Is the Hermes "Birkin" worth the money and the wait? Is it obtainable?
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Okay here goes. I have bought scads of scarves, men's ties, sweaters, yada, yada and yes, I was offered to SO and did receive it; however the second SO -- it has been over 14 months and no sign of the SO. People wait that long or longer but when the store tells me that none of those SOs have ever been received and doubt they will be, how much faith do I have? Zip, zilch, zero. I said I would take any neutral in togo in a 28 and still nothing.
As far as resellers not all of them charge double. Do your homework. Yes, many do charge double but that is not all of them. Backing up I begged for years for barenia. Not happening. I got my barenia from a reseller and that second no show SO, I bought a chevre black 28 HAC from a reseller. I assure all of you that I did not pay double for either bag nor would I have. In fact, they were less than a new bag would cost, so OP take what you read with a grain of salt. I suppose a lot depends on the boutique. I, sad to say, cannot give a thumbs up to the one closest to me.
As far as resellers not all of them charge double. Do your homework. Yes, many do charge double but that is not all of them. Backing up I begged for years for barenia. Not happening. I got my barenia from a reseller and that second no show SO, I bought a chevre black 28 HAC from a reseller. I assure all of you that I did not pay double for either bag nor would I have. In fact, they were less than a new bag would cost, so OP take what you read with a grain of salt. I suppose a lot depends on the boutique. I, sad to say, cannot give a thumbs up to the one closest to me.
Agree with those who have shared that it is NOT an accurate generalization that all H boutiques/SAs require you to spend a lot of $ in order to "qualify" or be offered Birkins, Kelly's or even SOs. My experience has been similar to MrsO and JRTgal...when we moved to a new city and I began frequenting the H boutique there, it was my genuine appreciation for the craftsmanship, conversation, frequent dropping buy to peruse and chat, etc that seemed to make the difference with the SAs and the store manager. I think I was offered an SO with only buying one GM shawl! That said, I did carry H bags and have some treasures that sparked conversations....many SAs have never seen certain leathers/combos in real life....and you know what? Most of my treasures were found on the trusted reseller market - not for double the price at all. Would never have found them in the boutique. Ever. Good luck with your search and my advice is to know what you want and have an open mind
It really depends on the SM of the store. Some stores are amazing and the SM truly appreciates the love one has for H. Others will 'push' towards buying RTW and jewelry. My SA always says never buy for the sake of buying. If you love the brand then you also love not just their leather and scarves department. Having a well-rounded appreciation and love for the brand helps. In some stores and countries where many compete for a SO, then this is a big factor. Same goes for being offered seasonal colours etc. It should be a positive experience.
For those that buy from trusted resellers, are they local stores or are there good websites that do not sell for crazy prices? The reason I ask is I live in Canada and we don't have as many good reseller stores here (or maybe I just don't know them) and a lot of reseller websites I would have to pay a crazy markup as well as customs/taxes...I have been doing my homework for a while but all the prices seem pretty up there to the point where I'm like I would rather build up my credit and buy things I like at the same time. But of course if it's a rare leather/colour combination, resellers might be the way to go. I think right now though I want to start with a basic Kelly/Birkin that I can wear with all my outfits...special ones will have to come later 
slowly but surely!
Also, when you guys say jewelry, does that include things like the leather/enamel bracelets? Or is it only the gold/silver ones?
slowly but surely!Also, when you guys say jewelry, does that include things like the leather/enamel bracelets? Or is it only the gold/silver ones?
I am looking to enter the Hermes market. After purchasing 14 Chanel bags in the past 10+ years and increasingly having issues with quality.....I am over it! Just received a jumbo last week that had one whole side of a quilt not stitched down! Just one long thread and on the front of the bag! So, after much thought, 3 returns of defective Chanel bags in the past 2 years alone I am ready to move on! I am really not a Birkin type girl. I like the Kelly, but in a smaller size. I really love the Mini Kelly or the Kelly pochette as it is also called. I see you can order a Jypsiere right online, but don't know if that should be my first. My question is......where do I start? I prefer only new store bought items. I live in the Boston area. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
perhaps a store visit is in order? And picking an SA? Even if you can order stuff online, store purchases are best to establish purchase history if you're eyeing Kelly or most of its variants as these are highly coveted and usually require brand "loyalty"... (not in store display or sold online, except for Kelly wallets or so Kelly) afaik..besides u can maybe see or touch the different leathers (bags or swatches)... plus its fun to browse..😊
+1, definitely visit your local H and establish a relationship with an SA. Concentrate on buying a few items that you love and an interest in learning about H. At my local H, I think that lavish spending isn't a necessity to being offered a K/B but an excellent relationship with an H SA is worth gold. Each store is different and H works in strange and mysterious ways. Hope this helps.
Would anyone know which products "don't count" in building your purchase history to qualify or to be offered a Birkin or Kelly? Previous threads said that bags and leather goods don't count. So no bags, wallets or even notebooks? Anyone can confirm? Thanks.
Every store works differently
Most important spend your money happily
Buy what you like only
Support them regularly
You'll get your bag
My sentiments exactly! I'm done with Chanel because it's not worth it anymore for me.
I've decided I want a Kelly 32, I do have a boutique near by and I've ventured in there once but it was a couple years ago when the boutique was fairly new. However I didn't have much interest in the brand then so I didn't get acquainted with an SA. But I'm going to go back soon and see how my experience go but I actually would prefer to get my Kelly in Paris. So I might just wait to travel there sometime in the Summer and see how that goes.
Anyone know whether bags count in building the purchase history? I think they are fairly low ranking but do they count at all? I am interested in a Picotin and Garden Party but if they don't count should get those after my Birkin and/or Kelly. Thanks for your help!
In my experience, bags don't really count for anything.
My husband has been a dispatcher for a multi national corporation and we had to move around a lot (Mostly Europe and Latin America) and according to my experience in building my relationship with H boutiques, it really depends on how the store manager operates.
It is my understanding that none of the SAs can sell B or K without the store manager's approval. If anyone has been able to get a B/K first try, the case is either a previous customer did not like what they saw and passed so the B/K remained assigned under the SA's name/stock OR the B/K has been sitting in the store for a long time with previous years stamps and they needed to sell (highly unlikely but have been offered a soufre crocodile birkin in Brazil with a very old stamp. Which I also passed due to the color).
However, on more than one occasions, when I inquired about a b/k, some SAs have been pretty direct with me and said that if I purchased either watches/shoes totaling around $3,000, I would be able to get a b/k on the spot. Now understand that these are LOCAL BOUTIQUES with no previous purchase history.
If you are located in Europe, your B/K may be not as difficult to score as it is in the US, Canada, Australia and Asia.
I know that France, Germany and Belgium can put your name on "the waitlist" or "the podium order list", without a shopping record. Then, once your name is on the list, you will have to wait. I know that in Germany you will have to wait for 2.5 years until you receive your bag.
In France, many shops do a podium order only in July, but it depends on the shop. If your shop podium-ordered in July only, means that if you asked for B/K in September, your bag will be podium-ordered in July, and you'd receive it for spring-summer the year after. It would make a total waiting time of 1 year and a half, and definitely less than 2 years. If you are lucky, you might score a B/K at FSH in Paris.
I do not exactly know how Belgium proceeds B/K orders, but I know that they have a few deliveries on a regular basis, and that you can buy B/K as a walk-in. Good luck!
I know that France, Germany and Belgium can put your name on "the waitlist" or "the podium order list", without a shopping record. Then, once your name is on the list, you will have to wait. I know that in Germany you will have to wait for 2.5 years until you receive your bag.
In France, many shops do a podium order only in July, but it depends on the shop. If your shop podium-ordered in July only, means that if you asked for B/K in September, your bag will be podium-ordered in July, and you'd receive it for spring-summer the year after. It would make a total waiting time of 1 year and a half, and definitely less than 2 years. If you are lucky, you might score a B/K at FSH in Paris.
I do not exactly know how Belgium proceeds B/K orders, but I know that they have a few deliveries on a regular basis, and that you can buy B/K as a walk-in. Good luck!