The Birkin bag is a line of tote bags by the French luxury goods maker Hermès. Introduced in the 1980s, the bag quickly became a symbol of wealth and exclusivity due to its high price and long waiting lists. In 2020, prices started at US$11,000 and have reached up to HK$2. 94million when a bag was sold at auction by Christie’s in Hong Kong for a record price.
About Birkin bag in brief
The Birkin bag is a line of tote bags by the French luxury goods maker Hermès. Birkin bags are handmade from leather, and the line is named after English actress and singer Jane Birkin. Introduced in the 1980s, the bag quickly became a symbol of wealth and exclusivity due to its high price and long waiting lists. In 2020, prices started at US$11,000 and have reached up to HK$2. 94 million when a bag was sold at auction by Christie’s in Hong Kong for a record price in May 2017. In July 2015, Birkin asked Hermes to stop using her name for the crocodile version due to ethical concerns, as PETA alleged crocodile farms supplying the hide for the bags crammed their animals into barren concrete pits. The company justifies the cost of the Birkins, compared to other bags, claiming the degree of craftsmanship involved. According to a 2014 estimate, HermèS produced 70,000 Birkins bags that year.
The bag is highly coveted and has been reputed to have a waiting list of up to six years. As a result of strong demand, the Birkinbag has a high resale value in many countries, especially in Asia, and to such an extent that the bag is considered by some people as an instrument of investment. In 2010, the company announced that the waiting list would no longer exist, implying these bags are potentially available to the general public. In May 2017, a 3- centimeter matte white Himalaya nilus crocodile Birkin with 18-carat white gold and hardware fittings and encrusted with diamonds was sold for US$203,203 at an auction in Dallas, Texas. The bags are hand-sewn, buffed, painted, and polished, taking several days to finish. Each one may be made to order with different customer-chosen hides, colour, and hardware fixtures. There are also other individual options, such as diamond encrusting.
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This page is based on the article Birkin bag published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 25, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
