How to buy a birkin or kelly in Paris?

jedimaster

O.G.
Dec 21, 2006
1,892
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My sister is going to Paris in June and has offered to try to buy a birkin and/or kelly bag for me. Any insight for how to do this, including recommendations of good sales associates? Also, if there is no bag meeting specifications that I am interested in, is there a way to request, order, or go on a waiting list, and if so, do you have to be in Paris to pick it up, or if the order/request is made in person, will they let you leave a credit card number and address and ship to you (in US) when it arrives.
I assume these questions have probably been discussed extensively already on this blog, so forgive me for repetition, I am new here.
Thanks in advance for the help.
 
Definitely go as many times as you could. Also, you stand a better chance in the morning than in the afternoon. In my 4 days in Paris (November 25-29), I have visited 24 Faubourg on 2 days and George V on 1 day. 3 times I've asked for a Birkin, and 3 times the SAs replied no stock. But the one on George V said they've sold 2 earlier on in the morning.
 
hello jedi. i'm in Paris now. two ways on getting a birkin/kelly in Paris:

1) you're on the waiting list.

2) pop into the store as many times as possible. ask your sister if possible she visit the 2 stores every single day and go at least 2 times a day to each store. ask for a birkin, hac, kelly, ask for them all till they offer you. then, it's up to your sister to choose one or more for you which you like of course. you don't have to wait and you can have your birkin/kelly the moment your sister came back from Paris.

Plus a good relationship with the Paris SA. But, to do this, you must always be travelling to Paris, visiting one of the stores, regular customer.

Good recommendation of SA? specialistparis, tpf member and Hermes SA. pm her if you have any further queries.
 
hello jedi. i'm in Paris now. two ways on getting a birkin/kelly in Paris:

1) you're on the waiting list.

2) pop into the store as many times as possible. ask your sister if possible she visit the 2 stores every single day and go at least 2 times a day to each store. ask for a birkin, hac, kelly, ask for them all till they offer you. then, it's up to your sister to choose one or more for you which you like of course. you don't have to wait and you can have your birkin/kelly the moment your sister came back from Paris.

Plus a good relationship with the Paris SA. But, to do this, you must always be travelling to Paris, visiting one of the stores, regular customer.

Good recommendation of SA? specialistparis, tpf member and Hermes SA. pm her if you have any further queries.

I have a question - if you no luck with the "drop in early and often" program, is it possible to get on the waiting list, and how is that accomplished? If I go to Paris, will they ship to US if I leave credit card authorization, or do you have to return to pick it up (or have it delivered to someone in France who will send it to you?)
 
If you get on the waitlist they'll send you fax notification when your bag comes in.

Then you can charge it to your credit card (-10% tax refund if you live outside the EU + shipping charges) or send them a bank transfer and they'll ship it. Please note that for whatever reason, they don't take VISA for such transactions.
 
If you get on the waitlist they'll send you fax notification when your bag comes in.

Then you can charge it to your credit card (-10% tax refund if you live outside the EU + shipping charges) or send them a bank transfer and they'll ship it. Please note that for whatever reason, they don't take VISA for such transactions.

So, you do get the 10% refund then. But do they charge you for local tax, especially if there's an Hermes store in the area where you live?? :shrugs:
 
^^^the duty is something in the $500 range (a bit more actually) for a Birkin in a regular leather. There is actually some complicated table online you can access that lists every possible exportable item and what the duty will be (DH found this for me...it's pretty exhaustive). I would also advise doing a comparison btwn. how much it costs to pay for it via Amex vs. wire transfer...for me, it worked out that Amex was less costly than what my bank wanted to charge. Good luck!
 
If you get on the waitlist they'll send you fax notification when your bag comes in.

Then you can charge it to your credit card (-10% tax refund if you live outside the EU + shipping charges) or send them a bank transfer and they'll ship it. Please note that for whatever reason, they don't take VISA for such transactions.

How does one get on the wait list? The last time my sister had planned to go to Paris - and this was a couple of years ago and her trip was later cancelled - I called the store and spoke to the manager of the leather dept (my French is poor, but I think thats what he was). He said, they only take names for the list twice a year, and its only open a couple of weeks, but at that time they have a list of what they are getting and will put your name next to a bag. If it comes in and you are not in Paris at the time, he said, if you give a credit card authorization by fax they will ship it to you in US. Again, my French is not great so I cant swear I got the details right. Can anybody confirm/refute/clarify this?
 
Heya, i just managed to grab one in Paris today, I only asked for the 30cm ones thou and they had 3. Gold, green and ebony. I grabbed the gold :smile:. Didn't check on the others sizes thou, I am presuming they do have some. Apparently a lot was sold out quicky right before xmas thou, so it must be dependent on season?