I'm back from discussing rack orders, and it seems to be basically what has been described by birkel and twigz, and perhaps a few others. The store manager has the discretion to hold back some podium inventory and fulfill those quota with specific orders from clients. You do have some options that are not available at podium such as different color interiors, bi-color, tri-color, but there are limitations in what colors/leathers are offered. I won't say yet what I ordered since I don't want to jinx it (hasn't been put in the system yet).
RaC VS Podium
- Thread starter Jen_910
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I wish you luck shoemania!! I hope I didnt jinx myself
I'm a little sad right now though because I saw in another thread that the SO Black will fade with time.
What do you mean by the SO Black fading with time? I don't understand... Please enlighten me. Thanks!
It is a question of the hw resisting against the actual color check out the thread black on black or stealth birkin hope it helps darling but yes so black will become was black, but Hermes will restore with payment by the owner and it does depend on use and wear. And shoe mania darling sending you the best vibe on that rack order .
This thread certainly had my curiosity piqued and I contacted a dear friend 
from overseas to seek some clarifications. I think I now have a clearer understanding.
There appears to be an in-house lingo and customer terminology.
The reference to 'rack orders' is hinging on Hermes' in-house lingo. It's supposed to be RAC. Customers with FSH and can speak French, would be better able to understand / appreciate what RAC stands for. In our attempt to understand and apply this to our Hermes orders, it's best not to dream about RAC orders because these are really very, very few and far in between. It has very few rules, but not none at all because it has to pass H's design department. For example, if you want a customized size for your Birkin, or a bag design that Hermes gives you the honour to design. This is truly Hermes' Special Orders (Thank you, TammyD for your explanation on this. It is what you said it is)
What we have been accustomed to ... what we commonly call "Special Orders" on tpf is what Hermes in-house terms as Personalisation Orders. For the past 2 years now, (I am getting a sense that FSH is in fact the last place to implement this) Hermes seem to have dictated to overseas H stores to conform these orders to the guidelines as shared by KallieGirl. That is, the Version 1 to Version 4. And choosing colours allowed in the Personalisation Orders' list. Most SAs will refer to these as Special Orders anyway, because customers understand what it means! In order not to risk getting their quotas wasted and orders rejected, SMs have been following instructions to keep the combos according to what's stipulated.
In my honest and humble assessment of these terms, I am very sure VVVVIPs who have been offered RAC / Special Orders will know that their orders are truly RAC orders, because they pretty much have a free hand to decide what they want, subject to approval by H's design department. Imagine asking for a 32cm Birkin & it gets accepted. As posted before, these are so, so rare, we better not worry until we get our knickers twisted over them.
from overseas to seek some clarifications. I think I now have a clearer understanding.There appears to be an in-house lingo and customer terminology.
The reference to 'rack orders' is hinging on Hermes' in-house lingo. It's supposed to be RAC. Customers with FSH and can speak French, would be better able to understand / appreciate what RAC stands for. In our attempt to understand and apply this to our Hermes orders, it's best not to dream about RAC orders because these are really very, very few and far in between. It has very few rules, but not none at all because it has to pass H's design department. For example, if you want a customized size for your Birkin, or a bag design that Hermes gives you the honour to design. This is truly Hermes' Special Orders (Thank you, TammyD for your explanation on this. It is what you said it is)
What we have been accustomed to ... what we commonly call "Special Orders" on tpf is what Hermes in-house terms as Personalisation Orders. For the past 2 years now, (I am getting a sense that FSH is in fact the last place to implement this) Hermes seem to have dictated to overseas H stores to conform these orders to the guidelines as shared by KallieGirl. That is, the Version 1 to Version 4. And choosing colours allowed in the Personalisation Orders' list. Most SAs will refer to these as Special Orders anyway, because customers understand what it means! In order not to risk getting their quotas wasted and orders rejected, SMs have been following instructions to keep the combos according to what's stipulated.
In my honest and humble assessment of these terms, I am very sure VVVVIPs who have been offered RAC / Special Orders will know that their orders are truly RAC orders, because they pretty much have a free hand to decide what they want, subject to approval by H's design department. Imagine asking for a 32cm Birkin & it gets accepted. As posted before, these are so, so rare, we better not worry until we get our knickers twisted over them.
I wish you luck shoemania!! I hope I didnt jinx myself
I'm a little sad right now though because I saw in another thread that the SO Black will fade with time.
I'm assuming that you are referring to my comment in the Inventory thread, but I just want to clarify that the black coating may or may not fade.
My SA was referring to scratches made on the hardware with use. For the normal PHW/GHW bags, the hardware is made entirely of silver or gold so when it gets scratched, it will still reveal silver/gold underneath. Hence scratches are seen in the same color.
For the SO Black bags, it is pure silver hardware with a black "coating", so any deep scratches to the hardware will show silver, instead of black.
I did not ask about refurbishing this, but it is something to consider if anyone is looking for a SO Black item.
This thread certainly had my curiosity piqued and I contacted a dear friend
There appears to be an in-house lingo and customer terminology.
The reference to 'rack orders' is hinging on Hermes' in-house lingo. It's supposed to be RAC. Customers with FSH and can speak French, would be better able to understand / appreciate what RAC stands for. In our attempt to understand and apply this to our Hermes orders, it's best not to dream about RAC orders because these are really very, very few and far in between. It has very few rules, but not none at all because it has to pass H's design department. For example, if you want a customized size for your Birkin, or a bag design that Hermes gives you the honour to design. This is truly Hermes' Special Orders (Thank you, TammyD for your explanation on this. It is what you said it is)
What we have been accustomed to ... what we commonly call "Special Orders" on tpf is what Hermes in-house terms as Personalisation Orders. For the past 2 years now, (I am getting a sense that FSH is in fact the last place to implement this) Hermes seem to have dictated to overseas H stores to conform these orders to the guidelines as shared by KallieGirl. That is, the Version 1 to Version 4. And choosing colours allowed in the Personalisation Orders' list. Most SAs will refer to these as Special Orders anyway, because customers understand what it means! In order not to risk getting their quotas wasted and orders rejected, SMs have been following instructions to keep the combos according to what's stipulated.
In my honest and humble assessment of these terms, I am very sure VVVVIPs who have been offered RAC / Special Orders will know that their orders are truly RAC orders, because they pretty much have a free hand to decide what they want, subject to approval by H's design department. Imagine asking for a 32cm Birkin & it gets accepted. As posted before, these are so, so rare, we better not worry until we get our knickers twisted over them.
Thanks for this clarification, MrsS. It makes everything clearer.
SOs as I know it is enough for me... will not dream of a RAC order!
. Thank you for the clarification 
This thread certainly had my curiosity piqued and I contacted a dear friend
There appears to be an in-house lingo and customer terminology.
The reference to 'rack orders' is hinging on Hermes' in-house lingo. It's supposed to be RAC. Customers with FSH and can speak French, would be better able to understand / appreciate what RAC stands for. In our attempt to understand and apply this to our Hermes orders, it's best not to dream about RAC orders because these are really very, very few and far in between. It has very few rules, but not none at all because it has to pass H's design department. For example, if you want a customized size for your Birkin, or a bag design that Hermes gives you the honour to design. This is truly Hermes' Special Orders (Thank you, TammyD for your explanation on this. It is what you said it is)
What we have been accustomed to ... what we commonly call "Special Orders" on tpf is what Hermes in-house terms as Personalisation Orders. For the past 2 years now, (I am getting a sense that FSH is in fact the last place to implement this) Hermes seem to have dictated to overseas H stores to conform these orders to the guidelines as shared by KallieGirl. That is, the Version 1 to Version 4. And choosing colours allowed in the Personalisation Orders' list. Most SAs will refer to these as Special Orders anyway, because customers understand what it means! In order not to risk getting their quotas wasted and orders rejected, SMs have been following instructions to keep the combos according to what's stipulated.
In my honest and humble assessment of these terms, I am very sure VVVVIPs who have been offered RAC / Special Orders will know that their orders are truly RAC orders, because they pretty much have a free hand to decide what they want, subject to approval by H's design department. Imagine asking for a 32cm Birkin & it gets accepted. As posted before, these are so, so rare, we better not worry until we get our knickers twisted over them.
tbh i also discovered that once the gratification of being offered a rac exotic was over and i sat down to actually place the order, it was in ways less flexible than the old style so, eg was not so subtly 'encouraged' to order a tri-color in a particular style, long confusing chart of what colors are available within combinations, some v v rare colors listed while other colors i would have thought basic were excluded, so many revisions that it just felt like hard work!
I don't know how they decide why one person is offered rac exotic and the next is offered rac leathers, seems random, but actually i never really care whether they call my orders po, so, or rac, so long as they make them and deliver as fast as they can, and funnily some of my most favourite bags i never even ordered at all, just popped in, they showed and i say wow and grab.
H methods can be mysterious and hard to fathom, sometimes i order and weeks later they say sorry no skin, then months later they say oh your bag has arrived, yet some orders are accepted instantly and do not appear for years
tpf reference section is just the best, if i see something nice there i put my foot down 'gently' and insist i am sure it exists and is available without mentioning where lol, usually works!
tibaka, I'm with you. It really doesn't matter what sort of order it is > so long as the colour/skin combi that we're after can be fulfilled. It doesn't matter if the delivery takes 6 months, 12 months or 18 months if we know that our lovely stores are trying their best. That said, earlier is always better because of all the price increases!