Hello! Looking for a Backpack

B

bumblebags

Member
Apr 3, 2008
29
0
#1
I stumbled onto this forum while searching hi and low for an Hermes backpack. I'll be travelling in Europe this June, and thought that a backpack would be just the thing to keep my hands free while shopping! I considered some other designers, but didn't like their backpacks as well as I do the Hermes.

The problem is, I can scarcely find any! I really and truly can't afford to pay retail (what with the cost of the trip right now), but there are few to be had anywhere that I can tell. Are they extremely unpopular or just extremely rare?

I've found a couple different styles, and judging by what I've seen, I believe I prefer the Kelly over the Herbag (more classic, I think), and I think it must be the Kelly with the handle, rather than one without. I found one already sold here:
http://www.last-seconds.com/cgi-bin/content.cgi. This one would have been perfect, as I'd prefer a dark color, but it's gone, sadly.

And a slightly different one here (the first one I saw, actually):
http://www.luxury-shops.com/1_search/detail.php?ID=7334&category=&subcat=&designer=4.

I'm seriously terrified of even thinking of buying on eBay, although there are a couple without the handle there. I see that there's a thread here to authenticate, so I may use that eventually if one comes up that suits me.

Other than the question of where I may be able to find one, I would also like to know how much I'll have to worry about authenticity with this bag. It seem that with so few available, it may not have been one that the counterfeiters bothered with, but I certainly don't want to assume anything without further instruction! Additionally, is it odd that one bag has canvas handles and the other has leather?

Thank you all so very much. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. I don't have much time and I don't want to be disappointed!
 
#2
I have no experience with H backpacks (Kelly, Herbag or other), so I can't advise about price or ebay sellers. But have you considered an Evelyn? Its strap is long enough to be carried messenger-style, leaving your hands free. I love mine, and so does everyone here on the forum who has one. I do see them on ebay frequently. Be sure to check the list of reputable resellers first! And good luck and enjoy your travels!
 
#3
Thank you for the suggestion, eliz.

Unfortunately, it's the shape of the Kelly backpack that has me hooked. I love the classic lines. I'm a sucker for a vintage bag and this bag retains that aesthetic for me, where the Evelyn is more contemporary in style.
 
#6
Still not "me", Kelly. Just not classic-looking enough, I guess. The "Steve" looks a little too 80's Banana Republic for me (and I don't mean that in an insulting or demeaning way). I'm sure I'd love it on someone else, but maybe it's that I'm vain enough that I want the design of my bag to scream, "HERMES!!".

Do you think I'm making too tall of an order for something I need on such short notice? Also, can anyone advise as to whether or not I'll have difficulty with counterfeits, should I locate one online?
 
#7
bumblebags said:
Still not "me", Kelly. Just not classic-looking enough, I guess. The "Steve" looks a little too 80's Banana Republic for me (and I don't mean that in an insulting or demeaning way). I'm sure I'd love it on someone else, but maybe it's that I'm vain enough that I want the design OF to scream, "HERMES!!".
Click to expand...

Funny that you say that ... I have a woven raffia and leather bag from BN that I purchased in the early '90s for what was then, for me, an ungodly sum of something like $160. It remains my favorite bag in my collection -- even more so than my Kellys. Must be a sentimental thing.
 
#11
As a lifelong backpack wearer I know where you are coming from. I have a backpack Herbag and love it - so easy to switch from a handbag to a sling -over-the-shoulder- to a full backpack style but you have to be careful of overloading the bag or you will distort the canvas bag and you can't buy replacement 'sacs' anymore ( boo hoo). The Kelly a-dos is gorgeous but doesn't come in a big enough size to carry much in it - I'm not sure whether they even produce them anymore. I've seen a picture of a Bolide a dos which looks as if it could carry more - but I've also seen a picture of a thing called the Sherpa which is a floppy backpack affair which looks as if it could carry plenty and take a bit of punishment. I fancy one of those in the AW08 Quetchse colour. A girl can dream!
 
#12
Drats...you got me excited there, Eulalia, but, alas, the one at Opportunities is the smaller version (just 17 x 20 cm). It is my understanding that the handled one is also the larger of the two. I think, if I remember correctly, it is over 25 cm each way, which would give me a little more room.

Do you think it's worth even asking around at the Hermes shops? I'm now worried that finding it in a consignment shop in NYC is even too much to ask. Maybe one will pop up on eBay eventually that will pass the authenticity test here, but I'm not very hopeful at this point. It seems that these are not very plentiful (which, admittedly has me hoping that the counterfeiters didn't bother with it!). Was it a huge flop or something or was it meant to be a limited edition?
 
#13
bumblebags said:
Was it a huge flop or something or was it meant to be a limited edition?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I don't know the answer; but I suspect that backpacks are not in "vogue" as they used to be. I think back handbags in backpack style were much more popular in the late 90's and early 2000's - don't see them as much anymore...

Good luck! I have seen Kelly ados for fabulous prices, so I suspect that you can get a great deal on them (compared to regular Kellys):yes:
 
#15
Embarrassed to bump my own thread but, I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions as to where I might locate one of the Kelly backpacks (the larger one with the Kelly handle)?

I'm sorry to be a pest, but I've been using every search term I can think of and keep coming up with the 2 or 3 eBay auctions for the smaller ones and the couple that have been posted here (either already sold or also the smaller ones).

:wondering
 
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