eBay has released the latest edition of the eBay Watchlist, a trend report revealing how fashion is being reshaped by the resale market.

Curated by eBay Resident Stylist Brie Welch, this edition explores a shift towards vintage authenticity and individual storytelling, as shoppers look beyond newness and back into fashion’s collective memory. “The most interesting pieces aren’t necessarily the newest ones; they’re the ones that have something to say,” said Welch.

The discovery edit

The archive effect:

• Searches for Matthieu Blazy jumped 291% as his first Chanel collection hit stores, while listings for Karl Lagerfeld-era Chanel climbed 87% year-on-year.
• Searches for Jonathan Anderson rose 92% following his first Dior couture show, while average sales prices for John Galliano-era Dior increased 81% year-to-date.
• Searches for Demna rose 42% following his first Gucci runway show, while listings for Tom Ford-era Gucci increased 49% year-on-year.
• Tom Ford’s collections for Yves Saint Laurent are gaining resale value, with average sales prices up 51%.

Global listing growth for defining designer eras:

• Balenciaga by Demna (+204%)
• Loewe by Jonathan Anderson (+200%)
• Chloé by Phoebe Philo (+165%)
• Chloé by Stella McCartney (+120%)
• Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs (+73%)
• Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière (+54%)
• Dior by John Galliano (+36%)

Resale in real time:

• The highest-value fashion and accessories sales on eBay Live in 2026 included a Rolex Daytona Platinum, sold for $170,365 by Tanner and Co, and a Hermès Colvert Porosus Crocodile Birkin 30, sold for $31,376 by Reserved Luxury.
• eBay Live seller Vookum’s “$5M Auction - BIGGEST LIVE EVER!” stream drew nearly 50,000 viewers, becoming eBay Live’s highest-value fashion and accessories stream of 2026.

Decades in demand:

• The word “vintage” was searched over 438 times per minute in 2026.
• Y2K leads era-driven searches at 1,300 times per hour, followed by vintage 90s (474), vintage 70s (305) and vintage 80s (292).
• Listings for early-2000s labels and looks are growing, including Von Dutch (+377%), Ed Hardy (+343%), Jean Paul Gaultier mesh tops (+200%), Prada Linea Rossa (+89%), Blumarine (+40%) and Manolo Blahnik (+23%).

Most purchased luxury brands eligible for eBay’s Authenticity Guarantee in 2026:

• Louis Vuitton
• Off-White
• Gucci
• Balenciaga
• Rolex
• Dior

The resale edit

Handbags with the highest average sales price growth:

• Ralph Lauren Bellport Tote (+664%)
• Gucci Jackie Small Bag (+141%)
• The Row Margaux Bag (+137%)
• Balenciaga Neo Bag (+108%)
• Gucci Giglio Bag (+103%)
• Dior Toujours Bag (+102%)

Return of the It bag - global listing growth:

• Balenciaga Le City (+936%)
• Loewe Amazona 180 (+440%)
• Valentino Garavani VLogo (+358%)
• Bottega Veneta Veneta (+158%)
• Chloé Paddington (+99%)
• Louis Vuitton Speedy Bandoulière (+80%)
• Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Andiamo (+43%)
• Fendi Baguette (+42%)
• Dior Saddle (+30%)
• Chanel 2.55 (+17%)
• Celine Phantom (+12%)

Timepieces gaining value - average sales price growth:

• Rolex 1908 (+1,591%)
• Patek Philippe Aquanaut (+959%)
• Rolex Land-Dweller (+435%)
• Cartier Tank Louis Cartier (+151%)
• Louis Vuitton Escale (+118%)
• Cartier Baignoire (+99%)

Sneakers gaining value - average sales price growth:

• Puma Speedcat Go (+191%)
• Saucony ProGrid Triumph 4 (+131%)
• Coach Soho Sneaker (+115%)
• ASICS x Ronnie Fieg (+105%)
• Reebok BB 4000 (+83%)
• Salomon x Sandy Liang (+78%)

The price of rarity:

• Hermès Birkins and Kellys accounted for nine of the top 10 highest-value fashion and accessories purchases on eBay this year.
• The outlier was a rare 1997 Raf Simons hooded bomber jacket, which sold for $49,750.

The culture edit

The most-purchased luxury brands globally (2026):

• Louis Vuitton
• Gucci
• Chanel
• Burberry
• Prada

Louis Vuitton and Gucci have held the top two spots for five consecutive years, while Chanel climbed from fifth to third in 2026, its highest position in five years.

Most purchased American labels:

• Ralph Lauren
• Coach
• Tommy Hilfiger
• Michael Kors
• J.Crew
• GAP
• Brooks Brothers
• Calvin Klein

Runway to resale:

• “Vintage t-shirt” was searched more than 5,532 times per hour on eBay in 2026.
• Global searches for “Prada skirt” spiked more than 360% following Prada’s Spring 2027 show in Milan.
• Searches for Simone Rocha increased over 95%, and for Glenn Martens over 45%, compared with the beginning of September.
• Searches for slingback heels and Chanel slingbacks increased over 65% and 50%, respectively, since the start of fashion month.

For the full report, visit ebay.com.