How could I respond to this post:

The secondhand market looks similar to Mercari, but it's aimed towards higher end clothing brands. What this means is that websites like The Real Real and Vestiaire are only accepting certain brands in certain conditions for reselling. The whole process of selling to The Real Real starts with, "After we receive your item, it heads to authentication to be verified for our shoppers. From there we get it ready for our site with photography and item descriptionsprofessional photos and copywriting are built into our pricing model. Next, it's time for pricing followed by launching your item to our site." The Real Real then prices their items based on, "...using a blend of expert knowledge and our proprietary algorithm. We make money when you do, so our goal is to earn you the highest amount possible every time you sell." Based off of our reading, when prices or high end fashion goes on sale or deep discount, it can be perceived as cheap and low quality by consumers. Since The Real Real has expert shoppers and a verification process, it makes the company more reliable and trustworthy. Some brands that are participating in the market are Burberry, Gucci, and Stella McCartney. They even offered to buy back new items from customers for resale purposes. Some brands that are not interested in the secondhand luxury selling are Herms International, LVMH Mot Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE and Chanel. Secondhand sales take away from the high-margin, causing the companies to not make as much on their products. Also the secondhand selling doesn't give any of the luxury brands a profit and they want complete control over their products. Some brands who aren't participating in the secondhand selling, are looking to find a way to get a portion of the profits from reselling.

Over the years, secondhand luxury products have changed. Heavily discounted items were looked down on. It either meant that the quality was poor or that there might be something wrong with the product. Looking at society now, there are many young consumers. "Preowned luxury is growing in popularity, especially among young consumers, partly because in many cases it offers a chance to buy products that cost less than firsthand equivalents and have less impact on the environment." Many luxury brands are expensive for a reason and some consumers don't mind paying that price. For the consumers who like luxury brands, but can't afford it, appreciate the secondhand luxury because they can get bags and items for cheaper prices. According to The Wall Street Journal, "Used luxury sales were up 65% last year relative to 2017, compared with a 12% rise in new luxury sales, according to Bain & Co." There are also consumers who also like to collect vintage high-end products and being able to collect them at a low price is beneficial. The prices for luxury goods are driving consumers, even consumers who used to buy straight from the source, to buy secondhand because they can still find great quality secondhand items for a good deal. They also have the option to sell items they don't use anymore and still get a portion or a profit from the secondhand sales.