The secondhand luxury market is booming, but there's a dark secret lurking beneath the surface: counterfeit goods are becoming nearly indistinguishable from the real deal. As savvy shoppers flock to pre-owned designer brands, the need for rock-solid authentication has never been more critical. But here's where it gets controversial: even luxury brands themselves are struggling to spot fakes, with some unknowingly repairing counterfeit items. This raises a crucial question: can anyone truly guarantee the authenticity of a secondhand luxury item?
According to a recent report by Boston Consulting Group and Vestiaire Collective, the global resale market is skyrocketing, projected to hit a staggering $360 billion by 2030 – that's a 10% annual growth rate, three times faster than the traditional retail market. With numbers like these, it's no wonder that trust has become the cornerstone of this industry. But as the market expands, so do the risks. Horror stories of buyers shelling out thousands for fake Hermès bags or Rolex watches with swapped parts are all too common. And this is the part most people miss: some counterfeits, dubbed 'superfakes,' are so convincing they're reportedly made with materials from the same suppliers as the original brands.
Buyer beware is the age-old mantra of the secondhand industry, but resale platforms are now investing heavily in verification to combat this issue. Take Carousell, for example, which opened its first physical luxury store in Singapore, allowing sellers to have their items appraised by experts before listing. Tresor Tan, Director of Sales, Marketing and Client Relations at Carousell Luxury, explains that their verification team scrutinizes everything from the material to the stitching and stamping. But is this enough to restore buyer confidence? Carousell thinks so, offering a money-back guarantee on authenticity and building a proprietary database covering nearly 500 product styles. Similarly, South Korea's Bunjang has developed its own AI-powered authentication system, boasting a 99.9% accuracy rate. Yet, the question remains: can technology truly outpace the ingenuity of counterfeiters?
What's undeniable is that trust fuels sales. Both Carousell and Bunjang report significant growth in their luxury segments, with Bunjang's luxury goods transactions rising 30% year-on-year in the first half of 2025. This growth isn't just about affordability, though it's the top reason cited by 80% of buyers in BCG's report. Shoppers are also drawn to rare or discontinued collections, as Samantha Virk, CMO of Vestiaire Collective, points out. But here's the twist: younger consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, are reshaping the luxury landscape. With limited spending power, they're buying, enjoying, and quickly reselling items, reflecting a fundamental shift in how luxury is perceived and consumed. This raises another thought-provoking question: is the traditional concept of luxury ownership becoming obsolete?
As the secondhand luxury market continues to evolve, one thing is clear: authentication is the new gold standard. But with counterfeiters constantly innovating, the battle for trust is far from over. So, what do you think? Can the industry ever truly eliminate the risk of counterfeit goods, or is it an inevitable part of the secondhand luxury experience? Share your thoughts in the comments – we'd love to hear your take on this complex and fascinating issue.
