EBay: It has everything! That nail polish that you should have bought two years ago but didn’t, the pillow shams that match your duvet cover for half the retail price, an unlocked iPhone 4 that you shouldn’t bid on because it’s a scam, it’s all there. And now, it has the Hermes Birkin. That’s right – not an Hermes Birkin, THE Hermes Birkin. Owned by Jane Birkin herself, who famously inspired the bag on a flight in 1984. Birkin is auctioning her iconic bag to support relief efforts in Japan. But because Birkin is so very French and bohemian and eccentric, this bag is not without a few modifications.
Yes, those are stickers. And worry beads. According to Birkin, “I always hang things on my bags because I don’t like them looking like everyone else’s.” And if the bag looks a little beat up, that’s also by design – a bag isn’t good until it’s dirty, and Birkin only uses one bag at a time until she wears it out, and then it’s on to the next one. The image above, via Vogue.com, is of the back of the bag – the front is relatively normal-looking. The key word being “relatively,” of course – but if you’re a true Birkin collector and want to own a piece of handbag history, you can do just that while simultaneously helping a great cause.
Go bid! At press time, Birkin’s Birkin is currently fetching over $5,000.
