Refinery29 caught my eye yesterday on something big. Now, it’s a bit of a long shot, but there’s a chance that one of us could bring home one of the historic, coveted Hermès Birkin Bags for little more than a hundred pennies – you heard me $1 US Dollar.
NY-based Heritage Auctions is opening the brand-new Heritage Vintage – a weekly online weekly auction of vintage designer goods where the starting price of every single lot starts at only $1. The really exciting part is that each of these auctions will include either a Birkin or Kelly bag among the many offerings, making it your best chance to score one at a reasonable price without resorting to crime. Keep an eye on their website because the auctions and bidding are reported to start March 13th.
Images from CelebrityBagStyles.com
So what is it about the Birkin Bags? Obsessive, right?
My best friend and I just made a pack that on our 40th birthdays we will skip together to the Hermès store and spend the allowance we have saved and stashed away to purchase our dream bag. We have 3 years to save.
The Hermès Birkin bag is one of the most coveted bags of all time. Handmade in leather and named after actress and singer Jane Birkin, the bag is a symbol of wealth due to its high price and elusiveness to the public. The bags are handmade in France by expert artisans. The company’s signature saddle stitching, developed in the 1800s, is another distinctive feature.
Each bag is hand-sewn, buffed, painted, and polished, taking several days to finish. An average bag is created in 48 hours. Leathers are obtained from different tanners in France, resulting in varying smells and textures. Because of the individual craftsmanship, other details of the bags may not all match. The company justifies the cost of the Birkin bag, compared to other bags, based on the meticulous craftsmanship and scarcity.
Prices for the Birkins range from $9,000 to $150,000. Costs typically escalate according to the type of materials. The bags are distributed to Hermès boutiques on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities, creating scarcity and, intended or unintended, exclusivity.
So what about the celebrities? They all seem to have them…in every color. How is that possible.? Do they spend all of their money on these amazing handbags? Maybe, just maybe one of the Kardashians can send me a leftover, or one that is torn or unused. Between the three older sisters I bet they could spare just one.
