The Rare And Valuable Vintage Luggage Brands Collectors Are Thrilled To Find At The Thrift Store

Fashions come and go, but vintage never goes out of style. Many of us feel a unique delectation as we pick through thrift stores, browsing racks of secondhand garments and (literally) holding history in our hands. There are reasons past generations wore bellbottoms and cloche hats in the first place, and excitement builds as they're dusted off and worn in public once more. The same goes for other retro wares, like Tiffany lamps and vinyl records. Some of us like to incorporate this kind of shopping into our journeys; here's how to turn your road trip into a treasure hunt for amazing one-of-a-kind souvenirs.

For travelers — and people who just love the idea of travel — another item has attracted fans: vintage luggage. In 2024, British antiquarian Luke Honey wrote eloquently about this trend in a blog post. "Today, vintage luggage is popular with collectors and interior designers," Honey asserted. "Aficionados appreciate the nostalgic aspect, attracted by the glamour and romance of luxury travel in an earlier, more elegant age. Designers also like to stack trunks and suitcases, as much for display as for use."

In the days before plastic frames and roller bags, most luggage looked very different from the containers we use today. You wouldn't expect to spot a leather-covered suitcase or wooden steamer trunk on a modern airport carousel, but these were once standard accoutrements. Just as the TV show "Mad Men" reintroduced skinny ties and pencil skirts to 21st-century viewers, these old-timey clothing-carriers remind us of a more romantic era. "Luxury French manufacturers of the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Louis Vuitton and Goyard, are highly sought after," Honey continues. "A rare, zinc-covered Louis Vuitton "Explorer" Cabin Trunk from 1895 sold for £66,000 (hammer price) at Toovey's auctioneers in 2023."

If collecting the luxury luggage of yesteryear sounds like your kind of hobby — and you have the disposable income to spend on it — online classifieds like eBay, Etsy, or Vinted are by far the easiest way to track them down. You can browse listing after listing of classic designs on any of these sites, with items dating back decades or even a full century. According to the online consignment shop Menswear Market, its most popular brands are Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Hermès, among other posh European designers. You can often find bargains on these items, thanks to estate sales and downsizing households. Take the usual precautions about purchasing, especially from new or unreviewed sellers.

More proactive collectors may find themselves in actual stores; just about every town and neighborhood has its antiques dealer, and there are at least 10 "Antique Capitals" to shop in America. Purveyors can be very knowledgeable about the origins and history of the suitcases they sell, and this kind of shopping can feel much more personal than clicking through a website. If you're really serious, you can try your hand at bidding; luxury antiques routinely end up at auction.

So what do you actually do with old-timey bags? Does anyone schlep through an airport terminal with a $1,400 Fendi suitcase from the 1970s? Probably not; as Honey opines, collectors tend to use vintage luggage for household decoration. Steamer trunks have long been repurposed as plinths and coffee tables, and vintage cases can be stacked like bricks or displayed on shelves, covering entire walls. That said, there are at least 5 vintage travel accessories that everyone should have.