At what point would you consider the reseller route?

Piyo1115

Member
Feb 28, 2011
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Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I was wondering at what point would you actually just go to reseller market? I am sure I am not the only one here that feels this way, that the H game can get very frustrating. I started learning about the wonderful world of Hermes a little over a year ago, and had started establishing a relationship with a nice SA at a local store. As a matter of fact, he happened to offer me a B after shopping with him a couple of times, but it wasn't in the color I wanted, so I let it go. My first choice was purple and 2nd pink. So during my honeymoon last year, I scored a beautiful B 30 PHW in pink at Paris with the help of my hubby. I was over the moon, and I thought this should hold me over for the next 10 years, but I am sure many knows it will never end with just One! I was doing well until I saw the beautiful anemone leather swatch at the store,my DH and I knew I will not be 100% happy until I find my purple bag. I continued to buy small things with my SA, and although I never made a big purchase, he was always very friendly and one time we chatted for almost 2 hrs at the store. I would gently remind him about the purple B each time I visited and even referred a couple friends to shop with him. Each time he promised to call but never happened. So come 2014, I tried to curb my spending so I stopped going to the store for a few months, and when I stopped by a couple of weeks ago, I was told my SA had quit the week before. I was pretty upset since he didn't bother to let me know, that all my work had gone down the drain. Maybe I didn't spend enough (since I don't buy things just to fill the quota, I only bought things I would enjoy), but when I started adding up the money I have spent at all H stores in the US (not including the purchases in Paris), I had already racked up enough to buy a K. Then I got a call from a new SA a wk after that visit that my SA had told her (before he left) to call me because he thought I wanted a purple CDC. I told her no since I had already gotta 2 anemone bracelets. So basically I was only worth a CDC at the end of the day. I know some ppl will think I should feel fortunate that I was even offered a B to begin with, and maybe that's true, but I m not willing to compromise on something that is a big splurge for me. Maybe I live in a city with a ton of competitions and perhaps I needed to show my face more often, or maybe I was far from reaching that level where you will actually get a call from your SA. But I wondered, should one still stay loyal to a boutique when you can just use what you have to spend on racking up those brownie points toward exactly the bag you want without all the drama at the reseller market?
 
I think if you only want purple and that is the only bag you want then the reseller route is the way to go and be done with it. However if you still want more hermes including more birkins then wait.


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I would never buy anything from Hermes that I didn't want 100% and only to maintain a good record with a boutique. Never. Not even if I was desperate to be offered a bag.

If you want a purple birkin and have tried to establish a good relationship with your boutique but have had your efforts and purchases been somewhat ignored, then I would go the reseller route to buy the bag that you REALLY want and have been waiting for a long time.

Although I have more than a decade worth of relationships with 2-3 specific H boutiques and I can usually get what I request, if I see a bag that I love on the reseller market, and it is being offered immediately by a reseller I trust at a fair price point, I do not hesitate at all to buy the bag.
 
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Buy it from a reseller. You said you wanted a pink and purple bag. That is a pretty specific wish. The new SA has not offered you a bag yet, correct? Not even one in the wrong color or size? In a smaller store with fewer bags, that is almost like starting over.
 
i would never buy anything from hermes that i didn't want 100% and only to maintain a good record with a boutique. Never. Not even if i was desperate to be offered a bag.

If you want a purple birkin and have tried to establish a good relationship with your boutique but have had your efforts and purchases been somewhat ignored, then i would go the reseller route to buy the bag that you really want and have been waiting for a long time.

Although i have more than a decade worth of relationships with 2-3 specific h boutiques and i can usually get what i request, if i see a bag that i love on the reseller market, and it is being offered immediately by a reseller i trust at a fair price point, i do not hesitate at all to buy the bag.

+1
 
Do what's easier and better for you OP, after all that's what H does for itself

Unless nothing else H ever takes your fancy, I would still go in to your local store and show your face from time to time, even if you buy nothing. Sometimes being in the right place at the right time is the right thing to do ;)
 
Hi Piyo1115, I feel exactly the same way as you. Albeit I do grow addicted to h items but always feel frustrated for not getting the bag I want when I've racked up around 2 bags worth of goods in a short space of time (ashamedly :sad: ). I also want to call it quits. Sorry I'm just venting I don't have any good opinion to offer.
 
Why would you hesitate to buy from a reseller? If you love Hermes products and not just the bags, you'll continue going to the boutique and working with an SA you click with, and it'll be fun for both of you, regardless of whether that SA scores you your dream bag. And who knows what the SA will find for you. But if you just have to have one particular bag, and your SA doesn't get it for you for whatever reason, what's the harm in finding it elsewhere?

I've bought a lot of non-birkin/kelly bags and other H items from the most amazing SA ever, and she always put on hold things she thought I'd like and give me a chance to view it new before other customers saw it. Some were small items like bracelets, and some were bags. But when I want something special in a particular color/leather combo, I just buy it if I find it at a price point I'm comfortable with. As Leah said, I would never buy H things I don't want just for the bag I do want. Personally, if I ever felt like I was playing a "game," I would just stop b/c that's not fun for me, and shopping for luxury items really is just supposed to be fun.
 
Is there a chance this new SA simply have confused which item you were after? If you have told her now that you have the bracelets you want, but are after a purple Birkin – and she didn't blow you completely off, I'd say give her a chance. Now she knows. Pop in a couple of times, chat with her some more about your passion for H, tell her what you like, teach her what your H-style is, continue to buy what you like. I'm certain the SAs know and appreciate that not even the most loyal customer likes everything they sell. Maybe your store has yet to receive a Anemone Birkin? You wouldn't want to miss out if there's a chance it shows up before fall! Your store remembered you after you stopped frequent visits, surely that means they value your money. Two Birkins within two years would be good luck for most customers, try wait it out before you jump ship.
 
Depends on where you live I guess. For my country, the market is so saturated, none of the SAs are really interested in building a relationship unless you drop tonnes of money buying completely useless things. Even then, you would be lucky if you were offered a bag, much less a bag in your desired colour/size/hardware. I have spent more than 5 figures over the years, first my original SA left, then they claim they do not have my record. I am tired of the rubbish games. I have neither time nor patience to play such games. So it is reseller for me all the way.
 
I travel to so many places that establishing a "relationship" with someone who works in a store is too much work, and not worth my time. I'm barely caught up in establishing a relationship with my own mother, much less a store-worker.

There are pros and cons going with a reseller, the biggest con being the price. However, if it's what you want, the seller is reputable, then the cost totally outweighs the effort in constantly going back to a store time and time again.
 
I would never buy anything from Hermes that I didn't want 100% and only to maintain a good record with a boutique. Never. Not even if I was desperate to be offered a bag.

Really a good advice! I used to buy things that I didn't want from Hermes hoping to build a relationship but looking back it would have been cheaper to just go to a reseller route. Eventually I got my dream birkin from a Hermes store but not from THE store I always go. I love my SA nonetheless but now I learned my lesson and I don't buy unless I love it.
 
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Thanks for all the advices! To clarify some of your questions, the new SA who called I believe is brand new to the store, and I had stopped by the store a week before she called, and just start shopping with a different SA who's been there for a few years and had recognized me from all the times I went in to visit my old SA. As for the frustration, I think it was the fact that my old SA had always promised to call, but he never did, not even when I left him a voicemail about wanting one specific scarf. And I actually found my 2 anemone bracelets from other stores bc my store never had my size or color. As for Hermes, I do love the bracelets and silk, but there are only a few bracelets that can fit my tiny wrist and I really don't have the budget to be buying up every color nor can I casually drop a grand for a couple scarves every time I stop by the store. As for the anemone B, I have seen a reveal from another member who got the bag from a different store in my city, so I know for sure it had been appearing. I think from writing all this, I have answered my own question. I have decided that unless there is a new scarf that I absolutely must have, I will just stop going to the store and save the money toward my perfect bag from the reseller market in the future. At the moment there are only a few avail and they are almost double the price at the store. 😱 Thanks again for letting me vent! 😊
 
I'm fairly new to H so I don't have as much experience as some of the people here and I'm lucky that I live near 3 H stores, one of which has a lot of stock (but a lot of competition).

I'll be honest, I never thought I would be offered a bag that I wanted at a boutique because 1) I'm not wealthy so have to save for even the smallest H items 2) I don't know what the quota is but I'm pretty sure I don't meet it 3) even if I met the quota, there's no guarantee that I would be offered exactly what I want. If I'm dropping 5 figures on a bag, I want to make sure it's what I love.

Therefore, I always buy from resellers, and mostly vintage and pre-loved. I wait patiently for the style, color and price that I'm looking for and pounce. I've gotten very lucky and I've been pleased with all my purchases. In fact, the one time I was looking for something specific in a boutique, I went to 3 different stores and went crazy because they didn't have it. I had a very enlightening discussion with a tpf member on how we are used to being able to purchase the exact goods we want,without having to wait or play games so it's actually harder to switch over to buying from a boutique.

Just recently, I was offered a dream bag in purple. I was extremely lucky because I was at the right place at the right time but the funny thing is that I wasn't looking for this bag. I wanted a Blue Electrique Kelly but the minute I saw the Anemone Birkin, everything changed. I will also freely admit that I wasn't expecting a B or a K and would have been happy buying a Victoria or a Toolbox because I assumed I wouldn't be offered a B or a K and I could always get my dream bag somewhere down the line either through a reseller or ebay.

I really do think it's luck and location. If you're in a place with good stock and you happen to be there when the time is right, you could score your bag. I also think it doesn't hurt to talk to your SA about the brand. I had an SA in another store (not where I bought my B) tell me that they offer bags to people who have a genuine appreciation for the brand and not just want a B or a K. I had been talking to her for quite awhile about colors and she was asking me about my bolide. This is a store that doesn't get a ton of stock so I can see why they are more choosy but each store and each SA is different.

I wouldn't hesitate buying from a reputable reseller. In fact, when I save up enough for my next bag, I will most likely go that route bc BE Kelly's are not easy to come by! Best of Luck finding your dream bag. I do think Anemone seems to be the new color and stores are getting stock so there's hope!
 
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