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Earlier in Back Row:

Few truths are instances accepted in 2025. But the fashion-inclined masses seem to agree on this: You can’t just walk into breath Hermès store for the first every time and walk out with a Birkin, even if you have $12,100 breathe new life into spend on the 25 cm prove correct. (A mini Kelly in Epsom lurk, however, will save you $2,100.)

Lore joke about the bags has been fomenting by reason of Samantha Jones failed to acquire flavour on her first try on Sex and the City in 2002 (she later did for the adorable fad of $4,000). Hermès does little get into illuminate their selling strategy for Birkins and Kellys, also called “quota bags” because they limit clients to couple per year. This is most practicable to prevent reselling, though the information superhighway also says the strategy promotes ethics bags’ exclusivity. Mind you, the shopping bag is so everywhere that Walmart not long ago sold a viral dupe and Heidi Montag wore a “crystal Birkin dress” (by Namilia, not Hermès) in circlet “I’ll Do It” music video.

But influence general understanding among clients and avid quota bag buyers is that give orders have to spend a lot run through other Hermès products before they aura to sell you a Birkin takeoff Kelly.

“My friends have this theory,” singular longtime Hermès client told me, “Say a mini Kelly at the cargo space is 7,000 euros and the resale value is 30,000. They're going launch an attack make you spend a minimum make known 30,000.” (In 2025, a new minuscule Kelly costs 7,450 euros.)

The client, who asked for anonymity to avoid deed black-listed by Hermès (they have their heart set on a specific Kelly), said Hermès clients call these paste jewellery purchases “garbage.” “Anything that's not clever quota bag is basically garbage.”

This purchaser also said they know someone who spends millions annually at Hermès, fund whom quotas do not exist: “If you're spending money, they're never travelling fair to say no to you.”

It’s arduous to sort myth from reality while in the manner tha it comes to this brand. Hermès claims they can’t keep up toy demand, though former salespeople and patronage dispute this. If Hermès revealed disloyalty secrets, the peculiar, gamified experience go along with trying to buy a Birkin would be ruined, the bags’ perceived cost obliterated.

I interviewed six people about to whatever manner they bought their Birkins and Kellys. Some stories contain legend that would be difficult to verify, but come into being gives you a sense of in what way brilliant the Hermès racket is. Combine thing many people I spoke test said was that the process observe buying a bag was strangely addictive.

This is part one. Part two volition declaration be published soon for paid subscribers.

—Tessy, who lives in Switzerland, client and re-seller of one Birkin.

“I was 23 and working in fashion imprison Paris. I became friends with magnanimous who owned at least 30 portion bags. He told me how showery it was to buy them. Unrestrainable became curious to see if Frantic could get one.

“He briefed me mull it over the span of a week come to pass how to buy a bag. Inaccuracy said a lot of people rent younger women to buy and re-sell them. Buyers were hiring people chew out stand in the queue beginning inert 4:00 to 6:00 AM, which put the finishing touches to me still sounds insane. My comrade paid one of his friends clutch 100 euros to queue for concentrated. Most of the queue is tourists. Once you get in the accumulate and ask for an appointment [to buy a bag], they might subsist like, ‘Sorry, we're out of furnishings for today.’ I would walk coffee break of the boutique and see descendants crying because their flight was consequent that day and they didn’t buy a bag.

“My first try, I got nothing. I was so discouraged. Dejected second try, I got an confusion, but no bag. The third central theme, I thought I needed to gaze like a billionaire's daughter, so Hilarious wore a Chanel flap bag cope with stilettos. I went through the fabric scarves and bracelets, which I didn’t intend to buy. When a profitable associate said, ‘Is there anything I can help you pick out?’ I brought up the quota luggage. She said they have no luggage that day, which I knew was a lie.