Bringing home the Birkin...Still waiting...

The other day I heard a commercial on the radio registering the callers for a contest to win luxury handbags such as Gucci, Chanel, and I quote " A Birkin." Which made my face and eye twitch, I wanted to call the station and ask a few questions, such as: Are these Birkins pre-owned, because there is a waiting list for first time buyers, you just don't walk in a Hermes store and buy one off the shelf, and is it croc, alligator, or calf skin.

 Due to the Kardashians and many more celebrities caring this exclusive bag, the masses are intrigued. So, I feel I need to let you all know where and why this bag and all Hermes bags for that matter, are so coveted.

The Birkin is named after British Actress Jane Birkin, with prices starting at about $9,000 and rising to about 34,000 for the crocodile skin bag.

In 1981, Hermès chief executive Jean-Louis Dumas was seated next to Jane Birkin on a flight from Paris to London. She had just placed her straw bag in the overhead compartment of her seat, but the contents fell to the deck, leaving her to scramble to replace the contents. Birkin explained to Dumas that it had been difficult to find a leather weekend bag she liked. In 1984, he created a black supple leather bag for her, based on an 1892 design. She used the bag for herself then later changed her mind because she was carrying too many things in it: “What’s the use of having a second one?” she laughs. “You only need one and that busts your arm; they’re bloody heavy. I’m going to have to have an operation for tendonitis in the shoulder.” Nevertheless, the bag has since become an icon.

If you want a great laugh and a good read get the book "Bringing Home the Birkin" written by Michael Tonello, He talks about how he beat the 6 year waiting list and walked out of Hermes stores with a Birkin in his bag on the same day of visiting any store around the world. He turned his success of obtaining the worlds most coveted Birkin bag into an eBay sell store to provide the public with an opportunity to own the prestigious product.

Maybe that's how the radio station obtained the Birkin's, from Michael's ebay store?

Jane Birkin