4 Tips on Buying Your Very First Birkin Bag

Where do I begin…before I get into the 4 tips on buying your very first Birkin bag, here’s a little backstory on how I discovered the  IT bag. I have always loved bags, but it wasn’t until college that I got really into it. My favorite past time used to be browsing the PurseForum and reading up on all things Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, etc. I would immerse myself in learning about the different bags— what was hot, what was not, and which was worth the investment. It was a total obsession to say the least.

Looking back, that was when I discovered Hermes and learned about the Birkin. I remembered stumbling upon a photo on the PurseForum of this gorgeous Gold colored Birkin on the arm of my favorite style icon at the time, Miroslava Duma. It was seriously the prettiest thing I had ever seen and it was love at first sight. I had no clue about Hermes or how sought after the Birkin was at the time. Fast forward 12 years later, after acquiring my first Birkin and the ones subsequent to that, I’ve gained some insight and wanted to share it with you.

More Similar Posts:
• What My Husband Went Through For My First Birkin
• Walk-in Closet Tour: What’s Inside
• 3 Types of Bags For Under $300 You’ll Need This Spring
• Travel Bags You Need in Your Closet

THE RUMORS ARE TRUE

You probably heard stories about the exclusiveness of the Birkin. Like how a regular customer can’t just walk into the boutique and demand to buy a Birkin/Kelly, that there is a very long waiting list, or that you needed to have an established relationship with the store first. And even then, getting your dream bag in the color, size, and leather of your choice is not a guarantee. Sometimes you have to settle for what they offer or you could wait forever for the one you want.

MY FIRST HERMES VISIT

My first visit to the Hermes boutique is still vivid in my mind.  I remembered feeling super nervous and out of place. My perception of Hermes at the time was that they only catered to celebrities and the very wealthy. I was only a youngster then and by no means rich.  So, after mustering up some courage, I walked up to the Sales Associate and asked, “Do you have any Birkins available?” I knew she was going to say no but I still wanted to try my luck. She replied, “I’m sorry we don’t have any.” Then I proceeded to ask her “how could I go about getting one?”

She politely explained that I needed to have a relationship with the store first. That meant I had to build my profile by starting out with items like scarves, jewelry, other style bags, and slowly build my way up to the Birkin. They want to see that you are a regular client and that you have an interest in the brand before you are considered for the bag. I recalled leaving the store feeling completely discouraged because I was only interested in the Birkin. I was only 25 years old then and didn’t have the extra cash to splurge on “other” things just to be able to get the IT bag.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

While all of this is true and it’s how Hermes operates, getting your hands on a Birkin is not impossible for regular gals like us– if you know how to work with the Sales Associate and understand their brand’s philosophy.

HERMES PHILOSOPHY

Hermes’ philosophy has always been about quality and refinement. The brand does not believe in mass production or outsourcing to manufacturers. They require their artisans to have at least 5 years of leatherwork experience before they are allowed to work on the Birkin, and one artisan will work on the bag from beginning to end. Their focus on quality is very stringent. If the bag is not completely perfect, it will be rejected and does not make it to the shop floor.

Hermes’ mission is to produce unrivaled quality products. They do not want to be portrayed as the brand with mass-market luxury goods, and their focus has always been to be the ultra-luxury ultra-exclusive brand, which can only be afforded by the very few and is not easily available.

APPRECIATION FOR CRAFTSMANSHIP

So, why is this important to understand when you’re trying to score a Birkin? Simple. You need to have a genuine interest and appreciation for the brand. This is the reason they encourage their customers to explore other things in the stores aside from the Birkin or Kelly. They want their clients to appreciate the craftsmanship of their products, not just for the status symbol of these bags.

That brings me to my next point. Let’s say you really do love the brand and know every color, every style, every type of stitching, what next? How do you score the IT bag? You need to build a relationship with the Sales Associate. They have a lot of power on when/if you will get your first Birkin. After 4 Birkins and 2 Kellys, I have some tips to share.

4 TIPS ON BUYING YOUR FIRST BIRKIN

Choose A Newer Sales Associate

 Choose a SA that is new! Most people don’t realize that every SA is allotted the same amount of inventory to offer to their clients. Unfortunately, the more senior SAs already have long lists of clients they’re working with, which means you will be competing with a larger pool of people for the bag. Whereas with the newer SAs, they are still trying to build their clientele and have far fewer clients. This works to your advantage because you don’t have to compete with as many people, that means your chance of scoring a Birkin with the newer SA is much higher!

Visit Larger Boutiques

 If you live close to a few Hermes stores, focus your attention on the larger stores as they have more inventory. Their inventory is based on traffic and sales. Therefore, there is a high probability that they have more Birkins in stock.

Build Relationships 

 Visit your local boutique frequently to “poke” around and catch up with your SA. Make these visits like you’re visiting a friend. I think my SA knows about all my trips, my horrible house building experience, my crazy obsession with shoes and bags, etc. And vice versa, I know a lot about her as well. Honestly, after a while, they really do become your friend. This process is like courting someone, only thing is– it’s after the SA who has the key to your Birkin. So work your charm!

Stay In Touch

 Stay in touch with the SA via email or text. It could be something really casual like “Hi SA- How are you? I was curious if you have my Birkin yet or do you any other Birkins available?” Sometimes the SA might not know that you are open to other options. Therefore, they won’t tell you what they have available unless they know you are flexible with the color, leather, or hardware. I’ve had a few Birkins offered to me because I kept my options open.

IS THE BIRKIN WORTH IT?

Once you’ve developed the relationship with the store, getting a Birkin is a lot easier. My biggest challenge was getting the first one. The ones after that were much easier to obtain. Nowadays, the SA would just call me if she has anything good!

The Birkin is truly a girl’s dream bag and in my opinion worth the effort and investment. It is the only bag where the resale value is actually higher than the original price! But for those of you who want to skip the hassle of dealing with getting one at the boutiques, luckily there are sites like Fashionphile, The RealReal, and Vestiaire Collective where you could easily get a pre-owned, preloved Birkin!

So, what are your thoughts on the Birkin? Have you always wanted one, or do you think it’s crazy to jump through hoops to spend that kind of money on a bag? I love to hear your thoughts!

More Similar Posts:
• What My Husband Went Through For My First Birkin
• Walk-in Closet Tour: What’s Inside
• 3 Types of Bags For Under $300 You’ll Need This Spring
• Travel Bags You Need in Your Closet