How to Get Designer Handbags Without Designer Prices

Have you ever walked through the mall, or been surfing online, and seen a store or Web site that offers designer handbags, and wished you could buy one? Not everyone can afford designer bags, especially when some of them cost hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. Sometimes you can find bags that are similar and more affordable, but they may not be made well, or they just look cheap. So how can you get real designer bags at lower prices? By knowing where to look.

Many people immediately think of auction sites like Ebay when they want to try to get a deal on something. Sure, you can still find some things at good prices there. But as more and more people have learned the benefits of auction sites, they've made selling through them actual businesses rather than a hobby. Because of this, prices have gone up, and it's more difficult than ever to find good deals, especially on designer items like handbags.

One site, Bluefly, offers tons of designer clothes and accessories at discount prices. The site has been around for several years now, and has built a good reputation online as a legitimate source of designer products. For example, you can find Balenciaga handbags on that site for about three hundred dollars less than retail. Yes, it's still expensive, but three hundred dollars is a pretty good discount.

If that's still too steep for you, then consider renting a handbag instead of buying it. That's right, you can rent designer handbags. The site Avelle (which used to be called Bag, Borrow or Steal) allows customers to rent designer accessories, like handbags, at reasonable prices. If you have a big event coming up, such as a wedding, class reunion, or big company party, you can rent a handbag to go with your outfit, and then return it when you're done. You don't have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, but you still get the stylish look of a designer handbag. Avelle carries all kinds of brands, including Moschino handbags, which can sometimes be difficult to find on sale. The other cool thing about Avelle is that after a handbag has been in rental circulation for a while, it is sold at a deep discount.

The other option you have is to just wait for the handbag you want to go on sale. Yes, you'll get it at a better price, but there are a couple of pitfalls to this strategy. First, by the time a designer puts a handbag on sale, it's usually because it's out of season, or out of style. Second, if you wait too long, the color you want may not be available, because the more popular colors will sell first. What is put on sale is what's left over. So sale items may still be in season, it's just that they didn't sell well because they were a hideous color that no one wanted. Waiting for the sale may mean you either have to like the left over color, or just not care what color you get.

Doing a little research before you buy will help you find the best option for your taste, and your budget.