The Fabulous Life of Hermes.

Religiously, I watch Housewives, and The Real Housewives of Miami happened to be the one I watched the other day. Lea Black and Lisa Hochstein, who happens to be my favorite in this franchise, were talking about Hermes Birkin bags. I know that they cost thousands upon thousands of dollars, and are the absolute most coveted bag ever. It's never a bag, its a Birkin. It's just that much better than any bag you have ever owned or laid your eyes on.

Lea Black and Lisa Hochstein

Most people would say, "Why would someone spend $10k-100k on a purse?", but those people don't understand that, and what I found out from Real Housewives of Miami, is that these bags aren't on a regular shelf in the store. Lisa owns a few Birkins, but they aren't anything compared to Lea's collection, so Lisa enlists Lea to help her get more. Now, I just thought that if you had they money, you could buy it, but I was so wrong. You have to build a reputation with the Hermes store/franchise. When you have done enough spending, you then earn the right. This right is not granted to everyone. Lisa has a few Birkins, but they were tracked down by people who work night and day to get these bags. You have to know someone, who knows someone, who knows someone.

So, Lisa finds Lea willing to help her get more. She has an insane relationship with the Hermes franchise across the world. What about the rest of us? Well, we don't have a fairy godmother like Lea Black to magically pull Birkins out of thin air, the rest of us are left to eBay, and portero.com. Portero is a luxury consignment shop online that sells from Chanel, to Gucci, to the fabulous Hermes Birkin. Even at pre-owed status, the Birkin will still run from five to six figures. If you see a Birkin for any less than that, be cautious, it's a scam.

The other day, I was on eBay looking at Birkins, when I noticed one that had a bid starting at 0.99. Not a single other Birkin started at that price, so immediately I was suspicious, and I put it on my watch list. The bag had only increased to $1200. That's right, not even five figures. The next day, I went to view it again, only to find out that the bag was actually taken off of eBay. The only reason I could think was that the bag was a total fraud, either stolen or fake. No one who bought a Birkin themselves would ever sell it for such an insulting price. I believe in eBay, and I'm sure that's why the bag was taken down. There's too many resources out there on how to be a smart shopper, and how to spot a fake. If you get taken for a fool, that was your own fault before doing research. ALWAYS DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Birkins are so exclusive, that even if you're a billionaire, it does not mean you can just walk into a store and buy it. According to Hermes, you have to EARN it, and build a reputation with them. You need to be somebody in the Hermes world to achieve that bag. Which makes it just that much more special when you get it, because not everyone gets to have it. I want one, and maybe one day I will have the privilege, but until then I will fanaticize about owning my very own Birkin!


Ask, Believe, Receive,
Julie Catherine