For some reason, it seems like the entirety of the fashion Internet has been talking about how to buy a Birkin lately. Lauren Sherman wrote about the bag’s enduring appeal for Bloomberg, Megs mentioned how she got hers in an interview with Racked and this one Harper’s Bazaar story on the process keeps tumbling down my Facebook newsfeed. If I’ve learned anything in my time at PurseBlog, though, it’s that there’s no One True Way to get a Birkin.
Tales of wait lists and long-term relationship-building with Hermès boutique employees abound, but Megs got her black Birkin by going into a store where she had no prior purchase history and asking nicely. Authentic Birkins are bought and sold every day on eBay, buyers are more than willing to scoop them up at traditional auctions like Heritage or Christie’s and sites like Moda Operandi regularly host short-term sales of expertly sourced Birkins. In some ways, getting a Birkin now is easier than ever, as long as you’re not a stickler about buying it directly from the brand. (And, in many cases, as long as you’re not picky about paying a markup for the immediate gratification.)
There are, of course, many people who become trusted Hermès clients and eventually get offered the bag of their dreams; our PurseForum is filled with stories about magical calls from Hermès boutiques, many out of the blue. The purchase of almost any bag has a story, and when the particular bag starts at $10,000 and only goes up from there, the stories are often well worth a listen. Today, we’d like to hear yours. Did you stick with the traditional route, get lucky or seek out alternative avenues?
