Saclab

SACLÀB is an online marketplace for pre-owned luxury handbags, focused on hard-to-find pieces from houses such as Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Bottega Veneta, including so-called "waitlist bags". Rather than allowing direct peer-to-peer trading, the company operates a curated inventory model and provides a full-service, concierge-style process for sellers that covers intake, authentication, professional product photography, pricing and buyer matching within its collector network.

Items arriving at SACLÀB's headquarters are inspected for authenticity and condition under a defined protocol before being listed or dispatched; a portion of the catalogue is held by vetted external partner companies that handle initial authentication, photography and storage, with a second in-house inspection performed in Munich once an item sells. Buyer-facing services include free worldwide express shipping, 14-day returns within the EU, insured parcels with in-parcel location trackers on orders above €5,000, virtual advisory appointments with consultants, a bag-sourcing request service, 24-hour bag reservations and split payments across multiple stages and cards. The company states it is not affiliated with the brands it resells.

Founding story

Co-founder Jan-Oliver Stück developed an interest in luxury vintage goods while working at e-commerce and premium-market startups after studying technology entrepreneurship at UCL and London Business School, and opened a sole-trader business in Munich trading handbags from Givenchy, Celine, Prada and Bottega Veneta. Recognising the potential of that side business in 2016, he and his sister Alexandra — a Design Academy Eindhoven graduate who had worked with interior designer Ilse Crawford and at textiles company Kvadrat — planned an expanded company in mid-2017 and founded SACLÀB in 2018, concentrating on high-value brands such as Chanel and Hermès. Alexandra has cited interest in secondhand and upcycled fashion and in extending the life of well-made luxury goods as a motivation.

Business model

SACLÀB sources pre-owned handbags from private sellers, either buying directly or selling on consignment, and resells them through its own website. It states low commission rates for sellers, and a buyer's premium of 13% is included in each item's price, covering authentication, worldwide express shipping, in-parcel trackers on higher-value orders, EU returns and customer service. Adjacent offerings include gift cards and virtual advisory appointments.

Revenue derives from the margin on resold handbags together with seller commission and a 13% buyer's premium embedded in listed prices.

Traction

By 2023 the company reported a client network in more than 20 countries and described itself as a top-tier address among collectors; it operated profitably enough to bootstrap its first three years and set a goal of a tenfold turnover increase following the seed round. Its record transaction was a €265,000 Hermès Birkin sold in summer 2022.

Latest developments

The company continues to publish market-facing editorial such as Hermès and Chanel investment reports for 2026 and seasonal bag-trend features, and lists inventory across Hermès, Chanel, Dior and Bottega Veneta with regional storefronts for the EU, US, Hong Kong and global buyers.