I have none up to now (as I want to learn more about the right bag fore me first - so I'm reading and reading tpf), but I think I would like to get my first in a hermes store. As really to hunt it (if this makes any sense).

More than half my Hermes bag collection was bought second hand/used. (I have never bought a brand new H bag at inflated prices from a reseller, however) Having said that, nowadays, I would feel very apprehensive buying even a slightly used Birkin or Kelly because of the super fakes out there. However, I would feel more confident buying lesser known Hermes bag styles second hand from a trusted reseller. I may be wrong, but I just don't think there is a market for super fakes with these styles.

^^Yes I would think you are safer with a lesser known style, though I'm sure the fakers fake more styles than we realize. What makes me especially upset is when I see an obvious fake B scuffed up by the fake seller....sometimes buyers assume because it looks slightly used that it's authentic.....

this thread is funny!
there was a thread started not so long ago where the OP asked for the percentage of new and preowned bags and there most of the posts were about new bags.
I started to wonder why there were so many members asking for autentification of preowned bags and most of the members had a 100 % hermes boutique bought bags.
now I see that I am not the only one buying from resellers:) !
as already posted I don´t want to wait for ages for something I want know and I always tend to like leathers not available or hard to get (barenia, vache naturelle, box), I love the resellers route.
although I learned to buy from trusted resellers and so far always payed reasonable prices for nearly everything I have.
I think it also depends on the shop and SA you have in your country. My store is :(
the resllers I dealt with were great! and shopping should also be fun!

Yes some of the beest Hermes bags are vintage... I have several and I

still wear & enjoy them...

As much as I m worried about the fakes, but sometimes I have no choice but to turn to pre-loved or reseller since, you cant always get what you want in the boutique. But like many had 'inputed' here, i will get a better condition bag and the price could be more expensive then getting it from boutique ie the price of getting a new bag to a good condition pre-loved bag is no big difference)

even Hermes isnt aware of those designs.

Originally Posted by purselover888

^^Yes I would think you are safer with a lesser known style, though I'm sure the fakers fake more styles than we realize. What makes me especially upset is when I see an obvious fake B scuffed up by the fake seller....sometimes buyers assume because it looks slightly used that it's authentic.....

I am going to stick with new as I am very OCD with my bags . :) lol

The pre-loved market is a fabulous place. New, boutique-acquired bags are of course marvelous--but so are the older wonders that can't be produced these days or would be hard to special order, from vache naturelle to barenia to exquisite black box to rouge h chamonix. I tend to be traditional in my desires (the most outlandish thing I've acquired has been a Venetian Rouge Marwari--and I admit to dying over Bleu Electrique), so that helps in the pre-loved market. Oh--and not wanting a Birkin. Although someday I hope for a well-used HAC in a saddle leather or toile--and the pre-loved market will be perfect for that.

If there were a single H bag that would work for me, I'd be stalking every secondary-market source trying to hunt it down. I have no problem with used as long as someone treated it halfway decently, or I could recondition it myself.

i have nothing but glowing reviews for the reseller market, i have had great experiences. of course some prices are insane. but if you figure you are paying a 2k-3k markup-- it really isn't that bad. because how often can you walk right into a H boutique, and without buying anything at all, be offered the *exact* bag size, color, leather, hardware you wanted? even if you start spending $2-3k, on stuff you want or not want, the time and likelihood of your dream combo popping up is still low.

with resellers you pay the (ideally small) premium not to wait, not to play games and to get exactly what you want. nothing wrong with that!

Originally Posted by for the love

I am going to stick with new as I am very OCD with my bags . :) lol

I'm OCD too, but in a different way - I'm OCD about the color, leather and hardware combination. If I can't get the exact combination at the store or it takes too long to order one, I have no issues looking to the reseller market if the premium is not too high.

Half of mine are brand new.... and NOTHING beats the thrill of a brand new B, but having said that, picking up a lovely second hand one in excellent condition (that you are sure is authentic) is pretty much a high too.

I've purchased some bags from H but am finding the reseller route much better lately. I have my staple bags so now I'm hunting those items that are on my wish list. The two bags I bought last were a vache naturel birkin and a box Kelly. The VN birkin would be impossible to get and box is such a rarity these days. I can't bring myself to pay more than retail though. The box 35 was actually a little less than half retail so I couldn't pass it up.

Originally Posted by pgr

I prefer a new bag

I would not mind a preloved bag or 'vintage' bag.
Since the waiting list is so long ( if you manage to get your name on it at all), a preloved bag is a good option....