I have the ultimate story to share about my experience with shelf Birkins that many of you wont believe. After
Never give up! If you cant find it on the shelf its probably in the back
OMG! Could you post a family portrait of your B's?
Just walked in .... There it was!! Stories of finding Birkins off the shelf
- Thread starter Blingaddict
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OMG! Could you post a family portrait of your B's?
^^^Now that is amazing luck! Like everyone's fantasy of sneaking into the H warehouse and having the run of the place to pick whatever bag. If I can borrow Harry Potter's cloak of invisibility, I will give it a try someday.
I have the ultimate story to share about my experience with shelf Birkins that many of you wont believe. After discovering Hermes Birkin in 2007 I went to FSH store in Paris and asked for the bag so I can get it as present. At that time I had no idea that the Birkin involves sizes, leathers, many colors etc. I asked an SA if I can get one and her reply was, "and who are you?". I was shocked to be honest! How can someone who works in a store benefit from this condescending manner? So I did my research about Hermes and especially the infamous Birkin. I found out about the waiting lists and how Birkins are available in "limited" quantities. I also researched how to obtain them. That research was extremely successful to this day. You can say that it was my life mission to obtain these bags without actually waiting LOL.
I used this research for the first time in the Dubai store during the end of that year. I walked into the store and found one walk in to be exact, it was a 35B in shiny black poro croc with diamond hardware. I asked the SA if he has any Birkins and pointed at the amazing black croc. I knew he was lyingAfter talking to him, using my new found knowledge, for a while and told him exactly what I want he excused himself for a minute to talk to the manager. The manager came and greeted us, I was happy that their attitude was different than the Paris store. Surprisingly he said, "We have three Birkins available and two Kellys". As this is a Birkin thread I will only share the Birkins. He had:
35B Orange with GDH
30B Black with PDH
30B Blue Roi Ostrich with PDH
We were interested in all three bags actually. All Birkins were welcome at that time and we left the store with 3 bags. This was the first story.
After a couple of months in London, we were in the Hermes store in Bond st. There were two Birkins available on the shelves:
30B a dark shade of green in shiny poro croc with diamond hardware
30B Meil in shiny nilo croc
They also had a 35B gold in togo with PHW in the back.
We left the store with the Meil croc.
During 2008 we were extremely lucky with Birkins. We left with a bag from every single store we visited. But they were never shelf Birkins always from the back.
2009 was an extremely different story and I can say it was the best year for us obtaining Birkins. It all started in Dubai once again. 30B Fuschia shiny poro croc with PWH on display. Left the store very happy with the bag
Second stop was VEGAS! The Hermes store in Bellagio shops which is relocated now.
On shelf was:
30B Etoupe (i think) with PHW
35B Havanne shiny poro croc with PHW
and a 40B Orange with GHW which came home with us.
They had both white and black in togo with GHW in the back.
Next stop was the Wynn Hermes store which is also in Vegas.
They had on display:
35B a dark blue shade and toile with PHW
and a 35B fuschia togo with PHW which was in the back but went home with us
Next stop was the South Coast Plaza Hermes store in LA.
These were on display:
40B dark brown with PHW
35B dark blue with PHW
25B ombre lizard with PHWwhich went home with us.
They had a 35B rouge garrance in the back with GHW and a few neutral colors.
Next stop was the San Francisco Hermes store which was STOCKED very well.
They had these on the shelves:
30B vert anis in swift with GHW
35B gold togo with GHW
25B shiny red lizard with GHW
25B matte brown lizard with PHW
Two croc Kelly's were on display and a few birkins in the back.
Left with the vert anis, gold and the red lizard! It was a good day!
The next stop was a store on the East Coast. I wont share which store as I still frequently go there and have a close relationship with the manager. This stop was probabely the best Hermes stop anyone could imagine.
There was only a croc kelly in display in a horrible matte dark shade of brown which looked used. There was also a tiny 25B in black with PHW which didnt interest us.
I talked to the SA and was treated with a bad attitude. It reminded me of the Paris trip LOL. I asked her with some "Hermes" questions that she didnt know the answer to and excused herself with a smile. Seconds later the manager introduces herself and asks me if Im looking for something in particular and told her every single bag i was looking for LOL. She was surprised with my Hermes knowledge, which im sure many of you have and more, and said I might have a few of what youre looking for. She said few, remember that.
At first they came with two boxes.
35B Raisin togo with PHW
40B Raisin togo with PHW
I was interested in the the 35 and told them that we will take it. She told me, "Wait, we have more". It was the first time I hear that in a Hermes store.
They came back with 4 more boxes.
35B Rouge garrance with GHW
40B Rouge garrance with GHW
35B Blue Jean togo with PHW
30B Etoupe with PHW
I was interested in two of these.
I asked for the 25B in normal leathers and they had:
25B Jaune (yellow) with GHW
25B Vert anis with GHW
25B Orange with GHW
They looked cute but for the normal leathers i preferred bigger sizes
They took them back again and brought two more.
This time they were exotic...
25B Vert anis shiny lizard with PHW
30B gold ostrich with GHW
I was interested in both but ended up with one of these
They brought another box. It was a croc.
a beautiful 35B Shiny Rouge poro croc
I was definately interested!
I thought it was over. But there was one more. Maybe the most beautiful Birkin I have seen.
She brought the box. It didnt open like any other box. The top was like a cover and it remained open when you lifted it. The bag was suited inside perfectly fixated in a shell that was created for it.
a 35cm Birkin in Amethyst Shiny Porosus Crocodile with a pave diamond hardware.
What did I get after this trip?
35B Raisin
35B Rouge Garrance
35B Blue Jean
30B Gold ostrich
and of course the Amethyst diamond birkin! LOL who am I kidding I ended up getting the Rouge Croc which was still an amazing peice!
5 Birkins from one shop. Yes it is possible! I have shared this story with family and friends and at first of course they didnt believe me. Until they saw the actual bags.
Next and final stop of the year was the NYC madison av. store.
On display they had a Red Croc Kelly with diamond hardwareand on top of it was the Amethyst Croc again
they shipped it to NYC for display.
They had on display:
30B Vert Anis Croc with PHW
30B Etoupe (i think) with PHW
30B in a dark blue shade with PHW
I left with the Vert Anis Croc!
I think I had enough Hermes for that year and I promised myself the madison store was the last ill go to until the following year. Like I said 2009 was an amazing year for me with Hermes. I still cant believe my luck with the stores that year.
And like everybody whos familiar with Hermes you cant just leave with the Birkins. You need to buy other Hermes items for them to continue to give you Birkins. And thats exactly what I did. It wasnt a good year for my bank account though LOL
Anyways this is my first time sharing this story on TPF and I wanted to for a long time. This thread was perfect in sharing this story and I hope you have enjoyed it.
Never give up! If you cant find it on the shelf its probably in the back
True.. A very special bank account that keeps getting refilled by the tooth fairy is definitely a must. (Also need teeth that keep growing back so they can fall out again for the tooth fairy bank deposits)
!!!mech2012 wow what a story. Do u think we still can have luck with B & K like you in this year 2012?
There is always hope and a little Lady Luck doesn't hurt. My hubby and I just returned from a 4 day trip to Las Vegas NV and we left with a big orange box & my 1st Birkin 35cm in the tri-color Club style with Gold & Marron D'Inde Clemence leather + lizard stripes!
It wasn't easy nor off the shelf, but honestly being able to try at 3 stores in 1 town was exciting & fruitful. The first H boutique we entered was in our hotel, the Bellagio and we walked in after enjoying caviar & vodka in the Petrossian Bar...nice start to a Vegas trip, but I forgot to pack any H items I already own (really needed a silk/cashmere shawl for the intense air-conditioning!) so I looked like a total newcomer. We were told there are no Birkins, but with loyalty I could get lucky before the year is out. That seemed plausible to me and we enjoyed looking at their available items. Those leather & silk-scarf bags are really cute! I gave my details and perused the leather samples. I discovered I love Swift leather!! I also like Clemence and Togo for their natural pebbled look. I said I was flexible on the color, but loved the purple swatches we were looking at. We left empty handed as I was waiting for a Birkin 35 to complete my b-day wish of 35 for 35! Simple enough...right??!.
The next day we go to Caesars Palace and the faux marble & faux sky indoors are ridiculous so we buy a big half-yard margarita in the mall and walk around. After the 5-shot frozen concoction is all gone, my husband discovers the fun of drumming on the empty plastic cup to make "music". We shouldn't have walked into the next H boutique at that time, but we did and I looked at a couple Shawls after freezing the evening before, but he was getting bored and walked out to sit on a bench. I asked the Sales Assistant if they had any Birkin bags, and I noticed another SA behind her look towards the secret stash...but she told me, "No" and assumed we weren't serious buyers since my details weren't even taken for future assistance. I left that boutique totally bummed out and actually pouting because I felt I was lied to and not worthy in her eyes and he wasn't even trying. My septum nose ring didn't help nor did his plastic-cup drum skills.
We return to our room and enjoy the fountain shows with expanded rainbows from our 28th floor view. I look up the Store Locator online at Hermes.com and discover there are 3 H Boutiques here in Las Vegas...that means one more try. This time we have to follow The Plan. The plan I devised after reading about some of you all got lucky at Hermes. The H Boutique at the Encore was our last shot.
I noticed in the mall after getting my Cartier watch band replaced that carrying that lovely red shopping bag (which was bigger than expected b/c our Sales Assistant included books about Cartier watches & their 2012 jewelry selections) I received compliments on my "whole goat bag" Balenciaga 2007 natural goat-fur & goat-leather Mini Bowling bag and was assisted quite enthusiastically by every boutique SA I encountered. It definitely upped our credibility as potential buyers in all the luxury stores we entered. I also have a theory that when men inquire about B & K bags they are more likely to be told if there are any available because they are less likely to keep coming back to ask again. I think most of us bag-obsessed women will keep coming back to ask more than once, I know I would. Therefore, he must enter the store alone and inquire about a b-day gift for his wife and carry the powerful red Cartier shopping bag. He thought I was crazy and that it's more likely there are no Birkin bags in Las Vegas to be had right now. That seemed unlikely to me since there is so much spending going on in Vegas, there have to be B & K bags for the lucky winners!
Now it's our last full day in Vegas and we're off to the Encore to see if my devilish plan will work. He says he feels stupid carrying the Cartier shopping bag like a prop, but if she isn't happy, no one is and it's worth giving it a shot to make my b-day wish come true. We get to the hotel and find a map/directory that showed there's a Chanel boutique 2 doors down from Hermes. I'll go look at Chanel bags as a backup B-Day present and he'll enter the H boutique with The Plan in mind. He comes into the Chanel store after giving his contact info to the Hermes SA and tells me he didn't see anything and perhaps a Chanel bag would suffice. They had a beautiful Black leather & Gold HW Jumbo Classic Flap in stock and it looked great on me...so that was a possibility. When the next thing you know, his phone rings and it's the SA at Hermes telling him there's a Birkin 35 for him to view if he's still in the mall.
Excellent news! He heads back to Hermes and is taken into a small room to view the contents of a big orange box in private with the SA. He calls me and describes the bag as "honey colored & pretty" so we arrange to meet up and re-enter the store together. The SA takes us both back into a dressing room & unveils the Gold Clemence 35cm Birkin Club which I hold in front of the mirror and she says the bag looks really good on me with my coloring. I was wearing a summery white dress and I agreed the colors are totally me! My dear husband asks me if this is the b-day gift I would like and of course I say, "Yes!" so we leave the little room and the SA hugs me and inquires if it's my first Birkin to which I reply it is.
We leave the Encore with a huge orange bag & big orange box and an even bigger smile on my face. Once we get back to our room I opened the box and named my bag Honey Vegas but now she goes by Liz. We all go out that evening for sushi dinner & see David Copperfield perform at the MGM. Since then, Liz & I are inseparable and my wonderful husband has made my birthday wish come true! Thanks to him and a little Lady Luck in Vegas I'm now officially a Hermes girl through and through. I have started wearing my scarves again and am thinking about accessories to carry inside my 100% perfect Birkin 35! Here we are, happy together!
It wasn't easy nor off the shelf, but honestly being able to try at 3 stores in 1 town was exciting & fruitful. The first H boutique we entered was in our hotel, the Bellagio and we walked in after enjoying caviar & vodka in the Petrossian Bar...nice start to a Vegas trip, but I forgot to pack any H items I already own (really needed a silk/cashmere shawl for the intense air-conditioning!) so I looked like a total newcomer. We were told there are no Birkins, but with loyalty I could get lucky before the year is out. That seemed plausible to me and we enjoyed looking at their available items. Those leather & silk-scarf bags are really cute! I gave my details and perused the leather samples. I discovered I love Swift leather!! I also like Clemence and Togo for their natural pebbled look. I said I was flexible on the color, but loved the purple swatches we were looking at. We left empty handed as I was waiting for a Birkin 35 to complete my b-day wish of 35 for 35! Simple enough...right??!.
The next day we go to Caesars Palace and the faux marble & faux sky indoors are ridiculous so we buy a big half-yard margarita in the mall and walk around. After the 5-shot frozen concoction is all gone, my husband discovers the fun of drumming on the empty plastic cup to make "music". We shouldn't have walked into the next H boutique at that time, but we did and I looked at a couple Shawls after freezing the evening before, but he was getting bored and walked out to sit on a bench. I asked the Sales Assistant if they had any Birkin bags, and I noticed another SA behind her look towards the secret stash...but she told me, "No" and assumed we weren't serious buyers since my details weren't even taken for future assistance. I left that boutique totally bummed out and actually pouting because I felt I was lied to and not worthy in her eyes and he wasn't even trying. My septum nose ring didn't help nor did his plastic-cup drum skills.
We return to our room and enjoy the fountain shows with expanded rainbows from our 28th floor view. I look up the Store Locator online at Hermes.com and discover there are 3 H Boutiques here in Las Vegas...that means one more try. This time we have to follow The Plan. The plan I devised after reading about some of you all got lucky at Hermes. The H Boutique at the Encore was our last shot.
I noticed in the mall after getting my Cartier watch band replaced that carrying that lovely red shopping bag (which was bigger than expected b/c our Sales Assistant included books about Cartier watches & their 2012 jewelry selections) I received compliments on my "whole goat bag" Balenciaga 2007 natural goat-fur & goat-leather Mini Bowling bag and was assisted quite enthusiastically by every boutique SA I encountered. It definitely upped our credibility as potential buyers in all the luxury stores we entered. I also have a theory that when men inquire about B & K bags they are more likely to be told if there are any available because they are less likely to keep coming back to ask again. I think most of us bag-obsessed women will keep coming back to ask more than once, I know I would. Therefore, he must enter the store alone and inquire about a b-day gift for his wife and carry the powerful red Cartier shopping bag. He thought I was crazy and that it's more likely there are no Birkin bags in Las Vegas to be had right now. That seemed unlikely to me since there is so much spending going on in Vegas, there have to be B & K bags for the lucky winners!
Now it's our last full day in Vegas and we're off to the Encore to see if my devilish plan will work. He says he feels stupid carrying the Cartier shopping bag like a prop, but if she isn't happy, no one is and it's worth giving it a shot to make my b-day wish come true. We get to the hotel and find a map/directory that showed there's a Chanel boutique 2 doors down from Hermes. I'll go look at Chanel bags as a backup B-Day present and he'll enter the H boutique with The Plan in mind. He comes into the Chanel store after giving his contact info to the Hermes SA and tells me he didn't see anything and perhaps a Chanel bag would suffice. They had a beautiful Black leather & Gold HW Jumbo Classic Flap in stock and it looked great on me...so that was a possibility. When the next thing you know, his phone rings and it's the SA at Hermes telling him there's a Birkin 35 for him to view if he's still in the mall.
Excellent news! He heads back to Hermes and is taken into a small room to view the contents of a big orange box in private with the SA. He calls me and describes the bag as "honey colored & pretty" so we arrange to meet up and re-enter the store together. The SA takes us both back into a dressing room & unveils the Gold Clemence 35cm Birkin Club which I hold in front of the mirror and she says the bag looks really good on me with my coloring. I was wearing a summery white dress and I agreed the colors are totally me! My dear husband asks me if this is the b-day gift I would like and of course I say, "Yes!" so we leave the little room and the SA hugs me and inquires if it's my first Birkin to which I reply it is.
We leave the Encore with a huge orange bag & big orange box and an even bigger smile on my face. Once we get back to our room I opened the box and named my bag Honey Vegas but now she goes by Liz. We all go out that evening for sushi dinner & see David Copperfield perform at the MGM. Since then, Liz & I are inseparable and my wonderful husband has made my birthday wish come true! Thanks to him and a little Lady Luck in Vegas I'm now officially a Hermes girl through and through. I have started wearing my scarves again and am thinking about accessories to carry inside my 100% perfect Birkin 35! Here we are, happy together!
Attachments
I've been hurling for a few days coz of this thread.
How about a thread on dressed for success and still have the H SA refuse to make eye contact when she says we have nothing. Or the shiek who has every SA traipsing after him. I'd bet the number of break your heart stories could out number the Harry Potter books. Am off to suck a Midol.
How about a thread on dressed for success and still have the H SA refuse to make eye contact when she says we have nothing. Or the shiek who has every SA traipsing after him. I'd bet the number of break your heart stories could out number the Harry Potter books. Am off to suck a Midol.
RealDealCollection said:
Happy birthday and congrats
it's a lovely story. Enjoy your beautiful Birkin 
Tesi, GK, invisibility is nice. But what I'd love is an H (and VCA) fairy at my disposal and a never-ending $ tree to harvest. Also, while we're in fantasy-land, I'd love to be able to eat drink and be merry and NOT gain weight, too.
And back to our regularly scheduled programming, I got my 30 Clemence Brique birkin w/PHW off the shelf, but that was in 2006.