My Birkin cost $$ but shhh don't tell!

#31
Your Dad's really something Roxane Go DAD!

If a friend bought something new, the price is the last thing on my mind. I'll be busy looking at it and if she offers, I'd handle it to get a feel of the product or marveling at how good it looked etc. I wouldn't ask the price and I'm not interested in the price if I hadn't even thought of getting one.

But it seems to be so common here to ask "HOW MUCH?" to the owner of the newly acquired item.

So I don't mind the question if they are genuinely thinking of getting something from H. Even now I ask since the prices change as months pass. Just please do not ask and then make as if you're shocked at how much it costs. It is Hermes, what are you expecting?
 
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#33
Roxane said:
My dad admired one of my Kellys and asked how much it cost. Since it was my own dad asking, I couldn't really skirt the questions so easily and said it was more than a certain figure. Next thing I knew, he asked me for a car for his birthday. No really! And he got his car...
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:roflmfao: Note to self: never tell anyone the price of my kelly.
 
#35
I think most of us here know manners well enough to NOT ask people how much their purchases are but then we can't expect everyone else in the world to abide by those standards. So I don't blame people asking because they can genuinely be interested with such a high quality bag and was wondering if it's something they can look to buy as well. However, I really don't understand why people when they're told have to respond so negatively. However much it cost, it's someone else's business. If you disagree with that, just don't buy it yourself!
 
#36
Sometimes it's not about asking/talking about the price. In my case, the girl is a frequent H site browser, I am pretty sure she is aware of the price and even recognizes the design. But still she was very much shocked when I confirmed it's a H and 400 bucks. Does that mean I am not qualified for such a good one?! :cool:
Anyways, I learned that lesson! As long as we do not talk about H, the girl is pretty cool. :thinking: She can take any other brands. :wondering
 
#38
chaz said:
I don't tell anyone,its absolutely mine and my DH's business what we spend,no-one elses.What we buy is not up for scrutiny,disaproval or whatever by anyone else,and its rude when they take it upon themselves to pass negative comments.

I did see a brilliant solution to avoiding saying how much you have paid for something...if someone asks the price of something,ask them are they interested in buying one,if they say no and still press the point,ask 'why exactly do you want to know then?'
It then leaves them with the uncomfortable task of having to explain why they want to know.
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You know, I tried this once but it did not work. The woman simply said "Look, you know I'm a materialistic b****, just tell me how much already..."

Once I picked up my jaw from the floor I promptly turned around and started a new conversation w/ a friend who sat across from me.
 
#39
chaz said:
I don't tell anyone,its absolutely mine and my DH's business what we spend,no-one elses.What we buy is not up for scrutiny,disaproval or whatever by anyone else,and its rude when they take it upon themselves to pass negative comments.

I did see a brilliant solution to avoiding saying how much you have paid for something...if someone asks the price of something,ask them are they interested in buying one,if they say no and still press the point,ask 'why exactly do you want to know then?'
It then leaves them with the uncomfortable task of having to explain why they want to know.
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That's a brilliant idea Chaz - I'll have to try that next time somebody asks me.

Nobody by my DH knows how much any of my bags cost me and they never will. My parents and in-laws would be horrified - especially my parents because they were WWII children and still have a 'careful' sense of money.

I figure that I don't smoke or drink and this is my little luxury - everybody spends their money on something, I just want to spend it on bags and accessories.
 
#40
Ms_Jade said:
I was wondering if we could have a polite, respectful discussion on what makes us want to keep how much we spend on Hermes, as opposed to other luxuries, a secret from family, friends, coworkers, bosses, etc. I started thinking about this in the thread about the boss who is traveling to Paris and the OP said she didn't want her boss to know how much a Birkin really costs. I agree that specific situation sounded a bit awkward, but so many other expensive things people openly flaunt (cars, jewelry, vacations, etc), or at least don't try so hard to hide, and aren't embarrassed about, so why the different attitude about Hermes? FWIW, I like to keep my finances as private as anyone else, I just think it's ironic how we sometimes go out of our way to hide how much H costs while not hiding other equally expensive nonessentials.

For example, an in-law who's into designer goods told my FIL that I bought a Kelly and how much it cost and he was appalled. However my FIL has no problem spending thousands of dollars on a musical instrument, his hobby not profession, and other family members routinely upgrade their luxury vehicles and nobody bats an eye. A double standard, or is this because bags are considered more frivolous than a car?

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Definitly double standard. It hasn't happend to me that often, but in the future I will also do it "the Chaz-way". :smile:
 
#41
I don't know, it was a present from:

a favourite aunt,
an ex,
DH,
DD(addy!)

Works well - then they are more than welcome to try and extract the information from them (tee hee!)

A favourite response of mine amongst school run gossipers is - "ohh, a little under a term's fees!"
 
#42
hermes_lemming said:
You know, I tried this once but it did not work. The woman simply said "Look, you know I'm a materialistic b****, just tell me how much already..."

Once I picked up my jaw from the floor I promptly turned around and started a new conversation w/ a friend who sat across from me.
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:wtf: OMG!!!! I can't believe someone said this! I would totally not know what to say.

I like nancydrew's answer, "I didn't use your credit card", hehe.
 
#43
I mentioned this on another thread like this before and have become more precautious about what I carry around coworkers ever since.

I took a birkin to a reception where one of our female VPs was getting an award from a women's organization. A colleague that I have gotten close to always asks me about my bags and I told her how much it cost (albeit mine was a preowned price). She has gotten into the habit of looking up things she sees me with on ebay to find herself one so I knew she'd find out the cost sooner or later anyway. Well I was appalled when she called me out in front of the VP and several other female colleagues about the cost of my Birkin. We were all standing around and she says look at that bag...oh she has several ...ask her how much they cost. The VP said something like I see where your money goes. I was mortified. I actually ended up giving that VP a ride that night and she asked me about my python Louboutins also on the walk to the car. I still carry the Birkin to work and a Kelly but I've gotten a croc since then and lets just say I'd never carry around colleagues now. Frankly I haven't figured out where I feel comfortable carrying it yet besides a Kennedy Center play I went to. I mean if folks freak over leather ones...geez! It is like this little secret I have hidden away in my closet and take out to look at from time to time. In this economy it just makes you even more precautious versus maybe a few years ago. I lied about my very first Birkin. That was the first time she brought it up amongst other female colleagues. I said that it was a gift from a prior boyfriend that was a pro footballer (prior pro boyfriend was true but it was not a gift from him)....it made it seem better to everyone in some way. Since I am obviously married to someone else now and public servant who could not afford that I can't use that lie :smile:

I agree there is a double standard. Everyone that reacts in such shock I know they take vacations that are comparable to the cost of my bag each year, my boss has a $5k+ watch, the same coworker that blurted it out drops equally extravagent prices on furniture, these women rock diamond rings that are gigantic, live in neighborhoods that a comparable home to mine cost twice what mine does etc....all things that I haven't spent big money on but no one reacts to these things in the same way. Most all the lawyers at my job drive Lexus, Mercedes, etc. so no one would blink at you having a fancy $40-$60k car unless say it was over $60k....$40-$60k cars are kind of common to see around the DC area professionals...excluding those that can afford it but choose to go the Prius route instead to make a green statement...less expensive green cars are very chic around here also. Anything beyond Coach and Burberry for a bag is extreme amongst many of the $200k+ women that I know around here.

Some of my new inlaws asked me once and I mentioned a general range for preowned and new. I hear there has been chatter about it. We were talking about *****'s plan to raise taxes on those over $250k once and now I hear there is chatter about how much I make within the family. Frankly, I need to learn how to avoid these price discussions better.
 
#44
I too had a female co-worker (who became my boss) in room filled with other co-workers, and said "WOW, look at that bag, thats expensive, did you buy it at the boutique?"...but wait-it was an LV! I was mortified (and I didn't think it was expensive in comparison)...once she became my boss she denied me for a raise I TOTALLY deserved. After that, I decided not to carry any of my bags to company functions.
 
#45
christymarie340 said:
I too had a female co-worker (who became my boss) in room filled with other co-workers, and said "WOW, look at that bag, thats expensive, did you buy it at the boutique?"...but wait-it was an LV! I was mortified (and I didn't think it was expensive in comparison)...once she became my boss she denied me for a raise I TOTALLY deserved. After that, I decided not to carry any of my bags to company functions.
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I mainly work with men in my immediate department who you would think don't notice but my male boss once asked if my bag was by Chanel. It sucks to have to hide bags from work since that is where the majority of my time is spent and the Birkin and my 40 Kelly are both perfect work bags. I've actually got the 40 Kelly with me at work today. If you start hiding them from coworkers, certain friends and (for some folks) spouses and family members...it starts to become impossible to really use them at all....unless you have this other fabulous group of people you hang out with besides those people. I've gotten over it now with my regular leather bags...especially since they have all already been "outted" I don't care anymore lol.
 
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