Welcome to the end-of-year edition of Dizzy, where we do what we always do: use luxury resale to explain the economy better than most men on CNBC. I can’t believe that it is almost 2026. I am still processing 2020 but the one thing I have processed about 2025 is that it was the year the government came for our handbags.

Earlier this year, I popped back into your inbox with a truly deranged welcome-back gift: tariffs. Specifically, how my friend’s $850 Celine Sangle from Japan turned into a $1,004 lesson in U.S. trade policy. At the time, that felt annoying but manageable, then they said, let’s tax it all!!! So there’s that.

And here’s where it gets interesting.

Because while Washington was busy turning our carts into customs forms, shoppers were quietly telling us exactly how they’re adapting.

According to eBay’s Watchlist Trend Report, interest in resale luxury didn’t cool off, it sharpened. Louis Vuitton and Gucci are still the most watched brands, because obviously, but the real story is momentum for brands like Balenciaga, Longchamp, Coach. Practical icons. Logo-light staples. Bags you actually carry, not just post on your feed.

Translation: if tariffs are making every purchase feel heavier, people want items that earn their keep.

The RealReal’s 2025 Resale Report says the same thing, but louder and with charts. Buyers are prioritizing longevity, versatility, and brands that hold value. Investing in your staples is back, but not in the stiff, 2010’s capsule wardrobe Marie Kondo way. It’s more: “Will I still love this when Customs sends me a fat tax bill?”

Resale is no longer about scoring something cheaper. It’s about control. Predictability. Knowing what something is worth after the government takes its cut.

This explains why vintage silhouettes are exploding. Why Coach bags from the early 2000s are suddenly everywhere again. Why people are choosing pre-loved Hermès over new-anything (and probably why Hermes is waiving their purchase requirement). The resale market isn’t reacting to trends, it’s reacting to friction.

Tariffs add friction. Shipping delays add friction. Surprise duties add friction. And friction turns impulse buys into strategy.

That’s the shift this year. Shopping used to be dopamine. Now it’s calculus - which is better. We consume too much as a society anyways and vintage bags are way more durable and unique than the mass produced factory bags that are produced now. Hello - Chanel used to use real gold hardware. Cmon.

Even the platforms are adjusting. eBay is leaning hard into domestic inventory and verified resale. The RealReal is framing resale as the responsible, rational choice in an increasingly expensive world. Sustainability is still there, but I think the real driver is financial self-defense.

And yes, the irony is rich. Policies designed to push us toward “buying American 🥴” have mostly succeeded in pushing us toward American resale. Closet-to-closet commerce. Small businesses. Vintage shops. Sellers who already did the importing years ago. Plus, if you are on the same side of TikTok as me, these Japanese resellers are admitting they find most of their goodies in middle of nowhere Oregon/Minnesota/Wisconsin/ etc. etc. (They still reign supreme with pricing and you know you are not going to be sold a fake but wow what an eye opener!)

The Bags Everyone Wants (and Why)

I know this has gotten wordy, but before I let you go, let’s talk specifics, because data without shopping is just homework.

Across both eBay and The RealReal, a few bags keep bubbling to the top, and none of this is accidental. Not posting any photos because you know EXACTLY which bags these are. Which further proves the point😍.

• The Louis Vuitton Speedy is officially back. She’s lightweight, durable, recognizable, and crucially, easy to resell. No fragile hardware, no precious leather anxiety, no “special occasion only” nonsense. In a tariff world, the Speedy is a workhorse, not a trophy. And yes, it is next on my list - the Stephen Sprouse one in green graffiti to be exact. Let me get my bonus and it’s over for you all. 

  • Here is a decent condition from TRR for a phenomenal price. There is a TikTok tutorial on how to add a strap I can share if anyone needs!

• The Fendi Baguette continues her long victory lap. Small but mighty, endlessly reissued, and culturally immortal. I myself scored an orange creamsicle colored python baguette with baby pink detailing this year for under my materiality threshold 😏. They are just so unique and fun to use, of course they will continue reigning supreme. 

  • This is a good potential eBay bid - can confirm this size fits a small cardigan rolled up along with the reset of your essentials!

  • This lime green detailing showcases exactly why the baguette is that girl

• The Balenciaga City bag is probably the most nostalgic bag to come back to popularity, not that it ever went out of style. This bag has a VERY special place in my heart - ever since the Olsen twins were rocking it in the early 2000s, and I conned my dad into buying me a fake off Canal street (RIP), it has been my most desired bag. Finally, after 20+ years, I was able to score one a few weeks ago, and it has easily become my most used bag. It fits my 13 inch MacBook Pro along with all of the essentials. It is single lined meaning it is NOT heavy and the adjustable strap makes it puffer proof for the NYC cold. Yes this is a love letter to my City bag. And yes, you counted right, I have mentioned 2 bags I bought this year, but there were more (oops sue me).

  • This suede moment is to die for!

  • This navy has me drooling

• The Coach Tabby is having a real moment, especially vintage and early re-editions. Proof that shoppers are comfortable trading heritage over hype when the price-to-quality ratio actually makes sense. Coach’s re-emergence as a top brand needs to be studied. Can someone link me the case study?

  • This puffy ombre tabby- phenomenal quality and detailing! Fits the world and is so unique it will be an easy ice breaker for any girlies wanting to befriend you in the loo

  • This denim tabby. I would not condone denim bags because my fashion girlie friend has conditioned me against them (for good reason), but for this price, it is not extortion and I may just scoop it up myself.

Notice the pattern. These are not experimental bags. They’re familiar, functional, and emotionally legible. In uncertain times, even our accessories want stability.

So here we are. End of year. Tariffs everywhere. Wallets stressed. Closets smarter.

Like I said before and will keep saying, ‼️even our shopping carts are political‼️

Welcome to the era where a bag isn’t just a bag, it’s a hedge.

Happy almost-new year!

Buy any of Dizzy’s Designer Dreams? Let me know! Tag me on Instagram, send me an email at [email protected], traditional snail mail works too! 🐌💌