“Prices have increased enormously”: luxury bags, the new target of choice for robbers

Monday, September 30, in the heart of Paris, several men robbed a Louis Vuitton store using a ramming car. Three months earlier, it was a Chanel boutique that was the target of burglars. Each time, it is the luxury bags that are coveted. Why are these accessories so popular with thieves? For Jérôme Lalande, expert at the Paris Court of Appeal in fine leather goods, the answer is simple. “On these bags, we are looking at prices that range between 20,000 and 30,000 euros,” he answers in the TF1 8 p.m. report at the top of this article.

The market has become global, there is very high demand and prices have increased enormously.

Jérôme Lalande, expert at the Paris Court of Appeal in fine leather goods

The luxury bag sector has never done so well and therefore inevitably attracts criminals. “Now, we’re stealing bags as much as jewelry. And that’s a phenomenon that’s about five years old. There are several reasons for that: the market has become global, there’s very strong demand and the prices have increased enormously, so we have very high resale values ​​for second-hand products.continues our expert.

Thus, a small second-hand Hermès bag sells for 60,500 euros for example. The big luxury houses have been increasing the price of their bags in recent years. Some examples: the Speedy model from Louis Vuitton went from 800 euros in 2018 to 1,550 euros in 2024, or double. The Lady Dior Mini was worth 4,300 euros two years ago, 400 euros more today. The price of the Chanel Timeless bag has increased by more than 2,000 euros in two years. A treasure for thieves.

But how do they then sell this merchandise? “Either, you already have pre-orders that the sponsor would have taken, which can happen, either on social networks or on Snapchat. Now it’s going extremely quickly,” explains Reda Belhaj, spokesperson for the SGP Ile-de-France Unit. In addition, some thieves do not hesitate to post their thefts online on second-hand sales sites. Difficult, if not impossible, for the platforms to know that the article came from a theft. These only sanction in the event of a report. “If an item in an advert is reported to us by a rights holder or law enforcement as stolen, we will permanently block the user,” assure Vinted.

To avoid selling stolen bags, the Monogram boutique, specializing in second-hand luxury in Paris, has a website, but meets each person who wishes to drop off a bag. Name, first name, contact details… The company fills out what is called a police book which can be sent to the police on request. Enough to discourage dishonest sellers. “When we ask them for key information, such as an email box, a telephone number or especially their identity document, at that moment, it’s a roadblock. If you don’t have your identity document, you do not have the means to provide us with clear and precise information, we cannot generate the seizure of our deposit. So, either you have it or you leave.including Beverly Sonego, the founder.

• Read also

  “It was worth 250,000 euros”: more and more luxury watches snatched from their owners’ wrists

For their part, many luxury brands have their bags engraved or stamped with a unique number or hide a chip inside. But this only allows the brand to know the history of the bag and not to geolocate it. Furthermore, no police department is responsible for searching for stolen bags. The priority of law enforcement is to find the perpetrators.