Hermes Birkin 35 in Rouge Indien Matt Alligator, EUR40,411 at luxury-shops.com
Hello Purseholic
Merry Christmas to you all and to all other readers (I hope my email got posted).
I read on the Purseforum that there is no more such thing as a wait-list for Hermes Birkin. Is that true? I have been saving for years to get a Birkin. How do I get one quickly without going through ebay or second-hand shops?
Kiki, Hong Kong
Hey Kiki
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too. You got your wish of getting posted. =)
Once upon a time the wait-list for Birkin was created to manage the demands so to allow the craftsmen to clear their perpetual backlogs but with celebs and VIP clients constantly jumping queues, it was just impossible to do so Hermes just had to recruit and train enough craftsmen to cater beyond the demands. I believe they had actually solved this problem years ago hence gradually the wait-list became more for keeping the image of the bag exclusive. Recently, Hermes has announced that there is no more such thing as wait-list. Some, including myself has speculated that this something to do with Mr Michael Tonello, who is awesome.
Most Hermes stores around the world keep a few pieces of Birkins ready. If you shop enough and ask, you might stand a chance to get one, hopefully in the material and color of your dream.
The point is Hermes wants a relationship with their Birkin owners so the SAs normally only offer to their VIP clients or if they feel you genuinely like Hermes products. The key is, to shop with Hermes for their other products as well. Trust me that they worth the money. Also, be nice and supportive to the SAs (assuming that they are nice to you too). I myself have been offered a size 50 once in Singapore and once more in Hong Kong (I was hoping more of size 40) but I dun consider that a privilege because perhaps the size 50 is just way too big to be widely coveted.
Back to your question: there is still a wait-list if you want a Birkin of a specific material and color and they happen not to have one in the store. I am just not sure how long it is now. I know some people will just grab whatever available in the store but for a bag at that price, I say try not to settle for less than the specific thing you want even if it means you have to wait for a few months. I know a woman who was asked what color she had in mind after she purchased a few accessories and a diamond pendant and popped “You have a Birkin 35 in store now?” to the store manager. She walked away with the one she had always wanted, and a few thousand dollars poorer, of course but I am sure she was extremely high and happy.
Good luck on your Birkin hunt. Take it easy. ^^
PS: Coincidentally, I just finished reading “Bringing Home the Birkin”. Pick one for yourself and a few copies for your friends. It is like the bible for Birkin hunting.
J Purseholic
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