 hours
  • Comeback Brand of the Year: Isabel Marant, now the #1 most-searched contemporary label (+54% year-over-year)
    
    
• Trend Resurgences
  
  
  • Maximalism Returns: 1980s silhouettes, sequins, fur, vintage Mugler suits
  • 2010s Nostalgia: Hervé Léger bandage dresses (+106%), a high-heel revival led by Louboutin, Manolo, D&G, and Giuseppe Zanotti (+24–45%), and reissued It Bags like the Balenciaga City, Chloé Paddington, and Fendi Spy
     
• The Patina Effect
  • Sales of Fair Condition items +32% year-over-year, with growth driven by new buyers (+40%)
  • Distressed brown leather jackets +155%
  • Sticker-covered Rimowa luggage +65%
  • Bags showing visible wear +45%
     
• Weddings & Generational Shifts
  
  
  • Wedding searches surged across generations: Gen Z (+55%), Boomers (+45%)
  • Bridal standouts: Danielle Frankel (+67%), Vivienne Westwood (+73%), vintage engagement rings (+198%)
    
    
• Investment Categories
  
  
  • Fine jewelry average selling prices rose +17% year-over-year, with sterling silver being the highest they’ve ever been
  • Tiffany & Co. posted record resale prices
  • Piaget Polo crowned The Watch to Watch (+285% in sales year-over-year), alongside generational watch preferences
    
    

 The full 2025 Resale Report is available here.

*Source: Capital One Shopping, Thrifting Statistics, 2025.

About The RealReal
The RealReal is the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods, with more than 40 million members. With a rigorous authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their luxury items. We have hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by thousands of brands across numerous categories—including women's and men's fashion, fine jewelry and watches, art and home—in support of the circular economy. We make selling effortless with free virtual appointments, in-home pickup, drop-off and direct shipping. We handle all of the work for consignors, including authenticating, using AI and machine learning to determine optimal pricing, photographing and listing their items, as well as shipping and customer service.

Press Contact:
Mallory Johnston
Head of PR
pr@therealreal.com