Did you miss last fall’s documentary on Hermes craftsmanship and the people who make it possible? So did we, but fret not, the Internet is a wondrous place full of second chances. (And cat pictures. Second chances and cat pictures.) If you’d like a chance to peer behind the curtain and see what happens in Hermes workshops and meet the people who make the world’s finest leather goods, Hermes.com now has the documentary, in its entirety, available for streaming. For a little taste of what it offers, check out the teaser above. If you decide to watch it, we guarantee you that this is the only thing you’ll ever get for free from the Hermes website.

When you’re a brand with a rabid, slavish following like French leathergoods giant Hermes, it’s important to think outside the box in order to both maximize profits and cater to your very particular customer’s every need. With quarterly growth in the double digits since time immemorial, Hermes has taken a page out of the Louis Vuitton book and now brands everything under the sun, including the simplest of writing implements: the pencil.

Fancy-pants pens have long been a hallmark of the luxury industry, but the leather-wrapped Hermes Arlequin H Pencil is something different entirely. Pens can be refilled with fine ink and passed down from generation to generation; pencils, on the other hand, are meant to be used up in short order by virtue of their very construction.

When I first came across this…pencil (there are no fancy words for pencil), my immediate thought was, “Well, I bet Louis Vuitton makes one too.” Hermes and Louis Vuitton are alike in a lot of ways (and LVMH seems to be hell-bent on making them part of the same whole), and they are perhaps the only two fashion brands with clients rabid enough to buy pencils from them. Chanel might also make that list, but I have yet to find a pencil from that particular set of Frenchies, so we’ll leave ‘em out for a moment.

Louis Vuitton Golden Agenda Pencil, $245 via Louis Vuitton

Vuitton does, in fact, make a pencil. It comes in both silver and gold and retails for $175 or $245, respectively. The Vuitton pencil, though, appears to be a refillable implement intended for longterm use, so while it’s still a little silly, at least you won’t have to throw it away after a few months of using it in one of the brand’s agendas.

On the other hand, unless I’m mistaken, the Hermes pencil is just a normal, wooden writing implement wrapped in a thin layer of woven leather and meant to be sharpened. At this point in my nearly unending leather goods ennui, I’m merely surprised that Hermes doesn’t also offer a matching leather-covered pencil sharpener. Maybe next season. Buy through Hermes for $85.

Hold on to your horses, folks. Or at least hold on to your Hermes Steeple Canvas Horse Totes – prices for the most expensive handbags in the world are about to get even higher.

We’re hearing from multiple people, including Mizhattan and Jim Shi’s Twitter account, that prices brand-wide are about to rise 9% at Hermes. There’s some conflicting information over when exactly that will happen – some say the end of January, some say January 24th specifically, some say early February – but whenever it happens, it’s soon. If you’ve been waffling on whether or not you should make a purchase, it’s decision time.

Hermes cites the need for the increase as the ever-rising cost of raw materials, specifically silk and crocodile. While it may be factually true that those things are more expensive than they were a year ago, it would be just as factually correct for Hermes to say, “Why are we raising prices? Well, duh, because we can.” The Hermes customer is not a woman who can be accurately called “price-sensitive” in the first place, and even though everyone grumbles about increases, it never seems to stop Hermes bags from flying off of shelves. Get to shopping, ladies – it’ll be a lot more expensive in a couple of weeks.

Around here, we have plenty of fun pointing out those companies who seek to ride each others’ design coattails to financial and sartorial success. Almost every company, big or small, well known or not, fits that descriptor from time to time, but then there are those who take the whole enterprise up several degrees of magnitude. When that happens, we get bags like the Leghila Neoprene B-Bag Tote.

“B” bag? Clever name, folks. Remember when you were a little kid and your sibling would hold his or her finger an inch from your skin and shout “I’M NOT TOUCHING YOU I’M NOT TOUCHING YOU” over and over in order to destroy whatever was left of your fragile childhood psyche? That’s basically what Leghila is trying to do to Hermes with this bag; it more or less amounts to, “I’M NOT CALLING MYSELF A BIRKIN I’M NOT CALLING MYSELF A BIRKIN,” and with a price tag well into the three figures, I’m failing to find any amusement in it. Almost-Birkins are a dime a dozen, and because copyright laws make it very difficult to sue over this kind of intellectual property theft (which, in many cases, is actually a good thing), they will continue to be readily available on the cheap.

I actually do enjoy the vivid neoprene construction. The material is lightweight, takes color beautifully and does well with moisture; it’s a shame that more designers haven’t ventured into its use as an alternative to boring, basic canvas when it comes to less expensive totes and small accessories. Still, though, Birkin knockoffs aren’t clever and they aren’t particularly chic. For the price and the fabric, the brand should have actually taken the time to design their own bag. Buy through Luisa Via Roma for $375.

If you were to ask any handbag lover what the most expensive handbag to ever sell at auction was, I’m pretty sure that we’d all guess the same thing: an Hermes Crocodile Birkin with White Gold & Diamond Hardware. It just makes sense; not only are Hermes bags (and Birkins in particular) notorious for holding their value and doing well at resale, but a crocodile Birkin with diamond-encrusted hardware is one of the most elusive and expensive collector’s items in the world.

When a friend alerted me a few weeks ago that a Dallas auction house was set to put a group of rare Hermes bags on the auction block, I told her than the estimated $80,000 price for the “Hermes Exceptional Collection Shiny Rouge H Porosus Crocodile 30cm Birkin Bag with Solid 18K White Gold & Diamond Hardware” (as the auction house called it) you see above sounded a bit low; I guessed that it would go in the $100,000+ range. That being said, even I am a bit shocked at the price this bag actually sold for earlier this week…

$203,150.

To an anonymous bidder, of course. Women’s Wear Daily reports that this is the most expensive bag ever sold at auction, which is almost comforting – if this were instead a run-of-the-mill price, I’d be concerned. Although because this bag isn’t special beyond the obvious ways – it wasn’t owned by a celebrity, for example – it’s possible that these are merely the numbers we’re going to be seeing for this design in sought-after colors from here on out. Or maybe there’s just an heiress out there who couldn’t restrain herself from this particular shade of red?

Also a part of the auction: a 35cm Matte Brighton Blue Porosus Crocodile Birkin with Palladium hardware, which sold for $113,525 (strikes me as a bit high for no diamonds!), a 35cm Shiny Braise Red Porosus Crocodile Birkin with Palladium hardware for a cool $95,000 and a 30cm Himalayan Crocodile Birkin, also with Palladium, for $80,663.

If you’re not familiar with vintage powerhouses What Goes Around Comes Around, you should be. The New York-based retro aggregator, often abbreviated WGACA, searches out and resells some of the best pre-owned duds in the country, and today, that includes two lovely Hermes Vintage Crocodile Bags that are up for grabs via ShopBop. They’re very Betty Draper, right? Or maybe they’re more Trudie Campbell…

ShopBop doesn’t list the era from which either of these bags originated, but they look an awful lot like the small, structured, elbow-carried bags that were popular among wealthy women of the Mad Men era – the late 50s and early 60s. Hermes was at the top of the leather goods mountain back then as well (and the brand often plays a part in the show, come to think of it), so these two bags, which both lack external branding, are among the finest examples of the period’s luxury handbags.

Looking at these designs makes it easy to see where the inspiration for the currently trendy ladybags comes from, and then they’re Hermes croc on top of it. For $8000 apiece, you’d have the be a serious vintage hound or Hermes fangirl to buy one, but right now I’m missing Mad Men so much that if I were asininely rich, I might consider it. Then all I’d need is one of Joan’s dresses…well, and her hips. Buy through ShopBop for $8000 here and here.

File this under: Things I Never Expected to See.

Hermes makes a lot of unexpected products; the company has done a great job transitioning from a leather goods brand to a full-on, ultra-luxury lifestyle brand, and with that comes unexpected pieces (flask, anyone?) to help Hermes devotees spread the French leather love into all areas of their lives. Now, with the Hermes Cup Cozy, you can Hermes-ify your day from the very beginning with your morning cup of coffee. After all, who wants to wrap their $5 latte in cardboard? That’s so pedestrian.

Technically (if this issue can even be technical), this item is not a coozie, although I suppose you could put it on any drink you saw fit; I merely enjoy imagining a frosty Coors Lite at a football tailgate with $200 of Hermes leather wrapped around it. Instead, as I mentioned, it’s intended to protect your hand from the warmth that radiates from coffee in a disposable cup. One would worry about drips and spills, but if you’re buying this kind of knickknack, the idea of ruining something that costs a mere three figures probably doesn’t keep you up at night.

If that sounds like you, make your buying decisions and proceed to checkout quickly. This limited edition piece is part of Petite H, an Hermes project that runs online until November 22nd and offers unexpected pieces from Hermes artisans. If nothing else, an Hermes coffee sleeve is certainly unexpected. They come in three colors, but I think yellow is the clear winner. Buy through Hermes for $190.

This is one of those exclusives that I both curse and welcome at the same time: We have the first look at the Hermes bags that will be available on Moda Operandi later tonight! The sale begins tonight at 7 pm EST, but you have one hour to drool over the goods and possibly plan a purchase before anyone else.

The partnership for this sale is between Heritage Auctions and Moda Operandi, which decided to offer an exclusive trunk show of many rare and one-of-a-kind Hermes Bags. One of the highlights of the collection is the rare 30cm Violet Porosus Crocodile Birkin, a notoriously hard-to-find color in an amazing shiny exotic skin. This post doesn’t need more text, because, hello, we have pictures of Hermes bags. Shop Moda Operandi’s Hermes sale starting at 7 pm EST!

This Halloween I am celebrating by dressing up as a lady who spas (meaning I’m putting on a much needed green mud mask and a soak for my hair while wearing a robe). The kids coming to our door may be a little confused as to what I am, but I think it works and I totally need some at-home spa treatments. And for their having to look at me, they will be rewarded handsomely with some of our favorite treats. From Crunchies to Smarties to M&M’s to Haribo Gummi candies, there is a treat for everyone that comes to our door.

My treat tonight is my Hermes Alligator Kelly Longue Wallet. Every year it is the best Halloween accessory a girl can ask for. And the lady who spas as a Halloween costume coincides well with a little piece of Hermes.

What are you dressed up as or who are you dressing up as what? Have a sweet, safe, and fun Halloween!

Be still my heart. Some of the promotions I work on are both sheer joy and total temptation, and the Madison Avenue Couture Hermes Rue La La boutique is a perfect example of this. Starting today at 11 AM EST, RueLaLa.com an incredible selection of over 60 Hermes bags from around the world for sale. Over 70% of the bags are highly coveted Birkins and Kellys in materials varying from crocodile and ostrich to lizard and more. Included in this allotment is a never-before-carried black crocodile Birkin, and I think you ladies all know how coveted those are. If the bags are not what you are looking for or aren’t in your price range, there will be a selection of scarves, jewelry and accessories (like the Clic-Clac bracelet).

We (and you) are very lucky because we can show you these bags before the boutique opens so that you can begin your strategic planning. Figure out what it is that you want/need and get your purchase fingers ready. This is a boutique you will not want to miss!

Shop the Hermes selection at Ruelala.com now!