Update on Hermès Bag Prices: February 2022

When I started shopping at Hermès back in 1997, 90 cm scarves cost $275, 45 cms cost $100. There were no twillies, triangles, or 70 cms, but mousselines were plentiful and came in two sizes, and the cashmere silk GMs were so sturdy they very rarely pilled or pulled. Birkins still weren’t easy to find, but my Kellys were occasionally on display, and Constances could be had for the asking (and they couldn’t give the Kelly Danse away).

The Old Hermès

There is a certain kind of chest pain I feel when looking back at the old prices. If only! Those 32 cm Sellier Kellys on display in the mid-aughts were $6,500. My first Birkin purchase was $8,900 (or thereabouts) for a 30cm in Raisin. I remember looking at reseller websites back then, thinking, “who is gonna pay for that crazy markup price??” when those crazy markup prices are about half of what I’m seeing now. Prices seem to be increasing exponentially, and as a customer, it’s hard to keep up.

However, another slightly irritating issue I find is when we’re talking about current prices, markups, or sales values, so many in the media seem to be unable to research what these bags actually cost. How many “news” articles have we read where any given Hermès bag is deemed to cost $20,000 or more? (Hey, Newsweek: no Vert Bosphore Birkin, even in exotic, is going to sell for $110,000. That’s the reseller’s wishful thinking. Oh, and P.S.: don’t delete comments that question easily verifiable information.)

To some extent, of course, I understand that for most people who don’t keep up with the offerings and the ever-changing prices, it can get a bit confusing. The same item can have different prices depending upon the leather used or the structure.

Hermès 2022 Pricing

Now, of course, as I’m writing this article, Hermès decides to announce that it’s time for a price increase – which admittedly does happen around this time every year. So while I have a trove of price information for you…..a lot of it is going to be slightly out of date.

Never fear! I’ve done my best to get as much of the new information as possible, and for the rest, I am passing along some guesstimates.

As it happens, as of this writing, the prices have not completely changed over yet. Therefore, I will include the “old” prices along with an estimate of what the new price could be. These “estimates” are based on the limited confirmed increased prices I have listed above (reported by Hermès clients), ranging from 2% to 5%. I have rounded the estimated number up or down to the closest $25, as Hermès tends to do, rounding down when the price is about to hit “large” numbers (e.g., a new thousand), which Hermès may want to avoid.

My Disclaimers

NOTE that Hermès does NOT tend to increase prices by an even percentage or across the board; some prices may not change at all, depending on the style of the bag or the leather; occasionally, some prices are decreased as well. In particular, I find that exotic bag prices do not tend to increase by the same percentage as regular leather – it’s usually less.  Please note the estimate column is solely a suggestion. The 2021 price column is accurate, as reported by members of The PurseForum; the new price estimate is based on the 2021 number plus 2-5%. Note also that the percentage I am choosing is somewhat arbitrary, but as Hermès tends to round their prices to the nearest $25, deciding to estimate a percentage by a few points either way (say, 3.5% instead of 3%) isn’t going to make a huge difference ($5000 x .03 = $150, $5000 x .035 = $175).

I will update the charts below with confirmed 2022 prices, but PurseBlog and I need your help to do this! PurseForum price threads are a member-generated source of information. When you purchase a bag, please visit this thread, which is the PurseForum 2022 price thread. Quote the last post, remove the “[quote]” at the beginning and the end, add the price you paid (not including tax) at an Hermès boutique in the appropriate bag section, along with the date of purchase, and leather, and submit. This is how we all get the latest and most up-to-date price information. As new prices are submitted I will update this article. Thank you!

If you are reading this after 2022, click here for the Hermès Shopping subform, and scroll down to “[Year] Hermès Bag Prices – No Chatting PLEASE!”.