The RealReal’s 2025 Resale Report

Rhea-AI Summary

The RealReal (NASDAQ: REAL), the leading online luxury resale marketplace, has released its comprehensive 2025 Resale Report, revealing significant trends in the secondary luxury market. The report, based on data from over 40 million members, shows strong performance in investment categories like fine jewelry and classic handbags.

Key findings highlight that nearly one-third of U.S. clothing purchases were secondhand, with 47% of consumers considering resale value before making new purchases. Notable investment pieces showed impressive value appreciation, including Rolex Datejusts (+17%), Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry (+20%), and Hermès Birkin 30 (+15%). The report also reveals significant growth in vintage searches (+30% year-over-year) and the rising influence of American designers, with emerging brands like Diotima seeing substantial growth (+152%).

Positive

• Strong resale value growth in luxury assets: Rolex (+17%), Van Cleef & Arpels (+20%), Hermès (+15%)
• Expanding marketplace with over 40 million members
• 30% increase in vintage searches year-over-year
• 47% of consumers now consider resale value in purchase decisions
• Record resale prices for fine jewelry with 17% year-over-year increase

Negative

• None.

Insights

Luxury Retail Analyst

The RealReal shows strength in the growing resale market with 40M members and data revealing investment-minded consumers increasingly valuing resale potential.

The RealReal's 2025 Resale Report reveals several significant market dynamics that showcase the company's position in the luxury resale ecosystem. With a substantial community of over 40 million members, the company has successfully transformed from disruptor to an established player in the luxury goods lifecycle.

The report highlights compelling consumer behavior trends: 47% of consumers now factor resale value into initial purchase decisions, while 30% of clothing purchased in the U.S. last year was secondhand. This signals a fundamental shift in consumer mindset from purely consumption to investment-oriented purchasing.

The data on appreciation of specific luxury items is particularly noteworthy, showing strong year-over-year value increases for classic investment pieces: Rolex Datejusts (+17%), Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry (+20%), Hermès Birkin 30 (+15%), and Louis Vuitton Speedy bags (+13%). These numbers demonstrate that The RealReal is effectively capturing high-value inventory with sustained appreciation potential.

The report also captures how cultural moments drive marketplace dynamics. For example, Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl appearance in Celine jeans generated a 963% surge in related searches, highlighting how The RealReal benefits from pop culture's influence on luxury demand patterns.

Particularly intriguing is the emergence of the "Patina Effect" - with sales of items in Fair Condition increasing 32% year-over-year. This trend toward visibly worn items indicates a market segment valuing authenticity and character over pristine condition, potentially expanding the company's consignment inventory opportunities.

The growth in vintage searches (30% year-over-year) coupled with the strong performance of fine jewelry (ASPs up 17%) signals a maturing customer base increasingly viewing luxury purchases through an investment lens rather than just fashion consumption.

The Economics of Resale, From Investment Jewelry to Nostalgic Comebacks

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The RealReal (Nasdaq: REAL) – the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated resale luxury goods – today released its annual Resale Report. For the past 14 years, The RealReal has been at the forefront of a cultural shift, redefining luxury resale as both desirable and accessible. With a community of more than 40 million members, the company enables people to discover pieces they love while unlocking the value of luxury assets in their closets. Drawing on years of proprietary data and authentication expertise, the 2025 Resale Report explores the state of luxury resale today, analyzing the shopping and consignment behaviors of The RealReal’s members and highlighting the cultural and economic forces reshaping demand and value.

Findings show that fine jewelry and timeless handbags continued to hold strong, while cultural shifts, the current political climate, and creative director shakeups also shaped demand. Nostalgia remained a powerful force, fueling the revival of 2010s fashion and high heels alongside the return of 1980s maximalism. The Row stayed a defining anchor among American brands, while both established names like Coach and emerging voices such as Diotima gained fresh relevance with new takes on American style. Vintage pieces reached new highs, with nearly 30% more members searching for vintage this year than last, as shoppers sharpened their eye for long-term value, turning to resale to both express personal style and invest strategically.

“Resale has gone from disruptor to cornerstone in the consumer journey: *nearly one-third of clothing purchased in the U.S. last year was secondhand, and 58% of consumers now prefer the secondary market outright. Today, shoppers are not only defining their style through resale, they’re also considering resale value at the point of purchase. In a year defined by instability, AI blurring real and synthetic, and trends flattened by social media, consumers rejected uniformity and sought out pieces that felt real, unfiltered, and unreplicable. The result is a moment in fashion not shaped by brands or trends, but by individuals expressing their personal style.” — Rati Levesque, CEO & President, The RealReal.

2025 RESALE REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

• The Economics of Resale
  
  
  • With inflation and rising retail prices, consumers are increasingly factoring resale value into purchase decisions: *47% now consider resale value before buying new.
  • Accessories Are Assets: Some of the smartest investments in 2025 weren’t on Wall Street. Resale values climbed steadily for classics like Rolex Datejusts (+17%), Goyard Saint Louis totes (+18%), Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry (+20%), Hermès Birkin 30 (+15%), and Louis Vuitton Speedy bags (+13%)
    
    
• The Brands That Defined the Year
  
  
  • Top 10 most-searched brands, plus breakout year-over-year search leaders: Coach, Ferragamo, Pucci, Toteme
  • American Designers on the Rise: CFDA members drove strong momentum — Diotima (+152%), Zankov (+65%), Marina Moscone (+44%)
    
    
• Creative Director Shakeups & Cultural Moments
  
  
  • Jonathan Anderson is The RealReal’s Creative Director of the Year — Loewe searches spiked +488% following his departure
  • Celebrity impact: Kendrick Lamar’s Celine Super Bowl jeans drove “Celine Flare Jeans” searches +963% in 24 hours
  • Comeback Brand of the Year: Isabel Marant, now the #1 most-searched contemporary label (+54% year-over-year)
    
    
• Trend Resurgences
  
  
  • Maximalism Returns: 1980s silhouettes, sequins, fur, vintage Mugler suits
  • 2010s Nostalgia: Hervé Léger bandage dresses (+106%), a high-heel revival led by Louboutin, Manolo, D&G, and Giuseppe Zanotti (+24–45%), and reissued It Bags like the Balenciaga City, Chloé Paddington, and Fendi Spy
     
• The Patina Effect
  • Sales of Fair Condition items +32% year-over-year, with growth driven by new buyers (+40%)
  • Distressed brown leather jackets +155%
  • Sticker-covered Rimowa luggage +65%
  • Bags showing visible wear +45%
     
• Weddings & Generational Shifts
  
  
  • Wedding searches surged across generations: Gen Z (+55%), Boomers (+45%)
  • Bridal standouts: Danielle Frankel (+67%), Vivienne Westwood (+73%), vintage engagement rings (+198%)
    
    
• Investment Categories
  
  
  • Fine jewelry average selling prices rose +17% year-over-year, with sterling silver being the highest they’ve ever been
  • Tiffany & Co. posted record resale prices
  • Piaget Polo crowned The Watch to Watch (+285% in sales year-over-year), alongside generational watch preferences
    
    

 The full 2025 Resale Report is available here.

*Source: Capital One Shopping, Thrifting Statistics, 2025.

About The RealReal
The RealReal is the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods, with more than 40 million members. With a rigorous authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their luxury items. We have hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by thousands of brands across numerous categories—including women's and men's fashion, fine jewelry and watches, art and home—in support of the circular economy. We make selling effortless with free virtual appointments, in-home pickup, drop-off and direct shipping. We handle all of the work for consignors, including authenticating, using AI and machine learning to determine optimal pricing, photographing and listing their items, as well as shipping and customer service.

Press Contact:
Mallory Johnston
Head of PR
pr@therealreal.com

FAQ

What are the top performing luxury items on The RealReal (NASDAQ:REAL) in 2025?

The top performing items include Rolex Datejusts (+17%), Goyard Saint Louis totes (+18%), Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra jewelry (+20%), Hermès Birkin 30 (+15%), and Louis Vuitton Speedy bags (+13%).

How has The RealReal's (REAL) market presence grown in 2025?

The RealReal has built a community of over 40 million members, with nearly one-third of U.S. clothing purchases being secondhand, and 58% of consumers preferring the secondary market.

What are the emerging trends in The RealReal's 2025 Resale Report?

Key trends include a surge in vintage searches (+30%), rising American designers like Diotima (+152%), strong performance in fine jewelry (+17% ASP), and increased interest in items showing wear and character.

How are wedding-related purchases performing on The RealReal platform?

Wedding-related searches showed significant growth across generations, with Gen Z increasing by 55% and Boomers by 45%. Notable growth in bridal brands included Danielle Frankel (+67%) and Vivienne Westwood (+73%).

What impact do creative director changes have on luxury brand demand at The RealReal?

Creative director changes significantly impact demand, as evidenced by Loewe searches spiking 488% following Jonathan Anderson's departure. He was named The RealReal's Creative Director of the Year.