Is the Hermes "Birkin" worth the money and the wait? Is it obtainable?

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#226
Lovely post, well said :)

lovemybirkin said:
Are the prices insane? You bet.
Does the way they are coveted by the elite of the world make any sense? Well... not really.
I mean, it's just a bag...right?

Simple... if you agree with these points then don't bother buying one. The sheer cost of it would probably make you resent it at some point.

But, IF
...when you see one being carried you almost get whip lash trying to ogle it and the person carrying it
...you've googled Birkin more times than you can possibly remember
...you've stared in the Hermes boutique windows imagining the moment that you'll be at the check out with that big orange box/bag
...you have a size, leather, hardware combo picked out and etched in your brain

This purchase just might be "worth it" to you.
Everyone is different and what makes one person happy rarely pleases another. :graucho:
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#227
lovemybirkin said:
Are the prices insane? You bet.
Does the way they are coveted by the elite of the world make any sense? Well... not really.
I mean, it's just a bag...right?

Simple... if you agree with these points then don't bother buying one. The sheer cost of it would probably make you resent it at some point.

But, IF
...when you see one being carried you almost get whip lash trying to ogle it and the person carrying it....CHECK!
...you've googled Birkin more times than you can possibly remember....CHECK!
...you've stared in the Hermes boutique windows imagining the moment that you'll be at the check out with that big orange box/bag..CHECK!
...you have a size, leather, hardware combo picked out and etched in your brain...DOUBLE CHECK!!!

This purchase just might be "worth it" to you.
Everyone is different and what makes one person happy rarely pleases another. :graucho:
Click to expand...


.....Guess its worth it to "ME" :D
 
#228
Ellen, I think you've hit on a very important point. It can be very hard to tell what us so great about a Birkin (or Kelly or Plume or Bolide, for that matter) until you hold one in your hands. I was a bit ambivalent about Birkins until I got my Kelly. It felt like it was built solid like a tank, as if I could drop it off my ten story balcony and not really faze it too much. Since getting my Birkins, I feel the same "solid as a tank" construction that is distinctly missing from any Prada, Gucci, LV, or TJ Maxx bag out there. So yes, for those just sneering at a photo of a celebrity toting a Birkin, it may not appear to be worth all the hype, but once you lay hands on one of these bags, you can tell it's something entirely different from that proverbial TJ Maxx bag.

Oh, and yes it's obtainable and yes it's worth it, but only if you like a hand carried tote vs a shoulder bag.

ElleN107 said:
I will admit that I felt somewhat like ehy210 does. If anyone had asked me a few years ago about my thoughts about Birkin I would have said I was sure that women coveted them for all the wrong reasons. That Birkins were more about a symbol of exclusivity and elitism than quality. That is until I actually held a Birkin for the first time. A friend of mine is a Birkin fanatic. After years of lusting she finally purchased her first in '07 and brought it to me to show off. I was rather contemptuous and examined it through skeptical sideways glances for a while. My friend rolled her eyes and just about shoved it into my arms. Have mercy, I could have passed out from the lovely smell. And the feel was nothing I had ever experienced with leather. It took all of 5 minutes of smelling, touching and eyeballing it for me to realize there really is nothing like a Birkin. My friend gave me a "Well duh" look. I now have a Birkin fund and am slowly putting money aside. In one or two years I will have the one of my dreams.
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#229
ouija board said:
Ellen, I think you've hit on a very important point. It can be very hard to tell what us so great about a Birkin (or Kelly or Plume or Bolide, for that matter) until you hold one in your hands. I was a bit ambivalent about Birkins until I got my Kelly. It felt like it was built solid like a tank, as if I could drop it off my ten story balcony and not really faze it too much. Since getting my Birkins, I feel the same "solid as a tank" construction that is distinctly missing from any Prada, Gucci, LV, or TJ Maxx bag out there. So yes, for those just sneering at a photo of a celebrity toting a Birkin, it may not appear to be worth all the hype, but once you lay hands on one of these bags, you can tell it's something entirely different from that proverbial TJ Maxx bag.

Oh, and yes it's obtainable and yes it's worth it, but only if you like a hand carried tote vs a shoulder bag.
Click to expand...

This is exactly how my feelings toward Birkins progressed as well. At first I felt they were not worthy of a second glance...then I spent some time at an H store....then touched a bag....then it was all over for me.:D

Edited to add: I still have my first purchased in 2006. That's longer use than any other bag I've ever owned, and it's still going strong. So from a financial cost/wear perspective, it is absolutely worth it to me!
 
#230
I'm trying to save for my first H bag, probably a Birkin. I keep looking at them on the web. I think sometimes that I must be mad, but there is just something that makes me want to touch them and hold one.
I have to pass up on alot of my other clothes spending to save. I'd just like to know if it's worth the wait and sacrifice, that I feel I am going through!:shrugs:
I own alot of limited edition LV's at the moment and I am even thinking of selling some to help fund my first H bag!
To all of you out there " Is it worth the wait?":help:
What do you think of selling other bags to fund a new purchase?
Does anybody have seller's regret?
 
#234
WingNut said:
This is exactly how my feelings toward Birkins progressed as well. At first I felt they were not worthy of a second glance...then I spent some time at an H store....then touched a bag....then it was all over for me.:D

Edited to add: I still have my first purchased in 2006. That's longer use than any other bag I've ever owned, and it's still going strong. So from a financial cost/wear perspective, it is absolutely worth it to me!
Click to expand...

Yes, yes. I have a friend who buys a purse for $100.00 every stinkin' month and trashes them and I have tried to point out to her that if stopped wasting her money and actually bought one "good" purse, she would be better off. Financially, her "cheap" bags are killing her.
 
#236
Been to the Madison Avenue store about 2 weeks ago, there were 2 that i saw..one in black and one in this toupe (i'm not sure if that's the correct spelling) both with gold hardware...very beautiful my aunt got one so that was exciting...However i noticed there and in many other shops i visited it's not so much about wait lists as much as it's about the person who is helping you....I guess in the madison avenue store we went and asked were told there isn't..same moment i called my mom asked for who helped her, was given the name and boom 2 bags appeared...waiting lists i guess are more if you looking for special skins or maybe the so black line etc...
 
#237
TheArtofAcquisition said:
This is what I know about the Birkin:
1. That it may be the best bag purchase because it implies the greatest status.
2. It is timeless.
3. It is very very expensive. It costs $5,000 for leather and if you want crocodile, that'll set you back about $19K.
4. It is hard to get a hold of, waitlists etc. If you want to buy an Hermes Kelly back you will have to join a waiting list for up to a year.
5. All the "it" people have one or more.
6. Hermes is reputed for naming their Kelly Bag after Grace Kelly. The bigger version is called the Birkin.


Am I right? Is it really timeless? Does anyone know how expensive the least pricey Birkin is? How long is the waitlist? Is it more worthwhile to save your money towards one birkin than spend money on fads that pass through the years? Any information appreciated.
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i don't intend to own a lot (indeed, can't really afford to own a lot, haha...) For me, it's kind of a one (hehe... or two) in a lifetime. Given that, it's expensive. it's perhaps better to wait... while saving up the money for the bag when it DOES come. So, I don't mind waiting.
 
#238
Coquette11 said:
Been to the Madison Avenue store about 2 weeks ago, there were 2 that i saw..one in black and one in this toupe (i'm not sure if that's the correct spelling) both with gold hardware...very beautiful my aunt got one so that was exciting...However i noticed there and in many other shops i visited it's not so much about wait lists as much as it's about the person who is helping you....I guess in the madison avenue store we went and asked were told there isn't..same moment i called my mom asked for who helped her, was given the name and boom 2 bags appeared...waiting lists i guess are more if you looking for special skins or maybe the so black line etc...
Click to expand...

Hi coquette
I'm planning on visiting that the H madison boutique soon... Would u mind my asking the name of the SA that helped you that time? Just in case they pull the "oh sorry we don't havs any Bs available right now" scene... Hehehee TIA :D
 
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