Websites feed frenzy for second-hand luxury handbags

SECOND HAND DEMAND: Clamour for one particular Birkin led to it setting a record recently for the most expensive handbag ever sold at a Christie

PARIS: Would you fork out US$8,000 (RM29,440) for an old handbag? For fashionistas who simply must get their hands on a rare model from an iconic brand, the answer is an emphatic yes. 

Thanks in part to the economic downturn, some of the stigma of buying second-hand accessories has eased in recent years – although many buyers still prefer to use euphemisms like “pre-owned”.