Am I too poor for Hèrmes?

[laurasaprincess]

Thank you for sharing your opinion on this thread and for leading me to helpful threads. To be honest, I’m becoming a little turned off from the brand. I don’t want to be in an exclusive club where many are left out, especially just because I can afford it. If that was subconsciously appealing to me, I’m a little disappointed in myself. I don’t want to get too political here and no judgement! ❤️

Yes, I think one could say in general, a brand that carries $45,000 armchairs, $2500 diaper bags, $1,000 shoes, and handbags that start at $2300 (for canvas), and run around $8,000 on average, is a brand whose demographic is the very wealthy. They don’t check one’s bank statement at the the door though, and everyone who can pay the bill is welcome to shop. Whether and how you get a Birkin is an entirely different question, and that is covered extensively on some other threads. For those questions, the shopping threads, the Maintaining an H Relationship and others are very helpful. Good luck in your quest!

 

[CMilly]

I am starting to find this whole thread a little off putting. If you like things at Hermes and want to buy them then do so. If you don’t there are many other brands happy to sell you goods and take your money. Buy what you love regardless of brand. I have purses that at worth 200 and purse worth much more. I do not buy things I don’t love. Period. Could care less who else loves them.

 

[laurasaprincess]

If you find it off putting I’d recommend you don’t watch and comment. Additionally, I never stated I wanted to buy things because others loved them.

I am starting to find this whole thread a little off putting. If you like things at Hermes and want to buy them then do so. If you don’t there are many other brands happy to sell you goods and take your money. But what you love regardless of brand. I have purses that at worth 200 and purse worth much more. I do not buy things I don’t love. Period. Could care less who else loves them.

 

[papertiger]

All appropriate threads and comments are welcome, this thread asks a valid question and members are entitled and even encouraged to give their opinion.

No one need respond to this post, just carry on in a positive way please..

 

[Etriers]

Thank you for sharing your opinion on this thread and for leading me to helpful threads. To be honest, I’m becoming a little turned off from the brand. I don’t want to be in an exclusive club where many are left out, especially just because I can afford it. If that was subconsciously appealing to me, I’m a little disappointed in myself. I don’t want to get too political here and no judgement! ❤️

I am having a little trouble following your question now. Hermes isn’t a club dear, it’s just a nice store. A Birkin takes a single craftsperson at least 48 hours to make, which is more than the French work week. There are mass-produced bags on the market that are more accessible price-wise and with some hunting, you may be able to find a nice hand-made leather bag that costs considerably less than a Birkin. I think there is a thread for that in the general handbags forum. Maybe clarifying your question would be a good idea.

 

[papertiger]

I am having a little trouble following your question now. Hermes isn’t a club dear, it’s just a nice store. A Birkin takes a single craftsperson at least 48 hours to make, which is more than the French work week. There are mass-produced bags on the market that are more accessible price-wise and with some hunting, you may be able to find a nice hand-made leather bag that costs considerably less than a Birkin. I think there is a thread for that in the general handbags forum. Maybe clarifying your question would be a good idea.

In another post OP has already stated it's not a B she's interested in. I think H has (or had) club like qualities to it when even money couldn't get people what they want. I also think that aspect is apparent much less these days. Obviously not all their bags are handmade and at that price point. There are some very nice bags at comparable to other brands. However, great point about how outside major designers there are some great handmade bags for much less.

The question is: Am I too poor for Hermès?

 

[Rouge H]

The question is: Am I too poor for Hermès?

How can a stranger intelligently answer this question?​

 

[pinkorchid20]

The question is: Am I too poor for Hermès?

How can a stranger intelligently answer this question?​

Agree...
However, I get OP‘s point and think we have seen some insightful answers already. I personally don’t think there is a clear yes or no as it will depend on many different factors that we cannot objectively take into consideration. In theory, if we have the spare money to spend, no, we are not too poor. Will you be successful in purchasing what you want in your particular store with that amount available? Not necessarily. I can afford Hermès because I choose to spend my money on it but cannot do so excessively. Certainly not too poor to play the game in most locations or just to buy what I enjoy within my means. For my local store this unfortunately means I am “too poor“ as the local clientele is very well off and you seem to get squeezed in order to be offered what the upper class doesn’t want. Even though I spend a significant amount, I won’t even come close to what most other clients spend at my store, so I am not as relevant. Hence, I look elsewhere and am lucky to be interested in discontinued leathers so I often shop vintage/2nd hand.
Again, not something that is easy to assess and is likely to depend on varying factors that will be different for every individual (location, store, population, demographics, preferences etc).

 

[westcoastgal]

Thank you for sharing your opinion on this thread and for leading me to helpful threads. To be honest, I’m becoming a little turned off from the brand. I don’t want to be in an exclusive club where many are left out, especially just because I can afford it. If that was subconsciously appealing to me, I’m a little disappointed in myself. I don’t want to get too political here and no judgement! ❤️

Based upon what you’ve said I think you are not too poor for Hermès. However if you feel the brand is not aligned with your value system, then I agree it’s best to shop elsewhere, as I think you’d have a more enjoyable shopping experience elsewhere. All luxury is meant to be somewhat exclusive, and some brands play more with created scarcity or exclusivity than others. We all have brands that turn us off, and just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you will want to pursue it. There are several brands I leave alone also!

 

[EmilyM111]

Thank you for sharing your opinion on this thread and for leading me to helpful threads. To be honest, I’m becoming a little turned off from the brand. I don’t want to be in an exclusive club where many are left out, especially just because I can afford it. If that was subconsciously appealing to me, I’m a little disappointed in myself. I don’t want to get too political here and no judgement! ❤️

Hope you’ll take it lightheartedly - Chanel or even LV are excluding like 90% of the population due to prices (trust me, I come from Eastern Europe where Chanel bag gets you a nice car). I’d focus on the quality and longevity that Hermes provides (even for so called entry level bags).

 

[papertiger]

Agree...
However, I get OP‘s point and think we have seen some insightful answers already. I personally don’t think there is a clear yes or no as it will depend on many different factors that we cannot objectively take into consideration. In theory, if we have the spare money to spend, no, we are not too poor. Will you be successful in purchasing what you want in your particular store with that amount available? Not necessarily. I can afford Hermès because I choose to spend my money on it but cannot do so excessively. Certainly not too poor to play the game in most locations or just to buy what I enjoy within my means. For my local store this unfortunately means I am “too poor“ as the local clientele is very well off and you seem to get squeezed in order to be offered what the upper class doesn’t want. Even though I spend a significant amount, I won’t even come close to what most other clients spend at my store, so I am not as relevant. Hence, I look elsewhere and am lucky to be interested in discontinued leathers so I often shop vintage/2nd hand.
Again, not something that is easy to assess and is likely to depend on varying factors that will be different for every individual (location, store, population, demographics, preferences etc).

Pre-loved is certainly a wonderful way to go for the H connoisseur, practically bargains

 

[Pimpernel]

Most people are, indeed, too poor to shop AT Hermès. Not just because of the already overpriced items, but because of the hidden extra wurst every client has to pay upfront (the SA "relationship" rigmarole).

But nobody is too poor to shop Hermès, period. Sans even resellers. For instance, I feel sorry for the poor tourists putting up with the almost sadistic Vienna SAs when, right around the corner, there are at least two serious consignment stores where you can find several authentic B/Ks in excellent condition for 2/3 of the original price.

You can also just fly to Paris and spend a day perusing through the ginormous selection of H preloved items (bags, SLG, watches, silks, jewellery) that Collectorsquare has in its quaint shop near Solferino.

 

[Sofiko]

Most people are, indeed, too poor to shop AT Hermès. Not just because of the already overpriced items, but because of the hidden extra wurst every client has to pay upfront (the SA "relationship" rigmarole).

But nobody is too poor to shop Hermès, period. Sans even resellers. For instance, I feel sorry for the poor tourists putting up with the almost sadistic Vienna SAs when, right around the corner, there are at least two serious consignment stores where you can find several authentic B/Ks in excellent condition for 2/3 of the original price.

You can also just fly to Paris and spend a day perusing through the ginormous selection of H preloved items (bags, SLG, watches, silks, jewellery) that Collectorsquare has in its quaint shop near Solferino.

Agree regarding H Vienna - the most awful service

 

[karenjade]

For my local store this unfortunately means I am “too poor“ as the local clientele is very well off and you seem to get squeezed in order to be offered what the upper class doesn’t want. Even though I spend a significant amount, I won’t even come close to what most other clients spend at my store, so I am not as relevant.

I think this captures it nicely for me. When I think of shopping at any other designer’s stores, I gauge if I can afford their products by the actual price of their products. With Hermes, for B/K/C, I not only have to factor in the price of the bag, but also the money I have to spend beforehand to even get offered the bag. Worse yet, that amount is indeterminate because it depends on the amount of competition from other interested clients.

Essentially I feel like I’m in a bidding war with other clients where whoever spends the most on other items gets the offers, but I can’t know ahead of time how much I’ll need to spend in order to win the bid, and I can’t get my money back if I lose the bid and don’t get an offer. It feels like writing a blank cheque. If you love their other products this won’t be a problem for you, but if all you want is a B/K/C then it’s very difficult. This is why I personally feel too poor for the Hermes boutiques and will need to look at resellers when the time comes.

 

[DoggieBags]

Hermes seems to generate the most angst and the most press about the inequality of product availability. But other luxury brands have products that are only available to regular clients. It’s maybe just not so blatant. Other luxury brands have limited edition items and/or special order items each season which never show up on their web sites or the shelves of their boutiques. I’ve had this discussion with SAs with other luxury brands that I buy from. If I’m a potential first time customer wandering into a store and I see nothing that interests me, I would probably wander out without having even bothered to talk to an SA. But there may have been items hidden in the back store room which might have interested me and got me to try the brand if I had known about them. From the SA point of view they usually have no idea if some random customer they’re seeing for the first time has the potential to become a regular client. All the SA can do with this unknown potential client is be polite and helpful when asked. But I wouldn’t expect an SA to start hauling out the special items during a first encounter. So again it boils down to developing a relationship with an SA over time and gradually being introduced to a wider range of products. It’s a feeling out process on both sides to determine budget, life style requirements (i.e. are you a client who says I like to take an Evelyne to my kids baseball game and no I don’t want a Birkin Himalaya because even though I can afford one I would never use it?), etc. Limited edition items usually have a wait list. If they only made 50 of the things and a 1,000 people want one, would you really expect to wander in for the first time with no purchase history whatsoever and expect to get one of the 50 made? Is this elitist? I suppose one could view it that way. But if I’ve been a loyal long time, regular client I’d probably be pretty annoyed if I wanted one of those 50 only to be told they had them in the store to be sold on a first come first served basis. Jmo.