Once again a single handbag sold at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong for $223,000, breaking a world record for handbags sold at auction. No guessing the brand, yes of course it was a pink crocodile-skin Hermès Birkin with gold and diamond hardware. Hermes is always the bag that is a the top of the resale value.
A new Birkin can cost from $13000 to a much higher price of $220,000 and they have been known to sell on the secondary market for more than their original sales price. Recently an albino crocodile skin, diamond-encrusted Birkin sold at auction for $186,000 on eBay. The problem consumers have is that you have to wait for around 6 years to but a Hermes bag and longer for their crocodile bags. The Berkin 25 is always a favourite.
How did the business get started? In 1938 Hermès made award-winning harnesses and bridles for horse-drawn carriages, and soon moved into saddlery. In the 1950s the company introduced handbags, silk scarves and jewellery and now makes luggage, ready to wear clothing, footwear, fragrance, stationery, tableware and much more.
Where did the name Hermes Birkin come from? Singer Jane Birkin sat next to Hermes Hermès’ then-chairman Jean-Louis Dumas when they were seated next to each other on a plane. Jane Birkin explained the problem of finding a good quality bag which would all the the things she needed from this conversation came the Hermes Birkin bag.
The bags are repairable for life, and because of their quality, could likely be passed down as an heirloom. “There’s more that goes into that price than just paying for the Hermès name,” said Marissa N. Stempien, the fashion editor of JustLuxe.com. “The Birkin is an extraordinarily well made bag. Each one is handmade by trained craftsmen and can take over 18 hours to make, and that number can be doubled if working on exceptional pieces such as those accessorized with diamonds.”
The bags can last a life because the are repairable. . “The Birkin is an extraordinarily well made bag. This includes the Birkin 25. Each one is handmade by trained craftsmen and can take over 18 hours to make, and that number can be doubled if working on exceptional pieces such as those accessorized with diamonds.”
Stempien raises the example of one of the Birkin’s most popular and difficult to source leathers, crocodile skin. “[Crocodiles] require many years to reach maturity, the hide must be untarnished, they must be attended to constantly and the crocodile farms must meet strict ethical standards before they can sell internationally. Even after all this, luxury brands will only take the very best of and priciest of skins.”
Hermes bags are famous for their crocodile bags. “[Crocodiles] require many years to reach maturity, the hide must be untarnished, they must be cared for constantly and the crocodile farms must meet strict ethical standards before they can sell internationally. Of course luxury brands will only take the very best of and priciest of skins.”
