【Pennsylvania】Watch Marketplace 1916 Company Enters Handbag Resale Game with New Acquisition

by

Editor’s Note

The 1916 Company, known for watches and jewelry, is entering the secondhand handbag market through the acquisition of Luxury in Reach. This strategic move broadens its luxury resale portfolio.

Expansion into Handbags

The 1916 Company, a major player in new and secondhand watches and jewelry, is expanding its offerings to include secondhand handbags. The Pennsylvania-based company announced on Monday the full acquisition of Luxury in Reach, a Maryland-based handbag resale platform founded by Lauren Lynch Schuster. Schuster is joining 1916 Company to oversee designer handbag sales.

Strategic Fit and Market Parallels

For both Schuster and 1916 Company CEO John Shmerler, the overlap between handbags and watches made the match a natural fit. Both are luxury items with strong collector cultures, value retention, and robust secondary markets.

“It’s a vertical that makes perfect sense for what we do,” Shmerler said. “We believe in the secondary market. These types of items [handbags] hold their value, and they attract collectors. There are so many parallels to watches and jewelry.”
Integration and Live Shopping Strategy

Handbags from Luxury in Reach are now available on 1916 Company’s website and select physical stores. Schuster will continue hosting popular live-shopping streams, which she sees as a key competitive edge.

“We’re going to start doing more shows,” Schuster said. “We’ll introduce more categories. We’ll definitely be selling more watches and jewelry. And while it will still be me and Miranda, we’ll bring in more experts on these other categories. We want it to be a one-stop for everything luxury.”
Business Model and Market Context

Shmerler highlighted that owning all inventory differentiates 1916 Company from peer-to-peer resellers, building trust through authenticity. The global fashion resale market is projected to reach $360 billion by 2030.

“We own all of our inventory,” Shmerler said. “There are a lot of resellers that are very transactional — they barely touch the item. This is a market that relies on authenticity and trust. We decided early on to take a different path from some competitors.”
Full article: View original |
⏰ Published on: December 05, 2025