so why doesn't hermes support the secondary market?

dressage queen

dressage queen

O.G.
Aug 22, 2006
5,811
89
#1
i know some luxury brands are wary of the secondary market out of concerns for brand dilution and the notion that the perceived value of the brand will go down if purchased under less luxurious circumstances.

but that would not seem to apply to the secondary market for hermes bags, where used kellys and birkins can sell for 80 - 90% of their current "new" cost (assuming excellent condition). i find this if anything brand enhancing.

is it simply that they don't want to play into the reseller mark-up market? because i just cannot think of any reason hermes would be unhappy to hear that someone purchased a 2004 birkin for $7000. :shrugs: and not making people feel welcome to have such purchases authenticated at the stores plays right into the hands of the counterfeiters.

any insight?
 
#2
I heard somewhere years ago that hermes will no longer authenticate bags that were not from a Hermes store because of so many being sold on line and people taking them to the boutiques and asking questions about them.
 
#3
Putting on my "hermes" hat (figuratively that is)... with the sophisticated levels to which hermes forgery has reached, it is not to their interest to 'provide' support to the secondary market. Honestly, unless there is a resident craftsman in the store, I am not sure the SAs (at least not all) are able to verify that a certain bag bought off ebay is authentic - not least the legal implications of such an 'advice" if given wrongly...

Also, quite a few resellers are selling at a significant mark-up to the retail price. IMO, hermes by supporting the secondary market will encourage the higher mark-up. What is stopping a lot of people from buying off ebay is that they are dropping such a huge sum of money and not being entirely sure if the purchase is authentic...if they were willing to pay the higher premium in the first place
 
#4
The want you to purchase in the store. LV and Gucci has lost a lot of great people as customer, because the staff don't know their products. About 20 years a go you could get your bag clean and inspected on an annual basic, The turn over in retailsales is so high,people wanto coem in and steal the products.
 
#5
archangel said:
What is stopping a lot of people from buying off ebay is that they are dropping such a huge sum of money and not being entirely sure if the purchase is authentic...if they were willing to pay the higher premium in the first place
Click to expand...

that is why i ran to Hermes in Beverly Hills the minute i received my Birkin to have it embossed with my initials by the resident craftsperson. it was a sneaky way to verify authenticity. and because i'm probably the most paranoid person you'll ever meet, on my forthcoming trip to visit family in NYC where i'm originally from, i'll be going to the Hermes on Madison to have their resident craftsperson look at my bag for a little 'touch up' on the interior piping. it's totally not a big deal but a good excuse to get him to examine the bag. out of curiousity, would i be told right off the bat, "im sorry this isnt one of our bags" or would he entertain me until i actually hand it over for 'repair'? i am not worried about it, but to quiet the tiny voice in my mind, i would just feel better knowing both craftspeople on both coasts in the US authenticated my bag [in my own sneaky ways]
 
#6
I think because resellers to Hermes are a way people use to "cheat the system" in a way. H wants you to be a loyal customer before you buy your Birkin. They want you to experience the boutique and all that they have to offer. If you buy a marked up Birkin online it is kind of the antithesis of the experience in a way...from H's point of view. At least that's what I've heard from SAs. :shrugs:
* This is not how I feel, just what I've heard. * :flowers:

Also, about authenticating, I can't tell you how many times I've asked an H SA what type of leather a particuliar bag is and they said "Oh, I think it's *hurry and look at the tag* bull calf." So if they can't tell you what their own stock is I don't think they should authenticate. :lol: :flowers:
 
#9
mrssparkles said:
^^Gigi, you are so right, AGAIN. :flowers: "Documented" significant purchases do pave the way to the Birkin waitlist indeed, and ladies should only buy what they truly appreciate. I believe it more and more, as time passes.
Click to expand...

I agree with all the opinions expressed above.

One thing that I have a problem with is this: What if you only like the JPG Birkin? It's tough to be forced to buy other things which you may not really want in order to get on a waiting list.

But I guess it is what it is and you have to live with it, or no JPG Birkin. :sweatdrop:
 
#10
toreilly said:
I agree with all the opinions expressed above.

One thing that I have a problem with is this: What if you only like the JPG Birkin? It's tough to be forced to buy other things which you may not really want in order to get on a waiting list.

But I guess it is what it is and you have to live with it, or no JPG Birkin. :sweatdrop:
Click to expand...

I agree, only buy what you like, don't buy it for the sake of earning brownie points. I tried the latter method and it didn't work for me - I have a long track record of impulse buys. There's no guarantee that buying extra things will help you get your bag for sure. Case in point, I want an exotic shoulder birkin above ALL other bags, but after buying so much stuff (including quite a number of bags), my SA still tells me they don't exist AND I still hadn't any luck in getting any other bags on my wishlist ...

So, when there's no guarantee, it's better to just buy what you like so you won't regret it later. If there isn't anything else you like in the store, do NOT buy anything until something catches your eyes. I fount out recently that there are actually little trinkets here and there that are pretty reasonable but nice, but SAs are generally not very forward with that info.
 
#12
^^I do not know how the sale of JPG SB is being managed in other countries. It's best you check with your local Hermes store.

Over here, it is managed separately from the classic Birkin.
 
#13
interesting thoughts, ladies -- thanks. but i'm still not entirely "there" in understanding it. sure, it makes sense not to approve of the resellers who deal in new products priced at a premium. but what i'm wondering about is why they would frown upon sales of used bags. it doesn't undermine their market -- in fact it allows further purchases in some instances, an example being orchids selling her kelly to me so that she could buy her new birkins. and it certainly doesn't undermine the value or the luxury of the brand. if the pride of hermes is its craftsmanship, what better evidence could there be than being able to purchase a lovely kelly from 30 years ago?

it seems to me rather analogous to fine jewelry, where there is room for both a primary and secondary market.
 
#15
hello2703 said:
But DQ, is this really the case that H frown upon the sale of used bags?
And - more importantly - when are we going to see pics of your goodies ;)??
Click to expand...

I'm told that Hermes frowns upon the sale of bags, whether it be new or used. I know that my SA was talking about that with me the other day, saying that they didn't like it when their customers sell the used bags because they wanted the customers to be forever loyal to the bags they buy.

My point of view is, our taste evolve and change all the time, and sometimes things come up and we do need money. I believe that most of us won't go through the trouble of selling without a legitimate reason but that's what I'm told by my SA ...
 
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