eBay Drops Luxury Handbags Machines Into 2 Iconic Neighborhoods

Just a couple of days after eBay posted their Q2 earnings they have launched a publicity event for their luxury handbag authentication service. The event features around a luxury handbag machine giving eBay customers the chance to win a luxury handbag. The two locations are Brooklyn New York and Silver Lake Los Angeles.

Check Out These Resources

• Do you need a business bank account for your online business? Take a look at our review of the five best bank accounts for sellers, some of which are free with no minimum balance or deposits. ^[sponsored]
• Boost your social media engagement with Publer. Learn how you can save time writing engaging content faster with AI. ^[sponsored]
• Could your online business use capital for growth? Here is a primer on revenue-based loans, and how they work.

What we find most interesting however is how this aligns perfectly with what we covered in this article around eBay not retaining their buyers from 2020. In the Q2 earnings call when questioned about the decline in buyers, CEO Jamie Iannone stated how eBay was focusing on the repeat and higher value GMV buyers. Well, this publicity event certainly seems to correlate nicely with what he said.

You can see the full announcement from them below on their luxury handbag machines.

“With the luxury resale market seeing exponential growth in recent months and showing no signs of slowing down, eBay is bringing a lust-worthy selection of designer handbags from the marketplace directly into the hands of shoppers, with first-of-its-kind luxury handbag machines popping up in Dumbo, Brooklyn and Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

For two days only — beginning today, August 12th, through tomorrow, August 13th — shoppers visiting eBay’s luxury handbag machines will have a chance to score a coveted bag from luxury’s foremost brands, like the Hermès Birkin, Chanel Classic, Prada Diagramme, and Louis Vuitton Nano Speedy Monogram. Style enthusiasts beyond the borders of Los Angeles and New York aren’t out of luck, however: by heading to eBay’s Instagram or Twitter, shoppers everywhere can play for a chance to grab a designer bag, all marked with eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee.

In addition to the luxury handbag machines, eBay is also launching “A is for Authenticity“, a short film narrated by celebrity fashion stylist Law Roach. The video showcases some of today’s most covetable handbags as Roach narrates alongside a series of A to Z visuals, giving shoppers an inside look at eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee service for luxury handbags.

Previously available for sneakers and luxury watches, eBay expanded its Authenticity Guarantee service to handbags in June 2021 as eBay’s luxury sales hit an all-time high with a 30% YoY increase. The service has significantly changed the way people buy and sell luxury items by leaving nothing up to chance, and to date, eBay has authenticated more than 1 million items across sneakers, watches, and handbags.

“eBay’s luxury shoppers are constantly thinking about their next designer handbag,”

“In the same way traditional vending machines solve for convenience, eBay is making luxury instantly accessible, bringing designer handbags directly to enthusiasts in New York and Los Angeles — while also demonstrating the incredible inventory available on the marketplace.”

Tirath Kamdar, GM of Luxury, eBay.

Ways to Win

Offering an engaging gaming element, in-person participants will have a chance to win one of six handbags displayed in each machine by participating in a luxury-based trivia game to test their knowledge of all-things-handbags.

eBay’s luxury handbag machines will be at two locations (New York and Los Angeles) from 12 – 5 pm local time:

• Dumbo, Brooklyn:
  2 Main St
  Brooklyn, NY 11201
  
• Silver Lake, Los Angeles:
  1529 Griffith Park Blvd
  Los Angeles, CA 90026

Participation Details:

• Pre-Registration: Visit eBay’s luxury handbag machine registration page at www.ebayhandbagmachine.com and RSVP through Eventbrite for free for Thursday, August 12 or Friday, August 13 by entering your name and email address. On the day of your registration, arrive at eBay’s luxury handbag machine and show your email confirmation to check in. Then, wait your turn to play the game for a chance to win one of eBay’s luxury bags. RSVP does not guarantee a chance to play as gameplay will be limited to 12-5pm.
• Walk-Ups: There will be a limited number of walk-up spots available. Upon arrival, you’ll be given a link to register for eBay’s luxury handbag machine. If additional spots are available you’ll be invited to join the line once registered and wait your turn to play the game. Registration does not guarantee a chance to play as gameplay will be limited to 12-5pm.
• Across the US (online):  People outside of New York and Los Angeles will also be eligible to win by visiting eBay’s Instagram or Twitter channels to enter an online/social media giveaway. Contestants can enter by commenting on the entry post on Instagram or replying to the entry tweet on Twitter. The contest ends on August 16 at 11:59 PM. Winners will be selected at random.

The State of the Luxury Resale Market:

The launch of eBay’s luxury handbag machines comes at a time when the popularity of investments in luxury items as alternative asset classes is growing quickly.  In partnership with Vogue Business, eBay has released an all-new Luxury Trend Report showcasing a snapshot of luxury trends, the tried-and-true popularity of iconic brands, a look at emerging styles, and consumer sentiments towards luxury and luxury resale. You can see the full report here, key highlights include:

• Men are More Likely to Invest in Luxury: 76% of men are investing in pre-owned luxury, with 57% of men buying pre-owned luxury at least once a month compared to 37% of female shoppers. Men are also more likely to turn their investment into a sale, with 64% of men selling pre-owned luxury purchases compared to women (50%). 
• Coast to Coast: While trends may differ from city to city, one thing is clear: shoppers across the US can all agree on luxury. In 2021, The largest percent of Chanel sales in the US were from the West Coast, and in the Northeast, oversized totes sold better than any other region.
• In Search of Pre-Owned: In addition to price (45%), luxury shoppers say the ability to find rare and vintage items (33%), exclusive products (31%) and sold-out products (28%) are why they shop pre-owned.
• Keeping it Classic: Over the past two years, iconic luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and Saint Laurent were the most coveted luxury handbag brands. 
• Ticking Up: Luxury watch sales have reached a record-high. From top brands alone, such as Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe and Cartier, more than  25,000 watches were sold in the first half of 2021. Following the launch of Authenticity Guarantee, many brands saw upticks in searches, such as IWC, whose searches increased +12% month over month.
• Material Matters: 2021 handbag trends are all about texture, with raffia bag sales increasing by 50% from January to July, and feather bags soaring 30% in that same timeframe.

About eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee for Luxury Handbags

On eBay, a handbag is sold every 12 seconds. As the luxury category continues to gain momentum with recent quarter-over-quarter growth, in June 2021, eBay announced the expansion of its Authenticity Guarantee service to include luxury handbags. As part of Authenticity Guarantee, new and pre-owned handbags that sell for more than $500 from 16 prominent luxury brands, including Saint Laurent, Gucci, Celine, Balenciaga, among others, will be authenticated by eBay’s team of professionally trained authenticators. Each handbag undergoes a comprehensive, multi-point physical inspection, ensuring that the item and collateral materials are consistent with the listing title, description, and image. Following this rigorous assessment, the handbag is sent via expedited shipping to the buyer, at no fee to the seller or buyer.”