Paris trip for Hermes

[papertiger]

Please try to stay on topic. I realise because of the complexity of some of the posts members may veer off but in answer do not 'go there'.

For info and questions on US customs please post on the thread below: post https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/us-customs-discussion-airports-importing.905560/

Detaxing (to US from Europe) https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/best-way-to-detax-after-h-in-europe.178302/

or non-US destinations: https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/does-h-store-paris-wants-to-ship.605014/page-3

For questions relating to prices https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/reference-hermes-current-prices.102567/page-357

For traveling with boxes https://forum.purseblog.com/threads...me-hermes-boxes-when-traveling.1044553/page-5



I will leave this reminder as a sticky because tthis is often a thread that new members (or new Hermès lovers) post on - hopefully temporarily.

 

[Dreaming Big]

Hi All,
I know there is already another thread regarding FSH but wanted to ask about how rare is it to get offer a mini kelly II? As I have scanned through the thread for a good few months and I only saw one offer. But then I also realised not many people in the thread asked for it. The competition in my home store for mini Kellys are super fierce and I am not interested in getting any more bs or bigger size ks. So it would be great if anyone could update me on my chances as I am planning to visit next week.
Thanks!

I bought one on Saturday (3/30). I have a purchase history and a regular SA.

 

[jmc3007]

Here she is in black Togo and rose gold

 

[ilovepooches025]

Congratulations and what a wonderful story. Love hearing all these stories.

 

[frankiextah]

Today was my turn at Hermes after 4 tries for an appt at 5:30. Ended up arriving quite a bit early since I thought I could do some window shopping in the area of Rue Royal/Faubourg as I haven’t been there since I arrived in Paris last week. My feet were killing me so I popped into Hermes to browse and see things at a leisurely pace. The store wasn’t terribly busy, it could be the time of day which was early afternoon. When I was there last year, almost the same time last April, it felt much busier given that my appt was 10:30, there was a frenzy vibe as soon as the doors opened. Browsed around the shoes, clothing and home areas, then decided to check in with the hostess. I didn’t ask for or want to change my appt necessarily, just that my feet were tired and I was gonna sit down somewhere. I asked if madame M, the saleswoman from last year who sold me a Birkin, if she was working today and to send her my regards if she wasn’t. As karma would have it, she was standing a few steps away waiting for her next appt. She recognized me and we chitchat a little. She pointed to an area where I could rest. But before I even got a chance to sit down, I got the text that my SA was ready to see me, and lo and behold it was the sweet madame M, she must have moved her schedule around to spend time with me.

While waiting for her to come back, I witnessed an epic meltdown from an English dude who was ranting about not getting whatever bag he asked for, he complained loudly and the sales manager had to step in cuz he was completely dismissive of whatever his SA was telling him. He didn’t like the answers coming from the immediate manager, so he asked to speak to her manager. It was painful to witness, no amount of logic or argument was going to turn up an Hermes bag for this guy.

Madame M came back with Birkin 35 black with RGHW, my first choice as well as a 31 Halzan in etoupe. I declined the Halzan as this kind of color doesn’t work on my complexion. I had asked for gold or coffee but sadly none was in stock. Apparently Hermes still produces these colors, just not right now. I asked if there was any Rodeo, and right then she said a new shipment just came in as there wasn’t any when she was downstairs. Talk about dynamic inventory! In addition to bring up the Rodeo, small and medium, she also sourced me a couple bracelets from the Kyoto collection which is no longer in production. All in all, I was stoked with my purchases, exactly what I wanted, nothing bought on impulse. Lastly, I felt appreciative to have made a deeper connection with the SA. I wasn’t demanding or imposing, just took things as they were and the magic was what happened.

congrats on such a successful appt! amazing score and great luck to have your SA from last year!

 

[azukitea]

These are currently available colours via hermes.com

I have seen vert cypress and gris perle too recently in person at stores

 

[eagle1002us]

Today was my turn at Hermes after 4 tries for an appt at 5:30. Ended up arriving quite a bit early since I thought I could do some window shopping in the area of Rue Royal/Faubourg as I haven’t been there since I arrived in Paris last week. My feet were killing me so I popped into Hermes to browse and see things at a leisurely pace. The store wasn’t terribly busy, it could be the time of day which was early afternoon. When I was there last year, almost the same time last April, it felt much busier given that my appt was 10:30, there was a frenzy vibe as soon as the doors opened. Browsed around the shoes, clothing and home areas, then decided to check in with the hostess. I didn’t ask for or want to change my appt necessarily, just that my feet were tired and I was gonna sit down somewhere. I asked if madame M, the saleswoman from last year who sold me a Birkin, if she was working today and to send her my regards if she wasn’t. As karma would have it, she was standing a few steps away waiting for her next appt. She recognized me and we chitchat a little. She pointed to an area where I could rest. But before I even got a chance to sit down, I got the text that my SA was ready to see me, and lo and behold it was the sweet madame M, she must have moved her schedule around to spend time with me.

While waiting for her to come back, I witnessed an epic meltdown from an English dude who was ranting about not getting whatever bag he asked for, he complained loudly and the sales manager had to step in cuz he was completely dismissive of whatever his SA was telling him. He didn’t like the answers coming from the immediate manager, so he asked to speak to her manager. It was painful to witness, no amount of logic or argument was going to turn up an Hermes bag for this guy.

Madame M came back with Birkin 35 black with RGHW, my first choice as well as a 31 Halzan in etoupe. I declined the Halzan as this kind of color doesn’t work on my complexion. I had asked for gold or coffee but sadly none was in stock. Apparently Hermes still produces these colors, just not right now. I asked if there was any Rodeo, and right then she said a new shipment just came in as there wasn’t any when she was downstairs. Talk about dynamic inventory! In addition to bring up the Rodeo, small and medium, she also sourced me a couple bracelets from the Kyoto collection which is no longer in production. All in all, I was stoked with my purchases, exactly what I wanted, nothing bought on impulse. Lastly, I felt appreciative to have made a deeper connection with the SA. I wasn’t demanding or imposing, just took things as they were and the magic was what happened.

That's what happened to me at FSH. I tentatively inquired about a bag. I did not expect to get one. So, I got into the experience of getting what I came to get, chiefly stuff that for one reason or another never seemed to be transferred to my local boutique. I got some things then a few more things and then the SA said she had a surprise for me. We went to a private/quiet area and she disappeared for a moment, coming back with a big orange box. I was stunned. I'm not ready for a reveal yet (still unpacking) but suffice for the moment to say that I never thought about the bag's details, the bag was exactly the color I wanted and I just had to have it. (In my closet, I practically have a stack up to the ceiling of non-H bags in that particular color!)

When I got back to the hotel I realized I had different color hardware than I typically get. When I was looking (gaping) at the bag in the boutique it never occurred to me to question the hardware or the bag size (which is a bit larger then I usually get). I was so stunned,, blown away, thrilled that (a) I was getting a bag and (b) it was in my favorite color.

 

[GoldFish8]

That's what happened to me at FSH. I tentatively inquired about a bag. I did not expect to get one. So, I got into the experience of getting what I came to get, chiefly stuff that for one reason or another never seemed to be transferred to my local boutique. I got some things then a few more things and then the SA said she had a surprise for me. We went to a private/quiet area and she disappeared for a moment, coming back with a big orange box. I was stunned. I'm not ready for a reveal yet (still unpacking) but suffice for the moment to say that I never thought about the bag's details, the bag was exactly the color I wanted and I just had to have it. (In my closet, I practically have a stack up to the ceiling of non-H bags in that particular color!)

When I got back to the hotel I realized I had different color hardware than I typically get. When I was looking (gaping) at the bag in the boutique it never occurred to me to question the hardware or the bag size (which is a bit larger then I usually get). I was so stunned,, blown away, thrilled that (a) I was getting a bag and (b) it was in my favorite color.

Congrats! Are you happy with the bag even though it may be larger/different hardware?

 

[eagle1002us]

Congrats! Are you happy with the bag even though it may be larger/different hardware?

Thank you! Yes, I am thrilled with the bag. I guess it didn't occur to me to think about the details of hardware and size b/c the experience of getting a bag at FSH was so magical and so unbelievable that I just couldn't think straight, I was stunned. I think I last got a quota bag in 2009. A 10 year drought. The registration system didn't work for me, tried twice, each time turned down. Earlier this year an insightful tpfer told me that the connection/relationship with the SA was pivotal. This is correct. The SA is the conduit to a bag. Plus, more than one tpfer has said that H wants people to be interested in the whole brand, not just a particular bag. This is correct. I studied the posts in this thread, they were very helpful. I have a collection of articles and pictures of H things I have liked over the years. Most important, it's not a good idea to come on strong about getting a bag. It's kind of like a dance between the SA and client. .

 

[jmc3007]

Thank you! Yes, I am thrilled with the bag. I guess it didn't occur to me to think about the details of hardware and size b/c the experience of getting a bag at FSH was so magical and so unbelievable that I just couldn't think straight, I was stunned. I think I last got a quota bag in 2009. A 10 year drought. The registration system didn't work for me, tried twice, each time turned down. Earlier this year an insightful tpfer told me that the connection/relationship with the SA was pivotal. This is correct. The SA is the conduit to a bag. Plus, more than one tpfer has said that H wants people to be interested in the whole brand, not just a particular bag. This is correct. I studied the posts in this thread, they were very helpful. I have a collection of articles and pictures of H things I have liked over the years. Most important, it's not a good idea to come on strong about getting a bag. It's kind of like a dance between the SA and client. .

Warmest congrats to your latest acquisition, the fleeting moment can be such a blur isn’t it? I literally saw my bag for 3 seconds before the SA asked to us to move to another area. The first private office for the reveal was occupied so she took us to some back corner counter, then we scrambled again when a desk opened up. Lol I didn’t realize that my SA had already packed up the Birkin when we got to the desk. She then showed me the rest of goodies. There was a Clic 12 wallet in rose gold she thought would go nicely, it’s stunning actually but I told her I don’t really use wallets anymore, or not frequently enough. A card holder is my go to gadget nowadays. She fessed up that she doesn’t use her Hermes wallet either! So we had a good chuckle. She really wanted to find a Halzan for me, I had asked for same last year. We went through the inventory of available colors: black, bleu incre, pink, red etc. toffee or gold is what would look best for my casual look. I’m not hard pressed in any event, the irony didn’t escape us that the Birkin was easier to fulfill than a messenger.

You’re right that the staff like to see breadth and diversity in your H interests. Last year I requested a Guilloche buckle from 1995, the year my SA joined Hermes she said. This year is bracelets that are on their way of being discontinued. Not expensive items mind you, just quirky yet uniquely Hermes items IMO. Re online system, it’s v efficient but you do need more days to improve your chances. It took me four days including the night before while I was on the plane, or 3 days in Paris but I was certain that I would get an appt before my week was up. I noticed that there’s a cashier on the second floor now, don’t have to go downstairs, at least this was new to me compared to last year. Their VAT format is different too. It used to be printed on receipt roll paper, rather long. But now they use 8x11 paper like other shops for Pablo scanner. Remains to be seen whether manual stamp is required or not.

 

[iceshimmer27]

First of all, I do thank all the people that have contributed to this thread! [emoji4] Everyone's experiences helped me prepare my visit to FSH. Now it's my chance to share my experience.

As I landed into Paris, I tried to make the appointments online. And after 3 tries, I was granted one the day before I left (in which I am very thankful on receiving one). I got a late appointment on a Friday- so I didn't have a high expectation to receive a B/K.

After I checked in and waited around 15-20mins, a sales rep was able to meet me. She lead me over to the table in the leather goods Dept and wrote down the items I would like to get. She did mention that B/K/C are hard to come by, but would do the best she could as it's late in the day. She probably left for 20 mins and came back empty handed. She smiled and whispered to me to follow her into a small fitting room area. In the room, was a large orange box and 3 smaller boxes sitting on the small table.

She opened the large box and presented a K32 Sellier Epsom in Noir with phw. I was in shock and excitement at the same time. [emoji51] The other 3 boxes were a Jige, Bern wallet and MM Rodeo which I kindly declined as I didn't need them. I was so happy, I couldn't help smiling and thanking her.

Thanks for letting me share! [emoji5]

 

[ilovepooches025]

First of all, I do thank all the people that have contributed to this thread! [emoji4] Everyone's experiences helped me prepare my visit to FSH. Now it's my chance to share my experience.

As I landed into Paris, I tried to make the appointments online. And after 3 tries, I was granted one the day before I left (in which I am very thankful on receiving one). I got a late appointment on a Friday- so I didn't have a high expectation to receive a B/K.

After I checked in and waited around 15-20mins, a sales rep was able to meet me. She lead me over to the table in the leather goods Dept and wrote down the items I would like to get. She did mention that B/K/C are hard to come by, but would do the best she could as it's late in the day. She probably left for 20 mins and came back empty handed. She smiled and whispered to me to follow her into a small fitting room area. In the room, was a large orange box and 3 smaller boxes sitting on the small table.

She opened the large box and presented a K32 Sellier Epsom in Noir with phw. I was in shock and excitement at the same time. [emoji51] The other 3 boxes were a Jige, Bern wallet and MM Rodeo which I kindly declined as I didn't need them. I was so happy, I couldn't help smiling and thanking her.

Thanks for letting me share! [emoji5]

Congratulations!! What wonderful news. Enjoy that gorgeous Kelly.

 

[ava&ava]

My recent acquisition!

 

[ladysarah]

Today was my turn at Hermes after 4 tries for an appt at 5:30. Ended up arriving quite a bit early since I thought I could do some window shopping in the area of Rue Royal/Faubourg as I haven’t been there since I arrived in Paris last week. My feet were killing me so I popped into Hermes to browse and see things at a leisurely pace. The store wasn’t terribly busy, it could be the time of day which was early afternoon. When I was there last year, almost the same time last April, it felt much busier given that my appt was 10:30, there was a frenzy vibe as soon as the doors opened. Browsed around the shoes, clothing and home areas, then decided to check in with the hostess. I didn’t ask for or want to change my appt necessarily, just that my feet were tired and I was gonna sit down somewhere. I asked if madame M, the saleswoman from last year who sold me a Birkin, if she was working today and to send her my regards if she wasn’t. As karma would have it, she was standing a few steps away waiting for her next appt. She recognized me and we chitchat a little. She pointed to an area where I could rest. But before I even got a chance to sit down, I got the text that my SA was ready to see me, and lo and behold it was the sweet madame M, she must have moved her schedule around to spend time with me.

While waiting for her to come back, I witnessed an epic meltdown from an English dude who was ranting about not getting whatever bag he asked for, he complained loudly and the sales manager had to step in cuz he was completely dismissive of whatever his SA was telling him. He didn’t like the answers coming from the immediate manager, so he asked to speak to her manager. It was painful to witness, no amount of logic or argument was going to turn up an Hermes bag for this guy.

Madame M came back with Birkin 35 black with RGHW, my first choice as well as a 31 Halzan in etoupe. I declined the Halzan as this kind of color doesn’t work on my complexion. I had asked for gold or coffee but sadly none was in stock. Apparently Hermes still produces these colors, just not right now. I asked if there was any Rodeo, and right then she said a new shipment just came in as there wasn’t any when she was downstairs. Talk about dynamic inventory! In addition to bring up the Rodeo, small and medium, she also sourced me a couple bracelets from the Kyoto collection which is no longer in production. All in all, I was stoked with my purchases, exactly what I wanted, nothing bought on impulse. Lastly, I felt appreciative to have made a deeper connection with the SA. I wasn’t demanding or imposing, just took things as they were and the magic was what happened.

Great insight and would absolutely love to see this buckle!

 

[eagle1002us]

@jmc3007, Thank you for your congratulations. I'm glad you also had an exciting and interesting excursion to H. I really enjoyed your post.

I have a question about your post and a comment about people in Paris. First, you wrote that, " This year is bracelets that are on their way of being discontinued." Do you mind sharing what bracelets you were pursuing that were about to be discontinued? PM if you like.

Second, having never been to Paris before (my trip was a post-retirement "trip of a lifetime"), I was amazed to see the all the young people, people in their 20s, 30s, etc. that seem to be drawn to the museums and Paris life generally. I know the Smithsonian in Washington DC gets young visitors but Paris was pretty much mobbed. (Geez, I should have gone decades soon than I did: what did I miss?).

What was especially curious was that the only Kellys and Birkins I saw were being carried by customers in the mothership. I didn't see any being carried in the street. I noticed women wearing high heels who typically were wearing really stylish, striking clothes. Maybe I overlooked their bags? Also, I didn't see anyone wearing Hermes scarves. (One of the pleasures of visiting New York is seeing H bags being carried and scarves being worn). Is there an explanation for this?

 

[jmc3007]

Great insight and would absolutely love to see this buckle!

Here you go, Guilloche buckle with hammered effect, it comes and goes on the H site, didn’t see it now. I’m a bit of a font geek hence this shape speaks to me than the usual typography.