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.

 

[momoc]

The thing is, the most universal and important advice that can be given in this thread - and is in fact repeated like every other page is this:

We know it’s hard to remember when you are caught up in it, but try to remind yourself that at the end of the day it is just a bag;
A very, very expensive bag that nobody actually need;
We are all absolutely thrilled for you if you manage to get one;
We are all wishing you the bestest of luck when you try;
We are all very sorry to hear when it didn’t work out;
There is an element that is luck (and thus out of your control) which means even if you do the exact same thing as someone else did (who by the way may or may not be telling you the whole story), the result can still vary;
Please enjoy Paris, your vacation, and don’t let this be the single focus that weighs you down.

The problem seems to be that some find this a “boring” answer which after being repeated so many times - as it is the best advice that can be given - may come off as trite; and if someone is absolutely obsessed about getting that bag, they may mis-read it as condescending (?). But sometimes the truth is just that simple, boring, and unfortunately a bit harsh.

 

[880]

Hermes doesn't owe anyone anything.

sometimes the truth is just that simple, boring, and unfortunately a bit harsh.

I think this is the reality when demand outstrips restricted supply. It is simply getting harder for newcomers to the brand who only want a QB to get one. Hermes corporate philosophy of rewarding QBs to regular, long-standing, and/or high net worth or VIP clients also makes this more difficult. Paris FSH lottery can pay off for some individuals, but IMO the surest way to a QB is by cultivating a local SA.

ETA: My surmise is that every SA who works the FSH lottery appt desk has numerous appts but only a limited number of QBs to offer on that day. I also assume that the lottery pool of bags is limited, and there are not enough QB bags for a SA to offer to every appt. So, some choices have to be made. SAs outside of Paris hve told me that it is not simply a matter of getting an SM to approve x bag for y client, but also that the SAs have to be authorized to offer that bag in the first place.

 

[justdennis84]

…but IMO the surest way to a QB is by cultivating a local SA. No

For me this is the most underestimated advise a Paris tourist can get here.

I can only speak in regards to my non QB yet but I remember how I felt, reading this forum for a while. I thought my only chance would be Paris and I didn’t have much hope on establishing a good and local SA relationship.

Well here we are, took him only 2 weeks or so to secure my non QB for me. So please don’t overstress about your trip to Paris.

Well, at least if you are visiting from Europe. I understand US clients have a very different situation :/

 

[Genepi]

IMO the surest way to a QB is by cultivating a local SA.

+1 to this! I reserve my 1 QB a year allotment at my home store for bag that I don't think could possibly get anywhere else. As I only have one QB request it is uncertain if my request will actually come through. The catch is pre-spend which I will talk about more below.

Well here we are, took him only 2 weeks or so to secure my non QB for me. So please don’t overstress about your trip to Paris.

Well, at least if you are visiting from Europe. I understand US clients have a very different situation :

The European system is quite different. The wish-list makes it entirely possible to get a bag without any prespend. For non QB in both Europe and US you can get these bags from the website if you are willing to stalk the sites. It is my personal opinion that outside Europe, stores and SAs use the allotment of high demand items and non-QBs to keep new shoppers happy on their "journey".

It is a very different situation to getting QB or even other high demand items outside of Europe. I often hear people praise Hermes for not raising prices like Channel and Dior. Well Hermes did have a hefty price increase this year but the real hike has been in the prespend requirement to get QB which is at 5:1 in many places. If you spend 50K before being offered your QB I think this simultaneously accomplishes three objectives 1) makes it less likely that the client will flip the bag and 2) may discourage resellers in the long-term as there will be no profit margin and 3) increases the bottom line profits via sales in non-leather goods due to the pre-spend. This strategy may not alienate the customer base as much as Channel and LV's aggressive price increases.

I recently heard a u-tuber discussing/bemoaning the 34-45K price tag for a mini Kelly on the resale market when the bag only cost between 7 and 9K This u-tuber only buys resale but commented on how she would immediately flip the bag if she got an in store offer. Well if you spent 50K to get the bag you are deeply invested in the brand and unlikely to resell it. This strategy is likely what has lead to the recent trend of "quitting Hermes" as people want a quota bag with 1:1 spending and for the most part I think that is not realistic.

In my opinion shopping in Paris is very attractive for many reasons outside of the QB lottery. First if you are a lover of the brand then there are many items that you can pick-up in Paris that are not available at your home stores- Petit H as an example. Ready to wear- selection is outstanding in Paris vs. most North America locations. Accessories (hats & gloves) and Equestrian supplies have unprecedented inventory in Paris. Substantial savings- if you spend 15K or more then Paris is highly attractive for the cost savings- even better if you combine it with a business trip (no airfare/hotel costs). Add-in a few days in Paris and it is a favourite destination of mine.

For those making the pilgrimage to Paris in the hopes to score a coveted QB via the lottery- I think this will continue to make Paris a destination, but most will fail. In my opinion this is truly an exceptional event as I think relationships, not necessarily prespend are becoming important in Paris as well.

 

[minigrailchaser]

For SLGs, bag charms, do you need leather appt as well?

 

[Stephanie_x]

For SLGs, bag charms, do you need leather appt as well?

No. The same question repeated countlessly here, you may read through the earlier posts to get more information.

 

[periogirl28]

+1 to this! I reserve my 1 QB a year allotment at my home store for bag that I don't think could possibly get anywhere else. As I only have one QB request it is uncertain if my request will actually come through. The catch is pre-spend which I will talk about more below.


The European system is quite different. The wish-list makes it entirely possible to get a bag without any prespend. For non QB in both Europe and US you can get these bags from the website if you are willing to stalk the sites. It is my personal opinion that outside Europe, stores and SAs use the allotment of high demand items and non-QBs to keep new shoppers happy on their "journey".

It is a very different situation to getting QB or even other high demand items outside of Europe. I often hear people praise Hermes for not raising prices like Channel and Dior. Well Hermes did have a hefty price increase this year but the real hike has been in the prespend requirement to get QB which is at 5:1 in many places. If you spend 50K before being offered your QB I think this simultaneously accomplishes three objectives 1) makes it less likely that the client will flip the bag and 2) may discourage resellers in the long-term as there will be no profit margin and 3) increases the bottom line profits via sales in non-leather goods due to the pre-spend. This strategy may not alienate the customer base as much as Channel and LV's aggressive price increases.

I recently heard a u-tuber discussing/bemoaning the 34-45K price tag for a mini Kelly on the resale market when the bag only cost between 7 and 9K This u-tuber only buys resale but commented on how she would immediately flip the bag if she got an in store offer. Well if you spent 50K to get the bag you are deeply invested in the brand and unlikely to resell it. This strategy is likely what has lead to the recent trend of "quitting Hermes" as people want a quota bag with 1:1 spending and for the most part I think that is not realistic.

In my opinion shopping in Paris is very attractive for many reasons outside of the QB lottery. First if you are a lover of the brand then there are many items that you can pick-up in Paris that are not available at your home stores- Petit H as an example. Ready to wear- selection is outstanding in Paris vs. most North America locations. Accessories (hats & gloves) and Equestrian supplies have unprecedented inventory in Paris. Substantial savings- if you spend 15K or more then Paris is highly attractive for the cost savings- even better if you combine it with a business trip (no airfare/hotel costs). Add-in a few days in Paris and it is a favourite destination of mine.

For those making the pilgrimage to Paris in the hopes to score a coveted QB via the lottery- I think this will continue to make Paris a destination, but most will fail. In my opinion this is truly an exceptional event as I think relationships, not necessarily prespend are becoming important in Paris as well.

I agree with a lot of this post. I began my Hermes journey ( I insist on calling it thus ) mainly in Europe as a local resident. Paris was always a favourite city and easy to reach within a few hours. I have always loved being there, even before my Hermes collection began. My home store FSH and the stores I shopped at in Europe have all treated me well, irregardless of whether it's bag offers, special visits or events etc. I have always enjoyed admiring the special bags, store windows, petit h and the general atmosphere of all three stores in Paris. I have no experience of SAs stating required spend for bags as we tend to read of nowadays (except once to DH in HK airport). I've been fortunate to have good relationships with my SAs except for 1 isolated incident in Paris and a SA who ghosted me in London) and never bought any bags which didn't suit me 100%. It would be of no surprise to anyone then that I really enjoy being a long time customer at FSH and visiting Paris often.

 

[A.Ali]

+1 to this! I reserve my 1 QB a year allotment at my home store for bag that I don't think could possibly get anywhere else. As I only have one QB request it is uncertain if my request will actually come through. The catch is pre-spend which I will talk about more below.


The European system is quite different. The wish-list makes it entirely possible to get a bag without any prespend. For non QB in both Europe and US you can get these bags from the website if you are willing to stalk the sites. It is my personal opinion that outside Europe, stores and SAs use the allotment of high demand items and non-QBs to keep new shoppers happy on their "journey".

It is a very different situation to getting QB or even other high demand items outside of Europe. I often hear people praise Hermes for not raising prices like Channel and Dior. Well Hermes did have a hefty price increase this year but the real hike has been in the prespend requirement to get QB which is at 5:1 in many places. If you spend 50K before being offered your QB I think this simultaneously accomplishes three objectives 1) makes it less likely that the client will flip the bag and 2) may discourage resellers in the long-term as there will be no profit margin and 3) increases the bottom line profits via sales in non-leather goods due to the pre-spend. This strategy may not alienate the customer base as much as Channel and LV's aggressive price increases.

I recently heard a u-tuber discussing/bemoaning the 34-45K price tag for a mini Kelly on the resale market when the bag only cost between 7 and 9K This u-tuber only buys resale but commented on how she would immediately flip the bag if she got an in store offer. Well if you spent 50K to get the bag you are deeply invested in the brand and unlikely to resell it. This strategy is likely what has lead to the recent trend of "quitting Hermes" as people want a quota bag with 1:1 spending and for the most part I think that is not realistic.

In my opinion shopping in Paris is very attractive for many reasons outside of the QB lottery. First if you are a lover of the brand then there are many items that you can pick-up in Paris that are not available at your home stores- Petit H as an example. Ready to wear- selection is outstanding in Paris vs. most North America locations. Accessories (hats & gloves) and Equestrian supplies have unprecedented inventory in Paris. Substantial savings- if you spend 15K or more then Paris is highly attractive for the cost savings- even better if you combine it with a business trip (no airfare/hotel costs). Add-in a few days in Paris and it is a favourite destination of mine.

For those making the pilgrimage to Paris in the hopes to score a coveted QB via the lottery- I think this will continue to make Paris a destination, but most will fail. In my opinion this is truly an exceptional event as I think relationships, not necessarily prespend are becoming important in Paris as well.

I agree with you. Whenever I travel to Paris, I love to visit FSH and Sevre for some shopping. Instead of looking for something specific, I enjoy browsing the store and chatting with the friendly staff. It's always a pleasant surprise when I come across unique finds, like a leather cap with Himalaya. While I prefer shopping at my regular store, I also like discovering one-of-a-kind ready-to-wear pieces that I can't find elsewhere.

 

[stephbb9]

Unfortunately, this doesn't work at my local store. I've spent over $20k and requested a non-QB bag, only to be informed that even if I opt for a "To Go" wallet, my entire purchase will be wiped, and i will have to rebuild it in order to buy any other bag. Its a joke so now i just shop for items i really want in my local store without wasting my time in building any relationship.

This is also what I am experiencing in my store… In Paris, I almost always get nice offers and amazing customer service though. Maybe because I am French and living in the US? But still it’s weird to be treated so differently in the US.

 

[Ire23baby]

Please what is highest number of times has anyone has applied for a leather appointment before being successful.

 

[justdennis84]

I heard over a 100 times without success. Don’t get your hopes up. Hermes SAs say that somewhere between 20.000 to 60.000 people apply daily

 

[Ire23baby]

I have applied over 200 times already. just checking. It doesn’t cost me nothing to apply

 

[Ire23baby]

I heard over a 100 times without success. Don’t get your hopes up. Hermes SAs say that somewhere between 20.000 to 60.000 people apply daily

Thank you for your response, I am aware of the chances, I just wanted to know if there are successful stories .

 

[Twinkle.84]

Thanks to this thread I decided it wasn't worth it to get a 5*hotel near the boutique for my up coming trip. I'd hope to get an LA via the hotel but now I'll see how the lottery or walk-in works out. Sure I will try for the K28/K32 but if not I'll have some quality time with DH in Paris. No high hopes.

Regarding the newcomers. I think I'm one of them. My journey of buying straight from the boutique just started this June when I decided to walk-in and see myself what the hype was all about. I never bother stalking the website and always passed the boutique because of all the drama after my first visit years ago. Don't get me wrong I know the brand and own some items myself including a B bleu nuit/epsom/ghw. I think I was very fortunated to be able to get my H items from the preloved market for very reasonable prices.

Two months into this journey buying from the Boutique and I have gotten a non-quota bag offer from the SA I met in Belgium (I live in the Netherlands). I just went in and had a blast without expectations and walking out with a non-quota bag. I think my spend is about 10K. I don't know if it is helpfull to say that before that he didn't knew my spending history with H. But I didn't had any expectations when we walked in. I just came to see if there was anything I would like to have.

But I also understand those who will take what they get and maybe flip it to get their dreambag. Not saying I would do the same or agree but I understand. Not everyone is able to spend a high amount of money for a bag or maintain/build a relationship with a SA. It's hard. Certainly when one have been saving up for this one bag and keep seeing the prices going up, influencers seemingly getting all the bags they want without going through this journey/lottery system. Hell I was once like that. 20 years ago...

I think what I want to say is. It is hard for most of us to get our dreambag but we all cheer when someone gets an offer and we all might feel a little jealous when it seemed to go very easy. Yes it is just a bag... BUT it is something we WANT. And that is why our emotions take over from our common sense.

 

[shopinlovet]

Unfortunately, this doesn't work at my local store. I've spent over $20k and requested a non-QB bag, only to be informed that even if I opt for a "To Go" wallet, my entire purchase will be wiped, and i will have to rebuild it in order to buy any other bag. Its a joke so now i just shop for items i really want in my local store without wasting my time in building any relationship.

For this reason, I’m contemplating investing my money into a relationship with an SA in Paris. I’ve put about $5k-7k with my SA in the US with no non-quota bag offers or even small leather goods. And the selection in the store is very limited. Rather put my odds in Paris and build a relationship there.