Hermès Buying Tips: Why Are Birkin Bags So Expensive and How to Get One

How to Buy a Hermès Birkin Bag: Are Birkin Bags Worth The Price?

The Hermès Birkin bag is the most sought-after luxury handbag in the world. The Birkin bag is the most costly purse in fashion history, with prices ranging from $8,500 to over $300,000 at the store.

The price of a Birkin bag is determined by two factors: quality and demand. Even for the «cheapest» Birkin bag, Hermès spares no expense in manufacturing the highest quality handbag. Only the finest luxury leathers are used, which are recognized for their longevity, resistance, and supple feel. Exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich, and alligator are also used by Hermès. While several of the world’s most prestigious design houses employ these leathers, Hermès takes the lead by picking the best for the Birkin. Hermès tightly limits the amount of Birkin bags made, ensuring that demand for these opulent purses far outstrips supply.

The company has a rigorous strategy of only releasing a certain number of bags at a time, which drives up the price of a Birkin bag and makes obtaining one difficult and costly.

However, if you were fortunate enough to find and get a Birkin outside of the Hermes store, be wary of counterfeiters. Buying from pre-owned item merchants and sellers could imply you’re getting a phony. Authentication instructions or expert services might help you spot fake Hermes Birkin bag.

 

What’s So Special about Hermès Birkin?

By way of Sex and the City, the Birkin bag broke into pop culture with these immortal lines — it’s not a bag, it’s a Birkin! The Birkin, on the other hand, was immortalized by people who value quality long before we learned of Samantha’s journey. It’s easy to see why, given the value proposition.

Exceptional craftsmanship. A style that is timeless. A fascinating backstory. Extreme scarcity and popularity among the fashion elite. These factors influence the price and worth of the Birkin bag.

 

Why Birkin Bags Have Such a Big Price

1 — Premium Materials — Only the best luxury leathers are selected to be made into Hermès bags, and only the best of the best are made into Birkin bags, which, of course, adds to the cost of a Birkin bag.

The hardware on a Birkin bag is plated in gold or palladium, a beautiful, silvery-white metal that is more valuable than platinum. Both metals are resistant to tarnishing and add glitz to the bags.

2 — Handcrafted Production — These exquisite leathers and metals are handled by artisans who have worked at Hermès for years before being entrusted with a Birkin bag. Each Birkin takes at least 18 hours to make, and each one is branded with a code that indicates the year it was manufactured, the studio where it was made, and the craftsman who made it.

3 — Exclusiveness — Purchasing a Birkin is quite an experience due to the demand vs. supply scenario. A Birkin cannot be purchased simply by walking into a Hermès store. It entails being a regular customer of a boutique and creating and maintaining a «profile» – a record of purchases from the brand across a variety of product categories. You cannot ensure that you will be able to purchase the Birkin in the size, color, leather, or hardware of your choice, even if you create a profile of multiple purchases.

4 — Rise of popularity — A Birkin bag is coveted by heads of state, nobility, and celebrities, and it instantly expresses prestige. This timeless status symbol proves that you not only made it but that you did so in style.

 

How Can I Buy a Birkin Bag?

Purchasing an excellent Hermès luxury bag is significantly more difficult than the high price tag suggests.

A Birkin bag is not available for purchase on the Hermès website. You must instead go to one of the many Hermès boutiques throughout the world. Expect to find no Birkin bags for sale on display when you walk into the shop. If you happen to come across a Birkin on the premises and the SA thinks you’re deserving, you’ll be invited into a private room. A gloved SA will emerge from the back with a glass of champagne and a single bag. You might discover two or three bags to pick from if you’re lucky. The website does not allow you to purchase a Birkin.

Unless you are a Hermès VIP who has been specifically invited to custom order a bag, there is no way to purchase a Birkin bag in the size, color, leather, or hardware of your choice. While long-term clients may request a specific Birkin from their SAs, most requests are either ignored or require years to be completed.

Using a reputable reseller website or purchasing pre-owned Birkins are realistic possibilities for «regular» buyers. Second-Hand buyers should also request thorough images of the Birkin bag, as well as to disclosures of any faults or odors.

 

Is Birkin Worth My Money?

The famous handbag has been elevated to actual art because of Hermès’ commitment to exceptional quality materials and painstaking old-world workmanship. Hermès is known for its leather tanning and dying skills. This, paired with Hermès’ hand-stitched production technique, brings Hermès handbags to a level of craftsmanship that no other handbag manufacturer can equal. This bag is an investment, not just a handbag. If you can afford it, go ahead and enjoy. But there’s no need to spend your last cents on a purse like this. Also, if you really want a Birkin bag but can’t afford it, it’s wiser to look for alternatives than to buy a fake.