The RealReal has released its 2026 Resale Report, exploring how resale is reshaping the luxury market. The annual report, “The (R)evolution of Resale,” looked at what shoppers search for, save, consign, and sell on the platform, sifting through 15 years worth of data from more than 44 million shoppers and 50 million items sold.
The secondhand luxury market is growing rapidly. Thrift store shopping has become mainstream cool in recent years, and 93 percent of Americans are shopping online for secondhand items, as per a Capital One Shopping report cited by the outlet. “Even in an era of constant newness and overconsumption, there seems to be a growing appreciation for pieces with history,” said President and CEO Rati Sahi Levesque.
The secondary luxury market is growing three times faster than the primary luxury market, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group. It’s an indication that people are investing in what they like and what may hold value over time, said the report, and not just what’s new. Notably, 47 percent of consumers look into an item’s potential future resale value before making a purchase in the primary market, as per Capital One Shopping.
Half of The RealReal’s customers are Gen Z and Millennials, it said, and pre-owned luxury is their first choice. The report looked at what shoppers are buying city by city. New Yorkers are into quiet luxury, it said, while Miami leans toward maximalist resort wear, and Los Angeles has “expensive, edgy” taste. In San Diego, California, Bulgari is one of the top-purchased brands. In Dallas, shoppers are buying more than 2.5 times the national average of jewelry from David Yurman. In Atlanta, unbranded fine jewelry is outperforming top brands. In Prescott, Arizona, fine jewelry and watches from Rolex and Cartier are in “high demand from wealthy retirees with cash to invest in them,” said the report. Washington, D.C. was the only region with engagement rings among its top consigned items.
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With such a wide range of preferences, the platform’s algorithm must adjust constantly. The sheer volume of data allows the company to spot emerging tastes before they fully saturate the mainstream market. This ability to pivot based on granular regional data suggests that the resale model is becoming a flexible barometer for broader consumer behavior, rather than just a place to buy used goods.
Vintage and Nostalgia Trends
Demand for vintage items on The RealReal were up 432 percent from 2020 to 2026, said the report. The company defines vintage items as items that are at least 15 years old and “significant to fashion history, culturally relevant, and stylistically relevant.” Saved searches that were decade-specific were up 135 percent year-over-year, with the 1990s accounting for the highest overall search volume.
The 1990s trend is competing against Gen Z’s love for Y2K trends, with searches up 93 percent year-over-year. “Gen Z’s fixation on low-rise jeans and bedazzled tees is perplexing to anyone who actually lived through Y2K, but the decade’s cultural influence this past year is undeniable,” said the report. The report notes that shoppers’ nostalgia can be for a variety of time periods, as explored in our recent the 2026 State of the Majors story, “6 Things Retailers Should Know About Consumers Today.” They’re also searching for styles popular in the late 2000s and 2010s, like Acne Studios jeans and Rodarte dresses.
Belle Époque-inspired jewelry may be the next big thing. Belle Époque (around 1895-1914) styles are also making a comeback, said the report, with Matthieu Blazy, creative director at Chanel, and Jonathan Anderson, creative director at Dior, heavily referencing the early 20th century in recent collections. Dramatic drop-waist silhouettes and contrasting textures and color schemes take center stage, styles first made popular by the late French fashion designer Paul Poiret, the era’s “King of Fashion.”
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Could this love of the era lend itself to more Belle Époque-inspired jewelry? Jewelers of the era created delicate lace-like jewels, with flora, ribbon, and bow garland motifs, according to Lang Antiques, often made of platinum with many diamonds. The jewelry designs reflected the neoclassical and rococo motifs of the 18th-century French courts. Wearability was especially important, and many Belle Époque jewelry designs were transformable, like necklaces that convert into tiaras.
Searches for Art Deco were also up 71 percent year-over-year. John Galliano, whose designs will be the theme of the 2027 Met Gala—a choice that has generated controversy—was known for his Jazz era-esque bias-cut dresses and structural suits during his time at Dior. “The 1910s-1930s resurgence has only just begun—and the trend is already trickling down from the runway and into our closets,” said the report.
Specific Searches and Conditions
Shoppers’ searches were specific. The RealReal lets users set a saved search page, like Tiffany & Co. pearls, which will populate with any new listing that contains those terms. Email alerts let a user know it’s been updated. It’s a convenient way to stay on top of the search for a specific item.
One of several highly specific searches noted in the report was for “david yurman 18k topaz & diamond quatrefoil chandelier earrings est retail $6,800.” People also looked for “cartier mechanical pencil” and Retrouvai’s “Flying Pig” ring, seen at the top of the story. When filtering search results by item condition, shoppers weren’t necessarily looking for pristine pieces, with 32 percent of buyers choosing “fair,” either for a better price or because they wanted a distressed look, said the report.
