May 19, 2018

How to own your first Hermès Birkin Bag


There are so many hypes around the internet (or entire Malaysia) about the Hermès Birkin bag. I want to share a fair bit of information here if you're looking to own a Birkin bag.

If you don't know, I'm a crazy bag lady myself (not as crazy as Rosmah). I do work hard for my bags and they don't come home easy.



Buying directly from the Hermès Boutique

Getting the Birkin from the Hermès Boutique is almost impossible if you have no stature in the society. This means you must be someone really important. Even famous celebrities aren't able to get it. Hermès determines who they want to sell the bag to - this is to control the brand image, the craft and also controlling the price (which they failed badly).
  1. Build your reputation by gradually increase your purchase. Start with smaller items such as keychain, then scarf, wallet, shoes, bigger bags, etc. The point here is to get into the Hermès clientele list.
  2. Once they determine that you're a "valued customer", they will be sending you gifts or invitation to their private events. Look for the sales manager at the event and request him/her to put you on "THE LIST". You may wait forever, or they might be offering it to you right away. 
The thing is, Birkin bags aren't limited as how it is portrayed. Behind the store counter, I can bet there are one or two Birkins waiting for the right owner. The most important question to solve is, whether they are willing to sell it to you?

There is "THE LIST" that is a taboo for all Birkin followers. We don't know if THE LIST really exists or it is just a polite gesture by Hermès to tell you fuck-off-you're-not-getting-that-birkin. I don't know because I don't work at Hermès but you can certainly try. This is probably the only way to get it out right from the brand store.

Agent

Most people get their bags from agent. These agents have reputation of buying lots of Birkin bags and Hermès willing to sell them more. Some agents have the privilege to get 100 of Birkins in a month. Their job is simply to fly around the world to purchase the bag from different store.

How to find these agents? There are a lot of research to do. The best place might be eBay. Look for those seller that list the most Birkins on their store. That is a high possibility that they're an agent. Or get connected to luxury brands reseller such as Reebonz.

Also read:
 

FAQ

I get the same questions from friends asking me:

Why is Birkin so expensive?

  • It is not. You can get it as low as RM30,000+. It is expensive because of the abuse of price. Those who have the power to buy, will keep it to control the stock (i.e. Rosmah). Once it is limited, it becomes expensive. Read the demand-supply rule.
  • The limited edition are the ones worth a lot of money. Not all Birkins are worth "investing" like how you read. If you really consider investing in one, go for the crocodile or ostrich skin. the ostrich skin is no longer in production, so the price can fetch up to RM200,000+. Meanwhile, the crocodile skin is regulated. Although production is still on-going, the quantity is scarce. 

Why do people buy it?

  • It is the same concept why men buy cars. Hermès created this bag out of practicality and it was meant to be a weekend bag for Jane Birkin when she travels. It quickly became a sensation among rich women and soon it became the symbol of "powerful woman". While women power is at its prime time, corporate women buy this bag to reward themselves.

Should you buy it for investment?

  • I totally against buying for investment. You will further abuse the price system for Hermès. To be honest, the quantity is not as limited as you think. Hermès will continue to produce the bag because it is one of their highest sale. You need the "eyes" to tell if it is worth an investment. 
  • If you have RM300,000+ lying around, then go for the limited edition skin (crocodile or ostrich). Otherwise, don't buy it for investment. 
  • I have the 30 Togo in rose. At the time I got it, the price was around RM20,000+, but now, it might be around RM15,000+ because it is the normal leather type. There really isn't any resale value at all because it is so common. 

Are you interested to learn about the Hermès Birkin such as the types, size, and there's even Birkin bankcruptcy that happens once in awhile. Want to know what is Birkin bankcruptcy? 
SHARE:

2 comments

LadyAlly said...

Wahhh so complicated and so much drama lol. What's the bankruptcy??

Wilson Ng said...

Thanks for this post. Wanted to search for this and you wrote this. When I am super rich one day, I will get one.

Wilson