Why I bought my Birkin in the secondhand market (preloved) vs brand new in the boutique
So this happened… I got my HOLY GRAIL BAG of all bags — Hermes Birkin. And guess what, I did it MY WAY.
If you google “how to buy a Birkin bag”, you will see endless articles and videos about people discussing their “Hermes Journey” — some get really lucky while others can get blacklisted from their local stores for asking for their bag way too much or too often. I get it. SAs don’t like to be pestered all the time about the same bags by so many customers day in and day out.
I truly appreciate heritage brands like Hermes and Chanel. I like to buy a variety of items, not just bags, including scarves, home accessories, shoes and jewelry. I don’t ever want to buy things JUST to build or boost my customer profile, hoping that one day I would be “worthy” of being offered a Birkin. You know why? Because I know I am worth it! (L’oreal reference, anyone?)
I shop at Hermes for what I want and what I will actually use rather than simply building a purchase history.
I do applaud Hermes for building this exclusivity around their brand. I understand why many shoppers want that whole boutique experience but as a highly anxious, super Type A person who likes to have control, I cannot and could not bear the thought of waiting to be offered something that I may not even like.
Let me share with you why I decided to skip the “game” and buy my Birkin from the secondhand market:
REASON #1: I knew exactly what I wanted (i.e. type of leather, color, size)
I was looking for a specific type of Rose Jaipur/coral or Rubis/raspberry color bag in Togo or Clemence leather in size 35 CM. I know a lot of people prefer neutrals such as black or grey (Etoupe), but I wanted my bag to have a pop of color that Hermes is known for, and ever since I saw this raspberry color, I couldn’t get my mind off of it. Besides, I wear a lot of black and neutral colors so I thought this pop of color would be great.
If I were to wait for the boutique to offer me one, it is NOT AT ALL guaranteed I will get exactly this. For most shoppers, they’ve often had to accept what was given to them even if it’s far from what they want. I am not about that. I had to find this exact combination for my bag so the only way was to go to the secondhand market. I only trust Fashionphile and Yoogi’s Closet for 100% authentic items (on top of that, I also get multiple authentications of course… yes I am that paranoid ha!).
REASON #2: I don’t play games. I know what I want (even if it costs above retail)
I don’t play games… that is true when it comes to dating, work or just personal relationships. What you see is what you get. If I want something, I get it. I don’t want people or brands just leading me on without knowing that I will get what I want. I don’t mind paying the premium because cost and value are two different things. In order to get what I want, I don’t mind paying extra to avoid playing games.
Besides, I would say that NOT playing this game has actually helped me to build a better, honest relationship with my Hermes SA as I buy what I love without worrying about building a purchase history or profile. It’s a really great feeling and I get to enjoy the brand and everything it offers AND I get to have what I want in my own way. After all, Hermes makes fabulous scarves, jewelry, shoes and homeware.
REASON #3: The experience is exactly what I wanted; the way I wanted to spend my money
This is going to be very different for people. Some absolutely have to have the boutique experience. I get it. What’s there not to like about being taken to a special back room to be “offered” a Birkin?! Funny enough though, I actually loved having my bag shipped to me. I loved seeing it online, putting it in my shopping cart and waiting for the box to arrive. The anticipation was KILLING me in a good way and I loved how easy it was. When I saw it, I knew it was THE ONE!!!!!! I enjoyed looking at all the bags available online, seeing all the pictures and picking what I wanted.
No fuss. No drama. Just me on my phone in my PJs buying my Holy Grail Bag. And of course, just to add a little extra something, I opened a bottle of champagne once I placed my order :)
Regardless of how and where you buy your designer bags, the best part is using them and taking them out into the world. So however you get your hands on your Holy Grail, enjoy it and cherish it for many years to come. Cheers!
