Hermès    News

This crocodile Hermes Birkin set a new price record for handbag auctions

Image via Heritage Auctions

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.

guest

75 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments