Word has it that over the past decades, the value of a Birkin has shown itself to be a steady, worthwhile investment when compared to stock ownership or gold investments. Rationalize that if you want to fuel your reasoning on why you should own a Birkin. More likely so, it is the feeling of accomplishment and the ability to jump through very tiny hoops and finally earn the highly coveted fashion piece by purchasing it directly from a Hermes shop. It is the feeling of acceptance into an inner circle of a madly exclusive, wildly snooty, socialite club and to be listed in the A-list. Even your mother-in-law could resent you for it. The fact is, the Hermes bags have established their niche and are so respected that allegedly in Monaco restaurants, they get their own sits.
Oh, I am babbling on. But you should know, this topic isn’t one that can be rushed. As elaborate as the process of owning one, so would the storytelling be.
Every Birkin is perceived as a piece of artwork. The bag’s craftsmen are typically placed under a 10-year drill to obtain the required skills before they can participate in a Birkin creation. Each finely crafted bag requires anywhere between 18 to 25 hours for the Kelly to be created while the Birkin on the hand requires a longer time frame. This means an even longer wait time for any Hermes store. A store that places an order for the coveted bags has to wait in line for at least 6 months before they receive a fresh batch. Every Hermes store is competing against their pool of 300+ Hermes retail stores. There are a limited number of pieces (or usually, none) available in any Hermes stores – excluding 3rd party market. From the 3rd party stores, you can expect to pay a higher price by 15%-20% and skip the queue and miss out on the thrill of journeying through Hermes’s retail experience. This retail ‘experience’ is not to be taken lightly. But try walking into a Hermes shop, and if you ever spot a Birkin or a Kelly, consider it your lucky day. As lucky as catching the rare eclipse phenomenon.
Once in the store, we don’t recommend uttering the sentence, “I would like to buy a Birkin, please.”. It wouldn’t hurt to try, as they often say, but we wouldn’t. Because you can expect to receive that look that almost implies SHOOOOH expressed in an audible no or nothing less than a pretty cold response that they do not have any in-store. It will be an entirely different story if you are a renowned celebrity! But if you ask about the items in display in-store, they are more likely to be gracious and especially so if you decide to purchase them. And that, ladies and gents, would be the beginning of a bond you would have started with Hermes and you are now 1% closer to a Birkin ownership. We don’t want to disappoint you, but even when you are 99.9% closer to your first Birkin ownership, the design and color style will often not be your choice. But, if you don’t decide to get it, you will have to wait for that next however-many-months before receiving that much-awaited call from a Hermes store assistant on another Birkin bag availability. The first Birkin is also the start to many other more Birkins before getting the bag in the style you want and in color you so desire.
Owning a Birkin or a Kelly is one long drawn out process that requires an appreciation for the finer things in life, patience, time (months that could run to years), and extraordinary money (if in USD – multiple tens of thousands, tipping over a hundred thousand). Yet, it has been no barrier to the few way-above-average individuals, socialites, and fashionistas who have readily acquired scarves, timepieces, jewelry, and what others have you. The craziest part, often the case, once a Birkin has been purchased, all other previously bought Hermes items tend to be forgotten, hidden away in the darkness of the accessory drawer. While the scarves, however, lives on in daylight as it has in a recent handful of years, trended itself to be twirled with the Birkin or Kelly handles. Fashionista level: legendary.
It is no wonder why Malaysia’s 6th Prime Minister’s, Najib Razak’s wife, Rosmah Mansor had as many Hermes bags close to the number of Hermes’s global retail store count. She sure knew her luxuries well!
If you find that you have lost your breath just reading this very high-level piece on ways to acquire a Birkin bag, there is an alternative. It costs only RM35 and has a connection with the Birkin in the form of its printed words. Come to APOM.my to get your hands on the “This Is Not A Birkin Bag.” At least it’s hardy, low maintenance, doesn’t require polishing or bag spa and all that spending that “keeps adding up.”
A Piece of Malaysia 