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

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#289
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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yes you´re right, except for its costs, it may be a little more, over 6 thousand euros to be exact.
I tryed to buy one last year in Venice, they had not, any bags, being this hermés boutique very small and I did not really expect to find one these, it was just in case.
I tryed again in paris, they also didn´t have too, in any paris store, I´ve made a tour in their shops in all paris, it was useless.
so , once in Lisbon, what a surprise, they did have a waiting list open.
so, that´s it, I´m waiting for my second, my dear and beloved Birkin, can´t wait to have it, can´t wait to see Lisbon once again....
 
#291
hermesgroupie said:
I have 2 birkins in black togo and love them. I think they are worth it because unlike most bags they actually appear more beautiful with age, and they are better made than anything else I've had. Their leathers are the best and you can't appreciate that unless you get your hands on one. The poster who said the wait list for custom jobs is correct, but if a customer on the wait list decides not to take the bag after all, it will be put on the shelf or the next customer called. That is how some people are able to bypass the wait list, but that is a rarity, a combination of luck and good timing. If you find yourself on the wait list, ask for the next available size and color and that should shave a year or two off the waiting time. The official line from Hermes is that the wait list is closed indefinitely, I say give them a few years until the furor dies down. The wait list for the Kelly is shorter, and the original name Sac a Haut a Courroies. Birkin sizes are 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45cm. Kelly sizes are 25, 28, 32, 35, 40, and 50cm. I hope that answers all the questions.:-)
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i´m in a waiting list for a gray birkin, for a year already to complete in next june. and i´d be waaay too much happy to be contacted by hermés becouse someone that cames frist in the list, decides not to get his birkin,
mine is gray, but i´d be happy for any color in a soft leather , except the black, ´cause i have one already
 
#292
HermesFSH said:
Usually that is the case if you have built up a relationship with an SA and are invited to place an order.

A lucky few find the Birkin of their dreams on the shelf.

Those who have established relationships can ask over the phone if they know what they want. I have done this before as well. If you are unknown to the store they will usually not entertain a phone order (I say usually, my DH was offered a croc Birkin over the phone from a boutique that we had not visited before, so there are always exceptions but they are few and far between).

HTH!
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i´m one of these happy few,
simply by chance, was just leaving the store, where i frist entered looking for a Birkin,when I´ve saw it laying in a table just about to be returned to the shelter down the stairs, far from the view of clients, i´ve seen it , a black one, togo, silver metals, just like in my dreans
 
#293
happy1 said:
One thing that I don't understand is how much the prices have been increasing. It beats inflation and the devaluing of the US dollar.
I'm most shocked by LV's. I have purses bought a couple years ago and they have now increased by 40%...for treated canvas???
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I cannot agree with you more! I just do not get the LV price increases for canvas. Turns me off a bit to the brand.
 
#294
My girlfriend was at Hermes Boutique in Vancouver, Canada and the SA told her she has to spend at least $5K on "other stuffs" (shoes, scarfs, watch, jewelry etc) before they would consider placing her name down on the wait list for Birkin. Is this common? Is this happening in other Hermes stores around the world as well?
 
#295
in-fashion99 said:
My girlfriend was at Hermes Boutique in Vancouver, Canada and the SA told her she has to spend at least $5K on "other stuffs" (shoes, scarfs, watch, jewelry etc) before they would consider placing her name down on the wait list for Birkin. Is this common? Is this happening in other Hermes stores around the world as well?
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Sounds more like a greedy SA. The thing I detest most from "H"
 
#297
Dont bother. I have been carrying ONLY birkins and kellys for over 20 years and have over 25 bags. Yes, they are of the highest quality....but they are NO LONGER of the highest elegance. They have been overkilled by their popularity. In fact tbey have become so popular that they have started looking common. For the moment, whilst i am trying to find an alternative, i am carrying a straw bag from the market. BE DIFFERENT, dont follow the crowd..
 
#298
Ps. Talk about the cleverest marketing plan to put people on the waiting list... So that they drool and beg, to then pay 6500 euros on their bag !! Lol ! The truth of the matter is, i used to be able to get mine in maximum a week just by having the right connections.
However, yes the quality is amazing. 20 years and they havent budged. It is a bit like getting married though, it is a huge investment and you have to carry your bag....forever :roflmfao: you feel you can't cheat on it anymore and carry something else !
 
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#299
You purchased 20 of their bags, no wonder they treats you like Queen, madam:D. But for starter, it is the beginning for the newbies of the 'bribery' strategies to get 'the' bag.
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Her Mess said:
Ps. Talk about the cleverest marketing plan to put people on the waiting list... So that they drool and beg, to then pay 6500 euros on their bag !! Lol ! The truth of the matter is, i used to be able to get mine in maximum a week just by having the right connections.
However, yes the quality is amazing. 20 years and they havent budged. It is a bit like getting married though, it is a huge investment and you have to carry your bag....forever :roflmfao: you feel you can't cheat on it anymore and carry something else !
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#300
in-fashion99 said:
My girlfriend was at Hermes Boutique in Vancouver, Canada and the SA told her she has to spend at least $5K on "other stuffs" (shoes, scarfs, watch, jewelry etc) before they would consider placing her name down on the wait list for Birkin. Is this common? Is this happening in other Hermes stores around the world as well?
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My SA in the US told me that their policy is not to offer Birkins or Kellys to walk-ins, only to regular customers. Although she did not give a minimum amount that one needs to spend before being offered a bag, in practice being a regular customer means spending a significant amount of money on other things. For me, this was not an issue since I enjoy H jewelry, shawls, shoes, and small leather goods and would have bought them in any case.
 
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