Lining up for Hermes - thoughts, rants, raves

[EmileH]

I have been sharing these pics and info about lining up at FSH with my DH and he has already warned me not to even think about lining up at 4,5am in the morning when we visit Paris end of the year. He refuses to participate in any of this craziness. Says that it really disgraces the prestige of the brand Hermes. Guess I'll be only visiting the store to admire it.

Just go any time after 11:30 am and you will be fine. They will all be gone and the store will be peaceful especially during the off season.

 

[CEC.LV4eva]

lol. this makes no sense. internationally traded goods are priced more or less the same.

what makes luxury goods "cheap" in Europe and expensive in other places like US, Asia, and Australia, are 1) the cost of transporting these goods to these countries and 2) the tariffs imposed by these respective countries to imported products.

I think you're using different words/terminologies.
- Shipping costs are expensive, but overall it is a small proportion of the retail cost.
- You mention tariffs which by definition is the duties and/or taxes imposed on certain goods by a country, and this is what I'm referring to in my original post. There are people who each bring in hundreds of thousands (or even millions!) of designer goods into China without declaring them because the government has allowed for this type of practice to happen since it's not governed. The price of the item now has not had tariffs imposed, and that's why there is a huge business right now in China for those people doing "Dai Gou." The products people purchase in Europe is the "base price," and that's all they pay (then they resell them).
Now if a person is to buy the same item in China through the proper boutiques, it would be the "base price" + Duties + Taxes + Other import fees = Final landed retail price (this is the only price written in China, often without transparency of the exact % of each category). This final price depending on the tariff category can be anywhere between 20 - 300% (eg. Ferrari) more than what the European clients pay which is the "base price" + VAT for most consumer goods (very transparent). Asia has done already a lot to harmonize prices in the official stores and different companies, but China has yet to tackle the beast which is the ungoverned part of trades through individual resellers. Again this is because when people bring in luxury products, they do not declare it which is truly what is unfair and appalling.
I don't mean to devalue your post, but I think a lot of people outside of China have no idea how grey (black?) this reseller market is in China and many people are die-hards who will line up because of so much money they can make when they go back to resell the luxury goods. This doesn't account for everyone, because I believe there are clients who have other incentives as others have mentioned. Whatever is driving them to line up, I see them as honest clients who truly just want a bag for their own and it is unfair that a significant amount of their time and experience is tarnished by resellers.
Aside, those line cutters/sellers I think are a different category of folks who are not buying H products, rather they just want to make some quick money...? I could be wrong, but that's the impression I get.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[loves]

lol. this makes no sense. internationally traded goods are priced more or less the same.

what makes luxury goods "cheap" in Europe and expensive in other places like US, Asia, and Australia, are 1) the cost of transporting these goods to these countries and 2) the tariffs imposed by these respective countries to imported products.

honey it's called a fantasy.
it does not affect me when it comes to europe prices; i shop in my home country and am not interested in lining up for a bag.

 

[creighbaby]

I think you have to keep in mind that for the most part the people lining up outside are people who only want to buy a birkin or a Kelly. It's hard to imagine that anyone who is a true Hermes fan wouldn't be interested in buying anything else at FSH. And if one is a regular customer of the brand who is shopping throughout the store they don't usually have to line up.

Not necessarily...what about people who love the bags and don't want to "play the game" of having to buy other H items they may consider superfluous in order to be offered a B or a K?

 

[creighbaby]

I know it's legal. It's free enterprise but it's still sleazy. Even at a 1:1 exchange and it's tacky for anyone to hire them. Just my opinion.

Sleazy and tacky are pretty strong words.

In NYC there are at least two companies that are professional linesitters that people hire for restaurant reservations, theatre tickets, sneaker drops, sample sales, etc. There is absolutely nothing sleazy about the companies and definitely nothing tacky about the people who hire them. Just my opinion.

 

[chicinthecity777]

The pictures are showing line sitters, not people who buy the bags. IMO they are not lunatics nor insane. They are there for a business. They saw an opportunity to make a quick buck and they acted on it. If anybody thinks they are not doing much or not having any skills, which is all true, but think about how much one has to pay you to sleep on the street overnight? In my case it will be a lot of money, I definitely wouldn't do it for the money they are making. You can call them tacky or sleazy all you want but this is big machine of capitalism well oiled at work at its finest! Just as the same as the Hermes enterprise!

The situation outside FSH itself though IMO is indeed insane! The amount of aggravation caused there and on this forum in this threas is also insane IMO! We are talking about how to spend $10,000+ to buy a bag for crying out loud! You would have thought it was about lifesaving cancel curing drugs!

 

[lulilu]

Sleazy and tacky are pretty strong words.

In NYC there are at least two companies that are professional linesitters that people hire for restaurant reservations, theatre tickets, sneaker drops, sample sales, etc. There is absolutely nothing sleazy about the companies and definitely nothing tacky about the people who hire them. Just my opinion.

People don't want to hear about the reality of the business of line sitters. They'd rather call it disgusting and say it's beneath them. And I'd like to know -- if you are willing to pay someone to sit in line, is it qualitatively different from hiring a concierge service to get you an appointment or to ask your hotel to do so? It's money changing hands for an opportunity to get a bag at the discounted European price, whether you do so via an appointment obtained in line or an appointment obtained in some other manner.

 

[allanrvj]

People don't want to hear about the reality of the business of line sitters. They'd rather call it disgusting and say it's beneath them. And I'd like to know -- if you are willing to pay someone to sit in line, is it qualitatively different from hiring a concierge service to get you an appointment or to ask your hotel to do so? It's money changing hands for an opportunity to get a bag at the discounted European price, whether you do so via an appointment obtained in line or an appointment obtained in some other manner.

Qualitatively, no, there is no difference. But like what I mentioned in my previous post, one of my main gripes is that these line sitters earn more than twice the average Frenchman and yet they don't pay taxes. Tax is a big issue for me since I live in EU like they do (I'm assuming they're legally allowed to stay in France), and half of my salary automatically goes to the government. So what they're doing is bordering on illegal and downright unfair.

 

[EmileH]

Anyone who chooses to pay these line sitters is contributing to the ugliness on the street and shouldn't blame Hermes for the mess.

 

[allanrvj]

Anyone who chooses to pay these line sitters is contributing to the ugliness on the street and shouldn't blame Hermes for the mess.

And they shouldn't expect Hermes to make up for whatever governments of certain countries lack.

I did not answer the ladies above because this thread about the line at FSH would seriously veer off topic if we discuss customs and border control. Jeezus.

Now who has more pictures of these freaking line sitters?

 

[mistikat]

And they shouldn't expect Hermes to make up for whatever governments of certain countries lack.

I did not answer the ladies above because this thread about the line at FSH would seriously veer off topic if we discuss customs and border control. Jeezus.

Now who has more pictures of these freaking line sitters?

The whole tax discussion is actually seriously off topic.

Just saying...

 

[allanrvj]

The whole tax discussion is actually seriously off topic.

Just saying...

Dang it! I thought I was still on topic!

 

[EmileH]

Sleazy and tacky are pretty strong words.

In NYC there are at least two companies that are professional linesitters that people hire for restaurant reservations, theatre tickets, sneaker drops, sample sales, etc. There is absolutely nothing sleazy about the companies and definitely nothing tacky about the people who hire them. Just my opinion.

Do the line sitters in NYC make such a scene outside the stores or cause fights and other commotion by selling to multiple people? I'm genuinely asking a question. Is this unique to what is happening at FSH or is it a common situation? These are the elements that I find ugly and that I cannot condone supporting.

 

[scarf1]

I think you're using different words/terminologies.
- Shipping costs are expensive, but overall it is a small proportion of the retail cost.
- You mention tariffs which by definition is the duties and/or taxes imposed on certain goods by a country, and this is what I'm referring to in my original post. There are people who each bring in hundreds of thousands (or even millions!) of designer goods into China without declaring them because the government has allowed for this type of practice to happen since it's not governed. The price of the item now has not had tariffs imposed, and that's why there is a huge business right now in China for those people doing "Dai Gou." The products people purchase in Europe is the "base price," and that's all they pay (then they resell them).
Now if a person is to buy the same item in China through the proper boutiques, it would be the "base price" + Duties + Taxes + Other import fees = Final landed retail price (this is the only price written in China, often without transparency of the exact % of each category). This final price depending on the tariff category can be anywhere between 20 - 300% (eg. Ferrari) more than what the European clients pay which is the "base price" + VAT for most consumer goods (very transparent). Asia has done already a lot to harmonize prices in the official stores and different companies, but China has yet to tackle the beast which is the ungoverned part of trades through individual resellers. Again this is because when people bring in luxury products, they do not declare it which is truly what is unfair and appalling.
I don't mean to devalue your post, but I think a lot of people outside of China have no idea how grey (black?) this reseller market is in China and many people are die-hards who will line up because of so much money they can make when they go back to resell the luxury goods. This doesn't account for everyone, because I believe there are clients who have other incentives as others have mentioned. Whatever is driving them to line up, I see them as honest clients who truly just want a bag for their own and it is unfair that a significant amount of their time and experience is tarnished by resellers.
Aside, those line cutters/sellers I think are a different category of folks who are not buying H products, rather they just want to make some quick money...? I could be wrong, but that's the impression I get.

Just my 2 cents.

Thank you for explaining the fact that China does not have strict controls like the US for individuals bringing purchases home. I had no idea! It is shocking to me that the China govt is allowing this!

 

[dharma]

Do the line sitters in NYC make such a scene outside the stores or cause fights and other commotion by selling to multiple people? I'm genuinely asking a question. Is this unique to what is happening at FSH or is it a common situation? These are the elements that I find ugly and that I cannot condone supporting.

Not at all. As I posted above, it's very common and a legit business. I've run into them on many occasion. Talked to a really nice grad student once in an H sale line a few years ago. She texted her client when we were close and the limo pulled up, no nonsense at all. At the catacombs in Paris it was mostly French locals holding the space for a one to two/ three trade. A few were holding space for a tour group which was annoying but when the group was assembled, the Catacombs guards put them in a separate area for entry so it wasn't such a bad thing.
Equalizing prices because of China's import and duty issues is totally unrealistic and not to mention unfair to locals and clients from other countries as well.