Is it normal to panic?? I spent how much money???

[NOIRetMoi]

the big markup you are getting with this particular bag is how rare it is... since now, you cannot get a chevre B unless you special order it, and this color combination (gris T with a pink) is probably one of the most coveted color combos out there. retail for a B30 in chevre is well over 10K USD, then add tax... you will probably be paying between 11-12K if you purchase a B30 chevre from the store. so you paying 17K is about 5-6K above retail.

it is very true that you will pay much less if you special order a B directly from the H store... but please keep in mind that it's not that easy to be able to special order a bag... you will have to develop a relationship with one SA, most likely buy many other H items (home goods, shoes, RTW, fine jewelry, watches, etc), probably end up totaling more than the extra markup of 5-6K on this bag... and then hope and pray you will be one of the lucky few offered to SO. depending on the size of the store, each SA will only have a few SO spots to give to their clients each season. and each season, there is a list of approved colors which changes every season... so please don't walk away thinking you can custom order any bag you desire at any time... the possibility is there of course, but within these constraints. if you plan to start delving into Hermes as a brand and can see yourself buying other items and not just a B or K, then i say be patient and wait, start going to a store and develop a relationship with an SA, and when the right time comes, SO your dream bag with them. i can tell you for a fact that i spent way more than 5-6K in the store before being offered to place my first SO. but i did not mind it at all as i love many other H items aside from their bags.

there are many many people who would consider this a grail bag and do everything they could to get it... that being said, it has to sing to YOU. to pay that much for a bag, this has to be a 10/10. you need to be DYING for chevre, DYING for Gris T and pink combo with GHW. there has to be almost nothing about this bag you have compromised on, not the leather, size, HW, color, etc. if that's not how you feel, then return it.

if you can, i would go to a store and try to get a feel for all the different leathers, ask to see their swatch book and study the leathers and colors, so you can make a more educated purchase in the future. i personally am obsessed with chevre, but it is not for everyone! maybe you want barenia, or box, or togo/clemence... the possibilities are endless

best of luck to you!!!

Thank you, Carlinha, for elaborating on my overly simplistic explanation why they cost more on the secondary market
Great point about the same SO combos not always being available; I never thought about that beyond the options that are no longer available like tri-colors, etc.

 

[NOIRetMoi]

Without thinking about it, what’s the first bag that comes to mind when you think about your dream non-exotic Hermès bag?
Bag
Color
Size
Hardware
Leather
(specific leather
or smooth, grainy
shiny, matte,
slouchy, structured?)

 

[carlinha]

Thank you, Carlinha, for elaborating on my overly simplistic explanation why they cost more on the secondary market
Great point about the same SO combos not always being available; I never thought about that beyond the options that are no longer available like tri-colors, etc.

hehe no worries, the nuances of H can be so complicated sometimes!!

 

[NOIRetMoi]

hehe no worries, the nuances of H can be so complicated sometimes!!

It’s worse than dating!
Can I ask for a bag yet?
When will my SA call?
Did she ask me to write my preferences as a polite blowoff or is she really going to look for them??
‘She was so nice to me, she even gave me her card and told me to give me a call if I needed anything else. Do you think I’ll be offered a bag next time?’

 

[carlinha]

It’s worse than dating!
Can I ask for a bag yet?
When will my SA call?
Did she ask me to write my preferences as a polite blowoff or is she really going to look for them??
‘She was so nice to me, she even gave me her card and told me to give me a call if I needed anything else. Do you think I’ll be offered a bag next time?’

. this is the truth right here!!!

 

[gettinpurseonal]

So, although this was not my SO, I would probably order something exactly the same or extremely similar...maybe in etain...
Carlinha had a good point about it being a coveted color combo, which is exactly what caught my eye as well.

I think I was just extremely caught off guard with how lightweight the bag is, as well as being structured yet thin. These are all traits that I would probably list as important to me, yet I was still surprised to find them when I opened that orange box.

Again, Carlinha brings up the point that I could *try* to SO and hope to get pretty much the same bag years from now, at who knows what price point by then. Is it really worth going through all that? As I look at this Birkin beauty, I find myself bonding with her.

Don’t let the allure of a special order pursuade you into keeping a bag you’re not sure about. Hopefully someday you’ll order your own SO the way you want and you’ll pay retail for it, not almost twice as much.

 

[NOIRetMoi]

So, although this was not my SO, I would probably order something exactly the same or extremely similar...maybe in etain...
Carlinha had a good point about it being a coveted color combo, which is exactly what caught my eye as well.

I think I was just extremely caught off guard with how lightweight the bag is, as well as being structured yet thin. These are all traits that I would probably list as important to me, yet I was still surprised to find them when I opened that orange box.

Again, Carlinha brings up the point that I could *try* to SO and hope to get pretty much the same bag years from now, at who knows what price point by then. Is it really worth going through all that? As I look at this Birkin beauty, I find myself bonding with her.

Here’s gris tourterelle vs etain (credit favloves. Found this picture at ******** https://www.********.com/poll-whats-the-favorite-hermes-gray/)
We’ve all been there before and some bags do ‘grow’ on us, but you’ll KEEP WANTING your holy grail and you won’t be happy until you get it, so think very carefully before keeping this one is my advice, unless you’re willing to buy another one...

 

[Jbizzybeetle]

View attachment 4273367

I saved to Photos app. Think will print a copy & add to top H box. Subtle clue from the “hereafter.”

 

[doni]

View attachment 4273872 View attachment 4273873 Well this is an interesting development. I just received my Birkin, and I must say I am a bit disappointed. Although extremely lightweight and thin leather, it is almost to the point of feeling cheap. I am not sure if this is worth $17,000. I may have to send her back.

This is a completely personal opinion, but I find that SOs often end up resulting in a cheaper look... this one sounds good in theory, pink and gray and beautiful chèvre... but the contrasting stitching and piping in this color doesn’t look at all sophisticated in my view. You are paying a plus for chèvre, so if you don’t love it definitely let it go. You can get a Birkin for less. That said, if lightness is so important to you, a Clemence Birkin is also not going to be the ticket... If lightway and slouchiness is what you are looking for and you say you don’t want your bag to be recognizable Hermes, why not explore other models the brand offers, some of which you can buy off the shelf, rather than talking yourself into liking a very expensive purchase?

 

[Ramai]

I think if you sell some of your other bags that you might no longer use or "need" maybe the price of your new bag won't seem too bad.
Enjoy your new beauty, looking forward to seeing mod shots!

Agree. If you get back what you paid for the Birkin from selling your other bags, you will likely feel less shocked at the price tag.

 

[NOIRetMoi]

So, although this was not my SO, I would probably order something exactly the same or extremely similar...maybe in etain...
Carlinha had a good point about it being a coveted color combo, which is exactly what caught my eye as well.

I think I was just extremely caught off guard with how lightweight the bag is, as well as being structured yet thin. These are all traits that I would probably list as important to me, yet I was still surprised to find them when I opened that orange box.

Again, Carlinha brings up the point that I could *try* to SO and hope to get pretty much the same bag years from now, at who knows what price point by then. Is it really worth going through all that? As I look at this Birkin beauty, I find myself bonding with her.

I would never buy something just because it’s ‘coveted’. There are colors and other things that are extremely popular, some I even think are pretty, but are simply not my style. Maybe my dream collection would be a black, pseudo-black, neutrals, a few jewel tones, vintage & lesser known styles snooze fest for most, but who cares? I buy my bags for myself, not anybody else. I share here for fun, because people love bags as much as I do, not to keep up with anyone or fit in.
If everyone loves pink & someone shares a bettle black/clothes moth beige bag they’ve been after for years, they’re are still going to be happy they found a bag they were after for a long time. If they got offered a pink Hermès anything, they’d let everyone know in case it was someone’s HG (People would do the same if they got offered something in invisibility cloak black they didn’t want & knew some like me knew I would kill for it).

Nobody is here to convince to do anything you don’t want to do. I think people just want to make sure you don’t keep her for the wrong reasons. We know how over the moon we get when get our bags and I haven’t really seen anyone see it on you... Learn from our mistakes if that will avoid you learning from your own. Collectively I’m sure we’ve made a few...

P.S. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with the made up color names. It’s all in good fun

 

[papertiger]

This is a completely personal opinion, but I find that SOs often end up resulting in a cheaper look... this one sounds good in theory, pink and gray and beautiful chèvre... but the contrasting stitching and piping in this color doesn’t look at all sophisticated in my view. You are paying a plus for chèvre, so if you don’t love it definitely let it go. You can get a Birkin for less. That said, if lightness is so important to you, a Clemence Birkin is also not going to be the ticket... If lightway and slouchiness is what you are looking for and you say you don’t want your bag to be recognizable Hermes, why not explore other models the brand offers, some of which you can buy off the shelf, rather than talking yourself into liking a very expensive purchase?

I think there is a rookie temptation to go for all the unusual extras offered as a SO. Contrast stitching can look beautiful or piping great on sporty combo but it's a acquired taste for both together and with such a high-contrast combo.

 

[papertiger]

It's a lot of money and no denying but it's a very special bag.

Personally, the price of all designer bags is questionable, you may as well go for the best with a possible reasonable return if you move on. I'm someone who's happier with a bag the longer I have it but for some people it's the other way round.

If you love it and will use it, it's worth it.
If you don't and it's merely an 'investment' it may or may not be.

A bag can be TDF, wearable art, beautifully crafted, give you status in some circles but it still won't make your life complete, help you speak French or defend you in battle. But, consider if you a bought the equivalent as a watch, jewellery or lots of less expensive bags that added up to the same, would those have made you more or less happy? Is the price v the bag now making you question your taste, sense, self-worth or sanity? Give yourself time and ask yourself, only you will know for sure.

 

[bagshopr]

I have been reading this thread since it started but didn't feel qualified to contribute since I don't own a B. However, I will say that a lightweight bag is a HUGE plus for me, and that would make me want to keep it. However, I hear you saying lightweight and cheap in the same sentence, so the weight is definitely not a plus for you.
I don't think you are going to learn to love this bag and you should return it while you can. She's a beauty and will go to a loving home in no time!

 

[NOIRetMoi]

You were trying to convince yourself, understand why this bag was worth so much, am I sane for spending this amount on a bag. When the bag arrived you should have been doing jumping jacks, feeling she was worth every more than every penny, is the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen and you want to go anywhere just so you can wear her and NOT try to justify to yourself why you should keep her (she’s growing on me, I would have ordered a similar one, but in Etain, etc). I would understand you trying to convince yourself to like her if you couldn’t return her, but you’re free to do it and get one you’ll be over the moon about it!
Don’t let the technicalities (how rare, it’s a special order, resale value) get to you. At the end of the day, when you’re enjoying a bag you love, none of that will matter. You’ll just think how stunning she is, how delicious this leather is, I love this color and you’ll just stare at her and smile.
My black togo B25 with GHW is probably a Dime a dozen, nevertheless I’ve wanted a black B25 just like this since the first bag I got, so I’m in cloud nine as if she was one of the rarest bags of all!
Getting her was almost as exciting as getting my first crocodile one. I’m not kidding!
I don’t think it’s about how rare a bag is, it’s about how much you want it and how much you had to wait for it that makes it special for you.
If I got offered a pink one that probably half of PF would trade a kidney for it, I wouldn’t even ask to see it. On the other hand, no matter how many black bags I have, you bring a black alligator, crocodile or paper bag, my knees buckle a little
$17k or even less can buy you A LOT of options. Don’t settle, especially for the wrong reasons.