The Bizarre World Of Birkin Bags... *a rant*
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
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TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 ---- Intro
4:53 ---- The History of Hermes
9:14 ----- What's a Birkin?
12:25 ----- It Costs WHAT!?
14:54 ----- Why the Price?
17:50 ----- How do you get one?
26:32 ----- The Resale Market
29:39 ---- A Birkin Review
32:16 ---- Final Thoughts
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“How brands use influencers to normalize $3000 handbags” made me think of how say yes to the dress made me think it was normal to spend thousands (like tens of thousands) on a wedding dress. Like oh she has a low budget of $3000, like $3000 is a chump change amount of money.
Say Yes To the Dress is not accurate unless you’re going to those super well known stores.
In Australia a wedding dress is $250-thousands depending on the dress.
It’s stupid in a way
Girl same!
Same!!
I mean at least expensive wedding dresses are usually tailor made to fit the buyer; of course you can always argue about if spending that much money on a single garment for one day makes sense but to me that's still worlds apart from a bag that expensive you don't even get to choose the colour/size of.
YES!!!
rich people are actually INSANE
Good luck in your new career 🏘
💯
lukeee❤️
Peak Capital behavior from The Hunger Games.
Hi Luke!
I believe the appeal is: when you have that much money as like say a Kardashian, and can buy everything, nothing is special anymore. But when there is a challenge to get something, the thrill returns a little bit.
The rich strongly value exclusivity. That’s all there is to it. To be in the “club” and to have that VIP treatment. It’s not really about the money it’s all power play and ego. That’s why many millionaires and billionaires hustle despite the fact that they can live many lives over without having to work at all.
treasure hunt for rich people
interesting point!
@@anastasiya8314 So true. It's like a bottomless pit. I mean look at Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, and he is constantly tweeting and manipulating the market to increase the price of his crypto crap.
So true!!
tell me how my coupon clipping, chicken and rice eating mother walked into an Hermes store on a trip to Paris a few years ago and walked out with a Kelly bag with all of her preferences and didn’t even know what she accomplished
Birkin bags remind me of NFTs.. Something that has little to no value in itself and it only gained value because people are lusting over it!
Oof.
all my birkins gone
At least a Birkin are a real object that you can subjectivity get used out of compared a hyperlink to a jpg.
it definitely is very similar, it's as much a status symbol as it is an investment that is based on people speculating on its value continuing to rise. It's worth as much as people are willing to pay for it - and people are willing to pay large sums for it because other people are willing to pay large sums for it
@@ShailaBano I have to disagree, the NFT community was never ment to help artists, only niche crypto people. It's a community that constantly steals from artist (regardless if they are alive or decreased; Qinni) most who don't have the time, money, and legal resources to get them taken down. This includes myself, so if someone steals my art, I'm never going to see that money. You also have to pay to get NFT's minted, which can cost a bit of money. I strongly recommend to commission directly from an artist, at least then you can get art that specifically tailored to your liking instead of some smoking monkey.
I like how you said that seeing a Birkin in real life was like seeing a unicorn, because the whole acquisition process sounds like some surreal fairy tale quest. Like "on a stormy night, collect five different apples from five different trees and throw them at a wizard, then walk backwards all the way to the bridge in the forest and summon the bridge troll, who will give you three riddles to solve, and if you solve the first and third one correctly but not the second one, he will turn into an Hermès sales associate who will hand you a Birkin"
This comment deserves way more likes.
This sounds like a Dora the Explorer episode actually 😆
@@The_C_Word oh yeah i can see that! and in a last-minute twist, the fox would try to steal the birkin to re-sell it for three times the price lol
That entire scenario honestly sounds pleasant and reasonable in comparison to the real thing to me lol
No-no-no, not hand you. Offer you.
Smokey: “$2,000 was a lot of money for a handbag in the 80’s.”
My broke ass: “……… In the 80’s? 👁👄👁”
YES! $2,000.00 for a freaking handbag!!! In 2022, that’s still an insane amount of money.
Agreed but the inflation rate would put that at almost $5500
Lmao right!
I got sticker shock finding a bag that was displayed for clearance at $179. I can't imagine spending 2000 on a purse.
tbh you don't have to be broke for $2000 to be a lot of money for a freaking handbag lmao
it’s fun to imagine a rich person kissing up to a specific sales associates for years to try and get the bag and then just losing all their quest progress when that employee quits first lol
that happens a lot actually! SA's quit or get fired and the customer loses their entire rapport that they've been building and have to start all over with someone new. like a sad breakup where one party was waiting years for marriage only for the relationship to suddenly end lol
@@vitamins00 lmaooo tragic for them… but a little funny for me
Now that you mention it it is hilarious to think about
QUEST PROGRESS LMAOOOOO
The world of Birkins amazes me! I found it hilarious that Jane Birkin herself wasn’t fond of the bag inspired by her 😂 At least Grace Kelly carried her inspired bag!
Well that’s different. Jane Birkin met the designer by accident and they tried to come up with something. Jane herself said she was carrying a straw bag because oversized handbags weren’t really a thing at that point. So they were starting from scratch so to speak, I suppose you could consider it failed prototype from a practicality perspective. Where the Kelly bag is concerned, that was a bag that had been on the market for a while. It was a bag Grace Kelly had in her closet and when she was looking to shield her bump from the press, it’s just what she happened to grab. It just got so much attention because she was constantly carrying it front and center that the company renamed it for her.
Jane Birkin did use them as daily handbags for a long time! One of her well loved personal Birkin was auctioned off for charity
Design wise it's quite a boring bag very "classic" and very bourgeois, Jane Birkin had more style than this it's a weird association
@@knmplans this is correct, she was part of the jetset and had kids and wanted a bag to keep mommy extras and vital documents in the pre-tsa, pre-luggage scanner travel landscape. Hence the lock and straps, and the feet that contributed to the sanitariness and durability of the bag bottom and
Fun fact....the traditional birkins do not have cross body straps... Jane's was the only one to have a custom crossbody strap added so that she could hold her baby and have a free hand.
Jane Birkin is totally right too LMAO I have one and while it is a beautiful bag (to me at least), but it does get really heavy and inconvenient to lug around as the only real option is to carry it top handle. I guess that’s just a first world problem though. 😂
I’m French and Hermès is a bit more well known here than in the US, which makes sense since it’s a French brand. The brand is rather infamous here because they’d rather burn their unsold stocks than offer discounts. They’re trash :)
oui, ils n'offrent jamais de promotion, pas même à leurs clients très fidèles...
@@Cocolagaffe18 🤣 if you’re a loyal customer you wouldn’t complain when the goal is they want your money!
I think Louis Vuitton does the same
they burn the bags they don’t sell??!?!! that’s literally disgusting esp since in the video she says that the value never goes down, they could at least keep them for next season like wtffff
@@carmen8958 I think the reason is since their actual "spending client" is very small, they can't use that type of business move since those clients already know that those bags are old designs and most wants to buy the latest/fresh from the runway look.
But then again, most of their most expensive bags and collectibles are not to be considered "fresh and new" designs. IDK I guess it just boils down to how well they control supply and demand.
So I use to be a personal shopper amongst 200 luxury brands. And when I tell you that sourcing a Birkin bag was some black market, insane, drug deal type of thing. I’m not lying.
I saw bribes, I saw someone drop $250,000.00 in one go to get on a LIST a LIST!!!!
Oh the stories I could tell you about these bags…
Please do
We are still waiting for the tea
Yes, I said to myself, "Most women wanting a Birkin actually spend $35K-$200K for one". That's because as Alicia says, they are so rare and the waiting list and time to receive is very LONGGGGGG.
sharlisify maybe I’ll write a book someday 😂
OMG. I have always wanted to do that. How did you get that job? Did you enjoy it?
The most expensive thing I brought myself was a $500 winter coat. And it took me 4 months to convince myself it’s worth it.
karl marx wrote “the communist manifesto” book because hermès didnt have a red colored bag in stock
GOLD!!!
🤣🤣🤣
Lol
I mean, when the legend who inspired the design herself says the bag is too inconvenient and heavy, you know there are better luxury options out there ;)
Ouch.....🤦♀
She asked them to remove her name from the bag a few years ago. She did initially use the bag for a few years but when she felt she needed a bigger bag for her stuff and the whole culture around getting the bag grew, she started to hate them.
Lol that’s super true. Not only that, but Hermes makes you play a stupid game of manipulation to even be given the “honour” of purchasing their overpriced bags. 🙄
@@debbiemckeown7626 i thought she asked them to remove her name bc she was concerned about how they sourced their exotic leathers. I believe she also rescinded her request after confirming they cracked down on the farming and animal treatment conditions.
The story of Jane Birkin and the straw basket and her hatred for the bag is hilarious to me ahahahaha
I learned to pronounce Hermès as a kid watching The Princess Diaries when they tied Anne Hathaway to a chair for her posture and she says, “Grandma, is it customary to tie up your guests with her-mees scarves?” And Julie Andrews sighs and goes, “They’re air-mez!”
Saweetie says HURRRmez and it kills me every time lol and she has couple of Birkins
"Air-mess", with the "r" à la française :)
Omg the nostalgia this just brought!
yessss!!! i was looking for this comment!
I found a Hermes scarf in the street in a rich area the other day. I was kinda tempted to pick it up but that would’ve been weird so I left it 😂
The whole Birkin thing is wild to me. They’re not attractive or special bags at all; they look like the purses my grandma carried in the 60s. And I think you’re right in that that’s kind of the point. It’s the same way Mark Zuckerberg is always wearing what looks like ordinary hoodies until you find out they’re like, cashmere or whatever. Or this one brand of men’s shoe that’s like a cross between a sneaker and a loafer, looks like an Allbird and costs over a grand. It’s all about having what looks like an everyday ordinary item, but with a “if you know you know” factor.
It's like a secret handshake or morse code or something so the secret society is able to recognise each other in the wild 😜
the fact that birkin herself doesn’t like the bag absolutely sends me. the hermes designers clearly didn’t care about utility at all
Its very practical design but the status symbol status of it makes it so impractical and stupid
I think the Birkin handbag is like any collectors item. It’s really for only a niche market.
You would be surprised how much people are willing to spend to mod their cars in the car enthusiast community, how much people will spend on trading cards for Magic the Gathering, and how people will collect specific furniture for their houses.
good points
“It’s one handbag, Michael. What can it cost? Five thousand dollars?”
But in all seriousness, the DIY bag company Popsewing has a kit to make a Birkin-esque purse for $120. So if someone really wanted one of these bags solely based on their appearance, they could get one. But honestly, they aren’t even that cute
Underrated comment 🤣
Looks like a grandma bag. Never understood the appeal.
yo I'd never heard about popsewing before, seriously thank you for this comment bc I just checked them out and a lot of stuff they have is really cute! would make for a great gift, i'm considering buying a kit for myself
@@xGwen6661 I have ordered from them before, so I can say for certain that it’s legit (the ordering process can feel a little sketch) but the kits are super nice. And they have waaaay cuter options than this boring-ass bag
Il
In short: owning a birkin bag is the equivalent of buying a really expensive elitist dog whistle 🙃
at least u can sell it for more later 🤪😂
Not even a dog whistle anymore! Everyone knows what the bag looks like and knockoffs abound.
@@kazakukog no you can’t! Many fashion brands are just like throwing your money in a bonfire. There’s little to no resale value if you want to liquidate. But hey 💁🏻if you have money to throw away then you can do it through most astronomically price luxury brands.
As someone who got her most recent purse at a goodwill for less than $20, this is both hysterical and horrifying to me
and even that price feels high for goodwill 🙃
I found a Vera Bradley tote bag at goodwill for $6 one time and that to me was like winning the lottery. The idea of spending what to me is an absolutely life changing amount of cash on a freaking purse makes my stomach hurt.
@@csmith2005 omg my favorite purse is a $6 Liz Claiborne bag from a local thrift store that I get compliments on all the time. It’s practically brand new and just like you, I felt like I won the lottery. It’s such a cute bag and I’m obsessed. I could never imagine myself spending so much money on a purse
All my bags I get the most compliments on are the ones I found at the thrift store
$20 at goodwill??!
“I’m sorry that’s how much my MASTERS DEGREE costs” 😂😂😂
I learned about the Birkin a long time ago when I randomly bought this book called “Bringing Home the Birkin.” It’s about a guy who made a living off of buying and reselling Hermes products starting with the scarves eventually working his way up to Birkins. It’s a fascinating look at the culture and hype around the bag and what it takes to get one.
Loved that book. I knew people were insane about the bags but had no idea that the mania extended to the Hermes scarves until I read his account of hunting for specific scarf designs. That said, there is one Hermes scarf I've wanted for years. Right now it's on Ebay but the seller wants $330 for it. No how, no way, not for a piece of silk.
@@calicoquilter4472 After listening to this rant about the bags, 300 $ for a scarf sounds like a steal. 😉
I totally want to be an Hermes sales associate solely to ruin rich girls dreams. “You want a Birkin? NO! You are unworthy. Now get the fuck out of my store.”
Why did I read this in Anna Delvy’s voice 🤦🏼♀️
lol real rich girls would get you fired... why do you think the kardashians or jeffree star have dozens of them? you would do that to a middle class girl only
@@aaronxalapa good point. But just to see the look of utter outrage on some spoiled brat’s face would be worth it.
@@laceyn13 as soon as they start arguing with me: “I don’t have time for this. I don’t have time for YOU!!!!!”
@@DTQ omg the power one would feel
i was talking with my boyfriend about this today and was shocked to hear that rolex does something similar. he was telling me that his uncle went to rolex with 30k in cash trying to buy a specific watch and they told him that they were “waiting for someone with a longer buying history” while he’s been buying from them for 50+ years. literally absurd.
joke's on them
in england they're not a flex
it's the tourist brand and assumed to be fake
My dad went to buy a Rolex a couple of years back and he told me all about it. The guy at the counter couldn’t tell him how many Rolex’s they had in the store, nor the types etc. It was very secretive! When he ordered his, it took them a couple of weeks to get it ready but couldn’t disclose anymore information than that. They just scheduled a day and time. I remember him “dressing up” that day because I doubt they would accept him inside if he was in sweatpants or something 😅
Whattttt , it's just a watch 🤷🏾♀️
Do what everybody else in Miami does, buy from a watch dealer
What does that even mean? I do not understand? Does the longer buying history make their money worth more?
So I have owned both a Birkin and a Kelly in my lifetime. Both I purchased second-hand and ended up selling them for more money than I purchased them for! I wore each one time.. once..
The only reason I purchased both bags was I had/have plenty of other designer bags and for some reason I thought that having these bags and these status symbol products would bring me happiness. I was insanely depressed and in a horrible abusive marriage with a man who had a lot of money, I also make quite a bit myself but he held the majority. Lived in a big house, drove a super nice car, had everything I wanted. But I would buy myself designer bags and things I feel to make up for the massive hole in my life, but no matter how much I tried.. it never got easier or better.
I ended up catching him cheating about two years ago and kicked him out, I sold my entire collection of bags (20-25 designer bags) and I only kept 3 of them that were the most important to me for various reasons. I basically paid off my BMW with the Kelly sale alone.
I cannot even express how absolutely toxic I feel that the designer bag community can be, specifically Hermes and the way they almost brainwash people into thinking that by owning this basic boring bag you will somehow fulfill your life’s ambitions and goals. I realize my reasoning for purchasing was toxic in itself..
I now carry a $70 converse backpack, drive a Jeep Wrangler and live in a small duplex with my plants.. and I couldn’t be happier.
I am sorry you went through an abusive marriage. Kudos to you for getting out! Sending love and positive vibes your way ✨✨✨♥️♥️♥️
Congratulations on fighting your way out of toxicity and into happiness! This comment felt really reflective and wise, I am so glad you made those choices and are happier now!💛
I am so happy for you getting out of that marriage! ❤️
Glad to hear you’re in a better place in your life - thank you for sharing your perspective and experience 🤍
Sorry you went through all of that. But also happy for your happy ending!!
Clownery! The idea of begging a store to tell me I'm good enough to give them money is astronomically foolish to me. As though they'd be anything at all without the esteem of their customers.
Hermes is also the same store that wouldn't let Oprah in to shop back at the height of her career because she didn't look rich [read: white] enough. You couldn't pay me to rep Hermes.
Kinda proves to me that the wealthy’s idea of rich and status is based on prejudices
Hermes is the ONLY brand I’d replica or dupe buy if I really wanted to have a bag they have. Tbh their bags aren’t all that if it wasn’t for the hype. Spending over 15,000$ to be interrogated and prejudiced for a bag hellllnoo. And to buy it second hand is always a risk since Hermes bags don’t have authenticity card or their easy to rep u will never know if u truly got the real one.
I'm good with a $40 dupe, thanks. Hermes is messed up
There's an episode of Gilmore Girls where Logan casually gives Rory a Birken bag and that always blew my mind. Most people watching that episode don't understand what that would actually have taken.
whenever i hear birkin bag it just reminds me of that episode in Gilmore Girls when Logan surprised Rory with one 😂
A birkin bag! A birkin bag for RORY!
I think of that episode of will&grace where Will sees one up close and yells “that’s the Hermès Birkin Bag! I’ve been on the waiting list for YEARS!!! ……… for my mother!”
sameeee that's the first time I ever knew about this bag
SAME
THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT I WAS THINKING
It is insane, absolutly but I love that someone like Kim Kardashian can't get everything she points at. I love the idea that a super rich and famous person can get rejected.
good point. all the money in the world isn’t enough, you have to prove yourself
Oh, don’t worry about her. That’s not the case with very rich/influential people. They do get offered multiple bags, the rules don’t apply to them.
except they just buy in the resale market so it doesn't make a difference to them lol
“Here is 12.000$ and a piece of my soul!” completely the feeling! They mesmerise you and make it feel that having a Birkin is the ultimate graduation for a luxury lover! Begging a brand to take my money never made sense to me… shouldn’t it be the other way around?!🤔
@@Stephanie.89 it definitely is! But also a sign of personal achievement for me… when you get that orange box it’s an inescapable feeling! 🤗💖
I’ve got a (not Hermes) bag that can hold my keys, wallet, all of my kids’ crap and a good sized burrito when necessary. I mean, it’s really all about real life priorities. 😁 The hype over these bags absolutely blows my mind. They look like lunch totes.
“Always carry a bag big enough for kid stuff and an optional burrito” -a good mother
This is actually kind of sad. Even though I'm nowhere near the wealth bracket of being able to own a Birkin, I can imagine upon getting one after basically begging and pining an associate for one for years, paying a huge sum of money for it, and devoting so much time and effort for a ~bag~ that you'd feel so, incredibly empty. It's depressing that we see our worth through objects.
What I think people get wrong about it is “the game” aspect of it. Yes, people complain about the work you have to put in to get one, but if the Hermes people REALIZE that you’re putting in the work, then they don’t want you to have it. They only want people to have it who don’t even give it a second thought because they just want to gobble up all the overpriced French swag. People who walk in and drop thousands here and there just for shits and grins are the people they want. So some people buy buy buy from them but never get one, other get offered multiple a year.
Hermes is like a high schooler. All about the games.
Yes! People think money, luxury items, etc will make them happy. But happiness is an inside job and hard one!
As soon as Kylie Jenner was photographed with a Birkin, I knew the “lore” of the Birkin was bullshit.
the SATC generation no longer want them, time to push to zoomers with robin hood accounts
The Birkin Bag is the equivalent to the Emperors new clothes.
When I was in college I worked at a really fancy hair salon, I worked with a stylist who used to keep round brushes in his Birkin bag. When I was 20 I thought that was the very height of elegance, now as an adult I think he was insane lol
They were probably fake bags, just to make the place look high-end.
Now as an adult ?
Story time: a few years ago I lived in Paris and worked as an au pair (a nanny) and I was broke. I randomly saw a post on an expat Facebook group where these people sold an idea of girls making extra money. I called the number and they explained their scheme, which was to pay girls like me to wait in the line at the Hermes flagship, dress nice, and try to get an “interview”. These people said they needed burkins for Fashion week to have for their models… sure. Also if you’re successful for the interview, you call them and someone they’ve planted in the store meets you in the bathroom and you give them your passport and they give you the money to pay for the bag… then you switch back when you give them the bag. I was desperate for money and stupid and naive and I waited in the line. I was denied at the door lol so I got nothing out of it but the whole thing was such a scam!!!! Beware young naive expats in Paris!!
They probably just want them to turn around and make a profit that’s crazy lol. & side note my cousin was an Au Pair in New Zealand for a year. & she loved it did you like it? Just curious cause before she did it I didn’t even know that was a thing. 😂😂
@@arosez1991 it doesn’t even sound like it’s to make a profit, it sounds like a way to steal their passports! Scary stuff, don’t ever give your passport to anyone for any reason 😱
Yeah I think it was probably to steal passports or to sell the bags on the second hand market.
I liked being an au pair but it depends a lot on the family!
Did you at least get paid for trying?
This should be the story of Emily in Paris
Perfect timing, I just ordered Taco Bell and was looking for a video to watch. A Smokey Glow upload is more than I could have asked for in this moment. Especially when I see “rant” in the title lol.
Sounds like fun lol
Same!! Even the Taco Bell part! Lol
Lmao the best feeling
Taco bell was poppin tonight lol
I got a Taco Bell ad at the start hahaha wtf
This video made me feel so much better about my "expensive" tastes. My favorite designer brand is Kate Spade, and the costs of their bags are PEANUTS compared to the Birkin bags.
Love Kate Spade. The bags are sturdy, clean well and hold a ton!
Kate Spade is amazing and also, much more affordable. Their logo is also cuter than Hermès'.
Right? Like that $250 Coach bag suddenly seems cheap af lol
@@annamatic85 Coach and Kate spade are owned by the same company. They know how to market very well.
I can not shake the feeling that the system to get these bags were designed to make fun of rich people. The reason that the resale is so high is probably because the buyers hated what they were given and wanted something better. Also, selling your belongings is an insult to many rich people. I would not be surprised if they purposefully gave people bags they knew they would hate and would have to settle for or sell. It would not be surprising if they hope that the customer would come back again for another try to get something more to their tastes and therefore have to buy more. Kind of like a really expensive lottery. Personally, I do not see anything of value with these bags either.
I’m so excited for this! The whole world of Birkin’s is so confusing to me… I don’t really understand why anyone would spend $30,000+ on a bag..? I’d rather get a mortgage on a house or buy a car 😅
What do mean? Just live in the bag!
that’s because the people who buy them have so much money they don’t know what to do with it😅 it’s crazy
@@manalivasanth 😂😂
It's solely for flexing and status. Rich people are rotten. Lol
@@micahsellers8594 Yet almost 1/3 of the earth's population dosen't have sufficient food to eat.. and most people don't even know this fact.
Does anyone remember when Hermes wouldn’t let Oprah touch their bags because they thought it was to expensive for her. Of course not knowing who she was. But the story blew up years ago.
I think that happened to her at least twice with other stores too; once in a Louis Vuitton store and then again in a Trois Pommes store haha
Yes Oprah sent them a letter, Hermes apologize and offer her to give her vip service, Oprah told them they can’t afford her.
Good. I cant stand oprah lol and i think most of her "racist" stories are made up
Man people in europe don’t care who ophra is
@@nomdeplume2213 Says the non-black person 🙄
Now I understand why Emily Gilmore was so impressed that Logan gifted Rory a Birken bag.
Oh a Birkin is meant to be used and seen (I am def a Rogan fan)
I feel like so many people having these bags now is probably going to have an opposite effect eventually. The exclusivity of a Birkin takes a hit when you see someone carrying one in the cereal aisle of target.
I've heard of people faking their pregnancy and wearing fake bellies as sometimes Hermes offers Birkins as 'push presents' to pregnant people
I was just thinking If I ever was in the position of wanted a bag I would go when I was pregnant
It kinda was designed to be a diaper bag, that’s what Jane was carrying in that basket
Baby stuff
OMG I actually love this topic haha. I'm a man who doesn't wear bags, but I fell down the CZcams Birkin rabbit hole. It's so amazing to me that rich housewives allow themselves to emotionally abused by Hermes employees lol. The Purseonfleek saga was crazy.
Yessss the Purseonfleek stuff was batshit!
It was a lot!
Ok I haven’t got to this point In the video but I’m so confused lol
@@this_lee_life5553 she doesn't mention it in the video. Purseonfleek is a CZcamsr who had a hard time getting a bag and it turned into this whole drama with the store.
when she was in middle school, my sister was best friends with this girl whose mom was a birkin/hermes reseller to lots of A list celebrities. the fact that there’s such a HUGE market for them is genuinely so perplexing to me. they lived in a gigantic house with an entire guest house full of birkins and other top tier hermes bags 🤯 i picked her up from their house one time and was completely shook
Fun fact :
According to legend, Jane Birkin was travelling with her young daughter and complained to Dumas there was no bag convenient to carry around her things. The Birkin is actually the most expensive and most unpractical diaper bag ever.
I prefer the Kelly anyway 😅
I remember when I commented on a TikTok Birkin related video, that “even if I was a millionaire, I would never spend 10k on a bag” and I got soooo much hate from people, calling me broke (lol), stupid, and making fun of me in general 🤣 like, wtfff all those people trying to convince the world that it’s worth it it’s the most hilarious thing ever
Some people don’t get it - that maybe the “luxury” brands are just not interesting for some people. I really like fashion, clothes, bags…, I just don’t give a … if they are designer or not. I value a piece from a thrift store that I paid 0,50€ for the same as I value a coat for 400€. I just don’t care. I would never wear a T-shirt with a brand name on it across my chest, because I am not a walking bilboard and if I should do that, I should be paid for the advertisement for the brand, not the other way around.
But some people think that it’s just about not being able to afford it, so that’s why you talk like that. Which is not true, I might buy an expensive bag one day, I just don’t see the value of it for myself at the moment. I think fashion is for fun, it’s a visible extension of my personality and I don’t see myself as someone who needs a logo-anything. I would pay some amount of money for a beautiful well made quality bag, but never for a logo, I just don’t like it. Period.
And still, there will be people who don’t get it, because they are just “wired” differently 🤷🏻♀️.
They are super old lady looking bags. Besides that, Chloe and Loewe bags look a whole lot more elegant than birkins and for many, much more accessible especially if bough pre-loved.
I'd never.
Lol as if those people could also afford/get a Birkin bag. I’d also never spend $10k on a bag, that’s money you can spend on living expenses or other things you actually need to survive, like wtf lmao.
Honestly, I don’t wear bags cause I HATE carrying stuff around. Unless they are like “backpack-like” bags. BUT I definitely would [try] and get a Birkin [by making an apt] just for investment purposes. Like, instead of keeping 15k in the bank, buy a Birkin. Gives more returns
@@salaravievel People do that with luxury bags, that go up in value.
This is EXACTLY how the fine art auction houses operate. And what the crypto bros are trying to imitate with NFTs. It's all about manipulating the scarcity of an arbitrary symbol
At least here you get an actual purse you can put stuff in instead of just a hyperlink
Spot on.
I was waiting for this portion of the video
I remember watching this documentary on Grace Kelly ( she was a actress in the early to mid 50’s ) and later married the prince of Monaco .. long story short,supposedly Grace Kelly used a Hermès to cover up her growing baby bump and later was the inspection for “The Kelly bag” .. and I found that so interesting 💼
I'd LOVE to see a rant on the concept old "Old Money vs New Money".
I’ve seen/held birkins, and I have been way more impressed with leatherwork at the Arizona renaissance festival.
The first time I heard about a Birkin bag was on Sex and the City when Sam could finally pay for one and they put her a five year waiting list. So, she says it's for Lucy Liu, who does PR with her firm. So, they send it to Lucy and Sam gets in a fight with her.
It perfectly captures the entire ridiculousness of it all.
Lol. I remember that too and it was the first time I ever heard of a Birkin.
And it was only like 2-5 grand USD when Sam wanted it.That means it's went up 100 percent in the last 20 years. Lol that was the first time I'd heard of Birkin too
I remember being confused by that episode cause i knew Samantha could afford it, but didn't understand how she couldn't just buy it lol.
I loved that episode
The story about Jane Birkin was confirmed by her in some interviews. She is famous for being a singer/actress and the ex-wife of Serge Gainsbourg (famous french singer). She also contributed to build the fantasy of the parisian girl by her style even though she is british.
thats so funny
There is a fascinating book called Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster. The Birkin history and others are discussed in the book.
I actually laughed out loud when you said “I know a lot of wealthy people, well I don’t know them but I’ve seen them”
Everytime I hear of Hermes I think about how my sister and I went in there once while we were waiting for my mom to pick us up after my sister's wisdom teeth surgery. We walked in and the salesperson gave us a dirty look because we don't look like rich people and didn't greet us. Then my sister was bending over looking at a scarf on a little plath thing and started drooling... but couldn't feel it since her face was still numb 😂. It was right about to drip off her chin onto the scarf so I pushed her back and we promptly left, laughing our heads off 😂 the salesperson looked like they were going to kill us!! I almost wish she had drooled on it except I don't know if they'd charge us for it or if that's even allowed lmao
this is the funniest comment ever omg
Whenever I feel the panic of false scarcity I remember two things:
1. Sewstine made an amazing book tote based on the Dior book tote and if I really want something that’s amazing and cool there are ways to make or source something amazing.
2. I myself was caught once in the Lularoe craze of “unicorns” and even for middle class people buying exclusive items just because they’re exclusive doesn’t mean that the item actually makes you happy.
As someone living paycheck to paycheck, literally overdrawing their account on a monthly basis, this world of Birkin bags is SO fascinating and foreign. Now that I know what it looks like I’ll be keeping my peepers open at flea markets and stuff lol. You never know!!!
The only reason I know what they are is because of Gilmore Girls lol.
Same!!
I was thinking the same thing this whole time
Here to comment the same 😂
Same
Sameeee
I can’t even afford the $300 to fix my car fully and there are people who can spend a minimum of $15,000 on a bag? This video felt like absolute lunacy 😂 I think I’ll stick with the Kate Spade I saved for 😅
My sister was gifted a Michael Kors that she hates. She gave it to me. That’s as about as luxury as I’m going to get.
I do have one single bag on my wishlist. The Louis Vuitton pochette metis.
@@nisrinarnouk4373 you can keep it, preserve it away from the sun and dust, and then sell it
@@kazakukog but why? I personally don’t get it 🤷🏻♀️
Kate Spade is such a great brand for us normal girls ♥️🌟
At first I read that as “fill” my car fully and I thought you meant gas and I was like damn how big is your tank that it can take $300 worth of gasoline lol
Thank you! You are so right. People in the youtube luxury bag community has a hard time understanding the truth though. It’s all about the “quality”with them. They just refuse to see that quality ends somewhere, it doesn’t follow the price.
I also think Hermés is a very fascinating brand due to their lack of any standard marketing. Most other luxury brands, no matter the price, have some sort of marketing. As you said, brands like LV and Chanel and Dior do occasionally pay influencers to promote, not to mention the constant print ads and billboards they plaster throughout the world. Hermés however is much different, and much more expensive than most other houses, and I just find it very fascinating how they’re still able to move so much product without using much advertising. The only real things they advertise is their non-Birkin products such as scarves and perfumes, and even that’s rare of them to do. It’s just wild that it’s essentially just a word-of-mouth status symbol. I do think their egregious buying process adds to this mystique as it adds a level of rarity to the brand. Now whether it’s genuine rarity or manufactured rarity, that’s a question you’ll have to determine for yourself. I think it’s a bit of both. Lol oops I just went on a long tangent… My bad. Just sharing my knowledge and opinion. ☺️
Does make me wonder is it a weird, sort of money laundering thing!?
@@Youokhun Lol idk if i’d say that because if so a lot of other luxury companies are also vindicated but rather a deceptively genius marketing scheme? Yeah. Their profit margins have to be ridiculous considering they’re selling these bags that probably cost no more than $1,000 to produce for at the very least 10x that. Some of these bags rise to $200-300k at the most. Though I feel like if it was a money laundering scheme it would’ve been long unveiled as this company has a long history. Just my perspective though. Corporations are on some weird shit nowadays though so honestly anything is possible!
@@two_another it’s definitely something I’ll ponder, mainly because of the exclusivity and how they’re not usually worn or used they’re normally used as heirlooms! I agree their profit margins are definitely so high!
Hermès *
@@DZNnss Tomato tomato
The only thing I think about when I hear birkin bags is how in Gilmore girls Logan bought Rory one and she was so oblivious to how rare this bag was she was just like “oh I can put my computer wires in this” and Logan was “ya that’s not how these bags work just call my sister and she’ll explain it”. And Rory’s grandmother becomes obsessed with this bag and the fact that her granddaughter has one and she doesn’t. The portrayal of this bag in entertainment is nothing like I’ve seen before.
yesss and it was pink too which is, in this video, what caught my attention since she said the colorful ones are worth more
right!! i never even knew what a girl in bag was before gilmore girls
Yep! That's how I found out about them too. And then I found Charles Gross who used to do CZcams videos about his Birkins and became so fascinated by people having "dream bags" that they search for years and years for. I get luxury brands to an extent but I thought the point of having money was to make your life easier, not harder.
I'm like "isn't hermes very well known?" And then remembered I live in France lol
Me to the sales associate: (dressed in a walmart clearance special, overweight, haven't had my hair done in years) "So you're saying there's a chance?! 😂 All jokes aside, I wouldn't want one if they begged. I'll never understand people that are obsessed with brands. Dig deeper folks! Materialistic things don't make you happy or matter when this life is over.
At that resell price? I'd certainly take one. I wouldnt want one to carry though.
“Money talks, wealth whispers” is more about old vs. new money. Pretty much anyone you think of as extremely wealth nowadays like even Jeff Bezos, the Kardashians, influencers, etc. would NOT be considered old money.
What they mean are the old money families (think the Vanderbilts or other generationally wealthy families) who buy these things because they value the quality and not the name. Wealth whispers because they LOOK expensive without having to rely on a name. They use their products until they die, they don’t have closets of untouched or barely used items.
This comment!‼️
It's also because people don't recognize brands that cater to old money.
The acronym IYKYK is how people talk about it without saying new and old money. If you know you know.
Also to add, the saying also comes from plantation families post Civil War era. Wealth whispers was a way to keep hush about the source of your money, aka money made on the backs on enslaved African people.
"They use their products until they die, they don’t have closets of untouched or barely used items." No, they just have a trail of exploited people who keep quiet.
My first introduction to Birkin bags was in an episode of Gilmore Girls where the main character's rich boyfriend gifted her one and she didn't realize the significance, but her grandmother /very much/ did and made a big deal out of it. What you said at the end is exactly how I feel about them: they are unremarkable and boring. I'm not a purse person, so I guess my opinion doesn't matter, but if I had no idea of their exclusivity I'd guess they costed $2,000 TOPS.
when i first saw them i thought like 5k
I would think it was 20 dollars. there's literally nothing special-looking about them.
As a French woman I can tell that le carré hermes (the square scarf) is still a huuuuge status symbol. You know immediately who you're talking to if someone has one. To put it simply I've never met anyone who owned one and I can't say that my family was poor. It's not just something that the average guy can buy.
Also thank you Hannah because I am also obsessed with ranting about this ridiculous bag thing and I really needed that
The concept of this is so wild to me. I’d also love to know if they pay their employees fairly or if they’re making minimum wage (or less). I love that you’re so passionate about this and am 1000% here for random topics you’re into!
They probably get a base and commission on whatever they sell
I think it might be based on commission plus a good salary considering the type of market they are in. They wouldn’t want their workers to quit and go to another luxury store with their knowledge and experience. I could be wrong though, just my opinion
Luxury sales associates at super high end stores like Hermes can make 100k+ a year before commission. I live in LA and people have made full careers out of working for different brand retail stores. Especially store managers make bank! But it’s many years of work to get to that level since the merchandise is so luxe
Well im sure as a sales associate u will get so many gifts just to give it to a person so there’s that.
Dana Thomas book "Deluxe" actually details their production practices - the bags are hand stitched by experts that I if I recall correctly have to have an apprenticeship prior to working for Hermes. They're made in France and they don't specify salary but based on their small scale & huge barriers of entry I imaging theyre paid much more fairly than other luxury factory workers (most of which outsource their factory work to very low-cost labor counties).
YES YES YES! I agree. The absurdity of the Birkin is insane. Not only is it so expensive but the culture around them of how exclusive they are is so classist and elitist.
But I have to wonder how exclusive they truly are when like 5 people own 90% of the stock.
Birkins are such scams idc how many rich people say they aren't. You mean to tell me that a birkin bag is an "investment", really? Bags do nothing but depreciate, they wear, age, shrink, sag, fade, and everything. I never understand why people will glorify it as an investment or valuable purchase when in reality it will not. It is all lies and just an excuse for them to buy these ridiculous bags without outrage.
@@maddie9655 right?? Even if you keep it in mint condition, that means you can’t even USE the fucking bag you paid so much for lol
@@maddie9655 That's not how luxury bags work. Depending on the bag, and if you keep it in good condition, it will appreciate over time. The brand keeps selling them over decades and is constantly raising the price, usually at a much higher rate than inflation. For example, some Chanel classic flap bags that were bought for $2000 in the 90s are selling for $8000 now
I definitely feel like it's more of a "gamble" than an "investment" because you can't really tell how much it will appreciate, but some of these bags have much better margins of profit than other things we would consider to be an "investment"
@@tayawalter4741 if you’re rich and shop there they offer them to you
Tbh I've seen Gucci bags or LV bags and thought that is cute! But I have never felt that way about a Birkin. The style gives me very mature older woman vibes and that's not a bad thing just not my vibe 😅 tbh I will take a few really cute Gucci bags over a Birkin lol
As much as the world of Birkin is bizarre, it really does serve its purpose if you are part of that society that values it. I have a family member who owns a birkin and other fine things, and when she goes to business meetings and banks and certain social environments, it makes doing things a lot smoother and easier, not to mention being treated better just because of how others perceive you in these things. You dress how you want people to perceive you.
The way people talk about Hermès Birkin bags, you would expect unicorns and fairies to fly out when you open them. The artificially generated exclusivity has sent some people doolally. It's just a bag, a nicely crafted one, but just a bag nonetheless. 😂
I really do love the style of the Birkin, but I would never buy one, even if I could, due to needing to basically beg for one. I don't beg. I work for what I have, and I work hard. But I'll never grovel to drop $15k on a bag. It's just nuts.
That's what amazes me about the whole thing, too! I can't imagine fighting to "deserve" the right to spend 15k.
Well put
This is nuts! I'm honestly grateful that I've never been part of this world. The pressure to fit in at this level is completely ridiculous. People have all this money and they use it to make themselves miserable.
As they say “there’s one born every minute”. It’s always interesting when people think they can buy class and status. That’s what the luxury brands are counting on you to believe so they can separate you from your money.
“History lessons with SmokeyGlow” alright girls, gays and theys. Class is in session.
I knew Birkins were exclusive and crazy to get, but I didn’t realize you don’t get to choose the bag you want or anything. I struggled to accept a car for less than $10k because it was silver, and I’m just over having a silver car (ultimately I got it because of the car itself, but that’s neither here nor there) I cannot imagine spending more than what my loan for my car was on something I can’t even say what I want specifically. Some are cute, but I wouldn’t want every single one. I’ll happily keep my Coach and Michael Kors bags and strive for possibly having a Louis Vuitton brown monogram bag one day 😂
I just found one for 314.443€ that means 356.508$ WhAt???? That’s a house.
Yep, just had to replace a vehicle because my husband got rear ended at a red light in December. Which is super fun because the car market right now is just so affordable and easy to navigate. (Being sarcastic it was a nightmare)
Did either one of us want a white car? No. Did we go with it because it was the only one that had adequate leg room AND head room for my husband? Yes. When you're 6'8" you go with what you can get.
Now we're both STILL spending-shy after signing a new auto loan. I can't imagine dropping $12k on a bag
@@LarixLyalliiAlpine I’m glad your husband is okay!
You do get to choose. No one forces you to buy a bag, they show you and you accept or deny, then they keep showing until you accept. Good customers will be offered custom bags, and those ones have a horseshoe stamped next to where is says hermes to show it was custom. It takes a long time because the waitlist is crazy, but people can get their specifications met. Some may prefer to just get a bag rather than wait for their perfect one.
For us “regular” people, purchasing a Birkin seems impossible… but I have rich family members and they’re on the list to get a Birkin and other designer pieces . You specifically have to have connections and money.
I love what that bit about Jane Birkin not liking it. I always thought the bag looked very incongruous with her laid-back boho chic style.
I would like to know how much money those “sales associates” make. I’m into luxury brands. The most I’ll spend for a bag is about $400. I’m going to just stick to my Coach bags
As soon as I saw "rant", I made myself some lunch, closed the curtains and put Smokey on the giant living room tv and got comfortable! My afternoon is starting to look good😊
The first time I ever heard of a Birkin, was that episode of SITC where Samantha wants one and uses her working relationship with Lucy Liu to get one. Lucy ends up with it in the end. Personally, I'd never be able to carry around something that expensive. Same goes for jewelry. I'd have anxiety the whole time.
I think that episode is what really launched the price insanity difference from the 90s to today. Every brand that was frequently mentioned on that show commands astronomically higher prices now.
@@jessicadawson2353 - you’re right! Same with the rabbit vibrator 😂
I think SATC introduced many of us to the Birkin bag.
There's a great book about Birkin if you're interested: "Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag"
Going on a short trip to Paris really seems like the least looney option, hahaha!
Hermès always gives me this Pretty Woman vibe, the scene when Vivian enters the store and gets kicked out
Not A celeb Person: can I buy a Birkin Bag, please?
Hermès: NO!
Person: but I have much money, I can afford it
Hermès: GET OUT OF MY STORE
🤣
Made me snort-laugh 😂
Buhahahaha 🤣
They really are just a massive flex item. I have an antique sovereign holder from the early 1900s which could hold maybe 4 sovereigns. The point wasn't to keep your change in it - it's not like they had parking machines back then - but to show people that you *had* a sovereign to put in your fancy silver or gold holder. If you had sovereigns, you were generally wealthy. Literally a way of saying "I have the money for this useless trinket that doesn't really have a proper function and I bought it anyway". The Edwardian Birkin bag. 😅
That is fascinating!
I love high end designer goods (handbags and shoes) but Hermès has never appealed to me for many reasons. I do fairly well and treat myself often, but even if I made millions a year (I am a psychotherapist and certainly don’t make millions lol) I can’t justify owning one of these. I find them boring. I’m not proving myself and jumping hoops to purchase an expensive gift for myself, esp as a woman of color. Also, running around with a Hermès bag on my arm counters who I am and the work I do, and would send the wrong msg to those I work with and surround myself with. There are very beautiful and well made brands from France and Italy for 300-700 that don’t “high sign”. I’m boogie but not elitist lol.
"Boogie but not elitist" will be my new motto.
what i love is that you made this video just for you, and we're all so excited for this! i hope you realize how great your instincts are as a youtuber, and also that sometimes the best videos are the ones you do just for you!
I absolutely love how heated you got about this bag, completely deservedly, thank you for this rant! it's absolutely appalling how much power we give these brands
How hilarious would it be to go through the entire process in Paris, then they bust out a bag & you're like, "Yeah...nah" Then low key start a rumour that you were "the one that said No". Yeah, that already sounds like too much work.
Could a short be made about that?
Absolutely loved your take on this I've always found it mind boggling how an uncomfortable bag can be valued at the price of a home. Thank you for making this!
I randomly came across this video on my feed and I've never heard of you, but 3min in I'm hooked and subscribed. I like your vibe, you've a real authenticity.
I live for the topics that Hannah really gets into-throwing shade at high society and the federal minimum wage! LOVE IT!🙌🏻❤️💯
Yes! Just wanted to say so maybe Hannah will see this, but I immediately clicked on this video because of the topic. Definitely one of those interesting "everyone's heard of it but no one really knows about it" topic videos. 👍👍
okay so i did some inflation calculating and all the bags cost around $5,500-$6,500 (w the 2000 price increase not being as big as it sounds) but their 2014 price jump was clearly just about creating more exclusivity in the brand and more specifically the birkin. i can see a justification for the other price increases, but there was no reason to double/triple the bags cost other than keeping people from buying it.
My math could be off because I'm using 1980 as the reference point for the 80s price, but $2k in 1980 is $6,823.98 today and $4k in 2000 is $6,530.73.
I can't remember which video you last mentioned Luke in, but THANK YOU for doing so bc I absolutely LOVE his content! It has made the whole fashion world so much more palatable, accessible, and interesting to me!! Between the two of you, my recommended has shifted to much more informational content and I am so excited to keep learning from y'all.
I remember hearing about Birkins years ago and always being fascinated by the exclusivity. This video was amazing. I’d love to see more of these kinds of videos. 💖
Oh my god my friend got roped in by some Russian Hermes resellers in Paris to try getting birkin bags from the flagship store that the resellers would then sell back in Eastern European countries. They would hire a variety of young women for ~$500 per trip, get them appointments, train them on how to answer the questions/what to say/how to act, list of preferences, and even lent some of the girls designer clothes to wear to these appointments to help their chances. They would schedule and rotate the girls to not make it too suspicious for the store and give them the money for the bags, but from what I remember it was still quite difficult, my friend went a few times and never managed to get a bag. It was quite sketchy and really weird, I never understood what it was all about until now 😅
I was *incredibly* disgusted when I heard that they justify the price with it being a hand crafted. Oh really, hermes? How much did you pay the person who made that bag? You fucking say to the public "this person's work is THIS valuable, we just can't lower the price", yet I'm damn sure you pay just a tiny fraction of the bags' price!
Apparently they get paid somewhere from 60-100k a year so the pay is fairly decent but that is a great point considering that their wages are paid for by selling like 5 purses
In this one situation it is part of it. Chanel and the others… no. They’re using underpaid immigrant labor and charging thousands for a bag.