Complete Guide to Buying a Birkin Bag
Discover everything you need to know about the iconic Hermès Birkin bag, from its rich history to pricing, popular leathers, and expert tips on buying and selling.
Brief History of the Birkin Bag
The Hermès Birkin bag is an icon in the fashion world, highly sought-after by celebrities and the handbag-obsessed. The Hermès bag’s design is a collaboration between Jane Birkin and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas. The two met on a flight from Paris to London in 1984. Birkin confided in Dumas that she lacked a purse with appropriate functionality for her fast-paced lifestyle. Out of this conversation, the Birkin 40 in chic calfbox leather was born. The Birkin’s practical design featuring two rolled handles, a flap top, clou “feet,” and a lock closure continues to resonate today. The very first Birkin bag also had a strap but all Birkin bags after this initial design did not have a strap.
The Birkin remains a coveted Hermès bag thanks to its signature Hermès craftsmanship and exclusivity. A Birkin bag takes an expert artisan a minimum of 18 hours to create and is marked with a code that identifies its year of creation, the workshop it was crafted in, and the artisan who made it. To buy a Birkin directly from Hermès, customers must have a purchase history with the brand. Hermès only allows boutiques to purchase a select number of Birkins on a bi-annual basis and the style of Birkin bag delivered to boutiques is rarely known ahead of time. As a result, customers must either make do with the available Birkin bag offered by the sales associate or patiently wait for the style they want to become available. The Birkin is the most searched for Hermès bag.
Birkin Bag Price
The price of a Birkin bag depends on many things including material, size, age and condition. While the Birkin bag comes in different hardware options, it is more of a personal preference and has less impact on the price of a Birkin bag. The Birkin comes in several standard sizes, Birkin 25, Birkin 30, Birkin 35 and Birkin 40. The smallest Birkin bags are limited editions including the Faubourg Birkin 20 and micro Birkin 15 or Baby Birkin. The most popular Birkin bag sizes are Birkin 25 and Birkin 30.
Purchasing a Birkin directly from Hermès ranges in price from about $10,000 for a leather bag to over $200,000 for a crocodile and diamond Birkin. Birkin bag prices at Sotheby's generally range from $15,000 for an older leather Birkin 35 to over $400,000 for a store fresh diamond Himalayan Birkin bag. Most birkin bags sold at Sotheby's are leather and sell for between $20,000 to $30,000 and are a Birkin 25 or Birkin 30. An exotic Birkin bag is generally around $25,000-$35,000 for ostrich and generally over $40,000 for a crocodile or alligator Birkin bag.
Birkin Bag Popular Leathers
The Birkin has been reinvented many times since its introduction in 1984 with the help of leathers, exotic skins, and limited edition releases. The bag first appeared in calfbox leather, a heritage leather and the oldest leather used by Hermès. This leather has an extremely smooth finish that gives Birkins an extra glamorous look. The material is susceptible to scratches and watermarks, but over time these imperfections blend into the bag, adding a mirror-like texture. To ensure that your calfbox Birkin remains in good shape, keep it away from rain and lightly buff any imperfections to blend them into the leather.
Togo leather is the most durable leather from Hermès and is generally the most popular with buyers. Introduced in 1997, Togo calfskin leather was named after the Togolese Republic in Africa. This leather is the result of an intensive drumming process that brings out the material’s natural features. Togo is a supple, matte material, but becomes shinier and softer over time. It has a round and irregular grain with pronounced veins and wrinkles. This material is also scratch resistant -- a major perk for both collectors and those searching for a durable Hermès bag.
Another standard Birkin leather is Clemence, which is made from cowhide. This leather is softer, heavier, and less durable than Togo. Clemence Birkins will often lose their shape over time. Clemence has a shallow grainy texture, which creates a matte effect. Birkin bags made from Clemence leather have a casual feel and make no effort to hide their age.
Epsom leather is Clemence’s opposite: Epsom is very rigid and will hold the Birkin’s shape through years of wear. Epsom is an embossed leather, meaning it has no natural grain, and is completely scratch and water resistant, which makes it easy to clean. Epsom leather is a very practical material.
Like Epsom, Fjord leather is highly durable and also waterproof, soft, matte and heavy. Evercolor leather provides a Birkin with suppleness and it comes in a wide palette of “forever” colors. First appearing in 2012, this material is satiny with a small, regular grain obtained by printing. An all-new heritage leather option is the Barenia Faubourg calfskin that Hermès began using in 2016. It has a minuscule printed grain and feels waxy to the touch. This leather will darken where it is handled.
You can find Hermès leather Birkin in every color of the rainbow on the secondary market. Hermès itself only releases Birkins in select colors every year. Thanks to the variety of Hermès leathers, Birkins can cater to each individual wearers’ personality.
Sellier Birkin Bag
The Hermés Birkin Sellier bag was first introduced in 2010 as a limited edition option and then reintroduced in 2020. A classic Hermés Birkin bag has stitching on the interior of the bag while the Birkin Sellier has stitching on the outside. The Birkin Sellier is also more structured than the classic style, also known as Retourne. The stitching on the inside gives the bag a more relaxed look. The Birkin Sellier is also potentially a better style for humid countries since it is less likely to lose its shape. The only potential downside to the more structured Sellier style is that the corners could be more prone to getting scratched in crowded cities. While the retail price of the Sellier Birkin is only slightly higher than the classic Birkin, the bag generally sells for a premium in the secondary market due to more limited availability.
Exotic Birkin Bags
Birkin bags also come in exotic materials such as ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator skins, available in glossy or matte finishes. Birkin bags made from exotics are considered more exclusive and rarer than leather Birkin bags and fetch a higher price point. Crocodile is the most expensive exotic material and comes in two styles: Niloticus crocodile and Porosus crocodile. Niloticus crocodile handbags will have the symbol “••” next to the Hermés logo stamp while Porosus crocodile handbags are indicated by the symbol “^”.
The most expensive Hermès Birkin, the Himalayan Birkin, is constructed out of Niloticus crocodile skin dyed in a white and grey gradient. The coloring is intended to evoke the white snow of the Himalaya Mountains. Alligator skins are the next most expensive exotic and differ from crocodile in that the plates are larger and less uniform, softer to the touch, and poreless. Alligator skin is indicated by a small square adjacent to the Hermès logo stamp. Lizard skin is generally only used in smaller bags and small leather goods. As a result, Hermès typically uses the material for the smallest Birkin bag -- a Birkin 25. Thanks to the skin’s ability to absorb pigments easily, lizard Birkins are available in a vivid array of colors. Like crocodile, this luxurious skin has two styles. Niloticus lizard is identified by the “-” next to the Hermès logo stamp and Varanus Salvator lizard is indicated with a “=” symbol.
Out of all the exotic materials, ostrich has the most entry-level price point and is the most durable. This material has been used by Hermès since the 1920s. Identifiable by its follicles, the points from which the feathers grow, this skin has a very pronounced dual tone. In order to prevent follicle damage, Hermès flattens the follicles and triples the skin. This material absorbs oils and will darken over time where it is frequently touched. Like lizard, this material is available in an assortment of vivid colorways. Ostrich skin bags do not have a special symbol stamped on the bag.
Advantages to Buying an Hermès Birkin on the Secondary Market
1. Access
Sotheby's is able to provide access to a curated selection of Hermès bags from its long established global network of sellers. Sotheby's is a leading global marketplace that offers pristine Hermès bags in the most popular colors, materials and sizes along with rare Himalayan and Limited Edition Hermès bags. Our handbag specialists are always sourcing the more desirable Hermès bags from collectors around the world. Sotheby's also sells incredible private collections that include one of a kind Hermès bags.
2. Flexibility
Sotheby's provides multiple ways to purchase bags including auction, online, and in person in New York, Hong Kong, Zurich, Paris and London. Sotheby's also offers a concierge service if you need assistance sourcing a specific Hermès bag that isn't available at auction or online.
3. Value
While Hermès bags in pristine condition sell at a premium to retail, Sotheby's has bags for purchase at auction and marketplace in a range of the most desirable colors and materials. Secondary marketplaces like Sotheby's allow a buyer to purchase a store fresh pristine Hermès bag with the original box and all plastic still on the hardware without waiting for a call from an Hermès sales associate. While it is possible to purchase a Hermès Bag at a boutique, it is hard to predict how long it will take. Additionally if you don't have an existing relationship at the store, it is even harder to pick the exact bag including size, color and hardware. In many cases you may be offered a Hermès bag that may not be your desired color or size. Buyers also come to Sotheby's since they want to purchase more than two Hermès bags in a year. While we encourage you to build a relationship with an Hermès Sales Associate, Sotheby's can save you time when purchasing a Hermès.
4. Discovery
One of the best parts of a global luxury marketplace is discovering unique one of a kind Hermès or rare limited edition Hermès bags that are no longer available at Hermès. Sotheby's curated selection changes regularly and each auction has a unique selection of Hermès bags. You are likely to discover something new to you from Hermès.
Buy and Sell an Hermès Birkin at Sotheby's
Sotheby's always has a curated selection of the top Hermès bags available for immediate shipping. Sotheby's also sells Hermès bags at auction in New York, Paris, Zurich and Hong Kong. Expect to find rare and collectible Birkin and Kelly bags in every sale in addition to other popular Hermès bags in pristine condition in the newest colors and classic neutrals. Sotheby's handbag sales include rare and limited edition Hermès bags in exotic materials, custom color combinations and even diamond hardware.
Prices for entry level Hermès bags range from $3,000 to $5,000 for the Herbag, Garden Party and Evelyne TPM. Prices for the most sought after Birkin and Kelly bags start at around $20,000 and can exceed $100,000 for the rarest and most desirable limited edition Birkin or Kelly bags.
- Explore upcoming handbag auctions in New York, London, Switzerland, Paris, and Hong Kong.
- Speak to a Salon Associate in New York, Zurich, London, Paris, or Hong Kong to schedule an appointment.
- Contact a Handbag Specialist about selling an Hermès bag or submit your item here for valuation.
Trust our worldwide network of leading handbag specialists from a globally renowned auction house established in 1744.
