The Most Sought After Birkin: The Birkin 25

The Birkin was launched in 1984 and is named after Jane Birkin. Her desire for a bag that matched her modern and active lifestyle was the inspiration behind the now iconic Birkin. The design remains relevant and highly desired as evidenced by the quotas limiting the number of Birkins a single buyer can purchase per year. The secondary market prices are also often multiples of the original retail price. While it was initially made in a larger 40 cm size, the Birkin 35 was initially the most popular size. The Birkin 25 was first released in 2004 following a growing trend for smaller bags as the smart phone replaced multiple items that were traditionally carried in a Birkin. While it took some time for this new Baby Birkin size to gain in popularity, the Birkin 25 is now the most sought after size. There are twice has many monthly searches for the Birkin 25 than the Birkin 30, the next most popular size.

The Birkin 25 is the smallest standard Birkin and measures 25 cm across the top. The overall size of the Birkin 25 is 20 cm tall, 25 cm wide and 13 cm deep with a 6.35 cm handle drop or 2.5 inches. While this is the smallest Birkin and some may refer to it as the Baby Birkin, it is still large enough to hold all of our essentials but not large enough for a standard laptop. The best way to carry the bag is the top handles but if your hands are small you can also carry it over the wrist like a larger Birkin. If you want to carry the bag comfortably over your wrist to have your hands free, it may make sense to try it out before you purchase since the handle drop is less than the larger Birkin bags.

The Birkin 25 comes in the same standard leather, hardware and exotic materials as the larger Birkin sizes. It is also available in the traditional Retourne style with the stitching inside and the more structured Sellier style. Togo leather is one of the most popular leathers for a Birkin 25 and buyers are often looking for nuetral colors or pastel colors. A bright colored leather Birkin 25 is less popular and can often be found for a lower price on the secondary market. Most common hardware options are gold and palladium but more limited rose gold hardware is also popular.

The Birkin 25 comes in exotic materials such as ostrich, lizard, crocodile, and alligator skins, available in glossy or matte finishes. The most popular exotic Birkin 25 now is a Matte finish Alligator or Crocodile in a neutral color or pale pastel color. The Ombre Lizard Birkin 25 and Himalayan Birkin 25 are also highly sought after exotic Birkin styles.

Like larger Birkins, Hermès also creates limited edition Birkin 25 styles. Below are details on recent popular limited edition Birkin 25 models.

Hermès released the Birkin 25 Picnic in 2022. It is the newest limited edition Birkin 25 and follows on the success of the Mini Kelly Picnic. The Birkin Picnic is made from Osier Wicker and Swift leather and requires two master craftspeople to make a bag. An expert basket weaver is needed to make the base of the bag and reportedly takes 10 hours to complete. A separate leather expert completes the bag. The retail price for the Birkin 25 Picnic is around $20,000 and resells for over $75,000 if it is store fresh. While the long term popularity of the Birkin 25 Picnic is still unclear, it's unique design has initially been well received by collectors. It could become a popular alternative to the Mini Kelly Picnic.

The Birkin 25 Shadow was first released in 2021. The original larger Birkin 35 Shadow was released in 2009 and designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. The Birkin 25 Shadow retails for about $12,000 and resells for $40,000 to $55,000. The Limited Edition Birkin 25 Shadow is unique with its raised impression of the traditional Birkin flap and sangles.

The Limited Edition Birkin 25 Cargo was released in 2022 following the release of the larger Birkin 35 Cargo in 2021. The Birkin 25 Cargo retails for about $15,000 and resells for between $35,000 to $45,000. This Limited Edition Birkn was inspired by military clothing. The Cargo Bikrin is made in canvas with Swift leather and has several exterior pockets making it both sporty and casual. While the large Birkin 35 and Birkin 40 HAC have a removeable cup holder, the smaller Birkin 25 Cargo does not have this feature.
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The most expensive leather Birkin 25 sold on the resale market is the 2005 Metallic Silver and Bronze Chevre Birkin 25 for just over $139,0000 by Sotheby's in Hong Kong in April 2022. Metallic Birkins are very rare since these were only made in 2004 and 2005 in celebration of the Athens Olympics. While a few silver Birkin 25 bags have sold on the resale market, including the 2004 Metallic Silver Birkin 25 Sotheby's sold for $126,000 in Decemeber 2021, the two tone metallic Birkin with contrast bronze piping is even rarer.

How much is a Birkin bag depends on many factors. On a relative basis the Birkin 25 is generally more expensive than the a larger Birkin in the secondary market. A store fresh leather Birkin 25 sells for between $25,000-$30,000 depending on the color and year. A newer bag in a new Hermès neutral or pastel color generally sells at the highest price. Bright colored leather bags that are older tend to sell at lower prices. Ostrich is generally the least popular of the exotic materials while Matte Porosus Crocodile and Matte Alligator sell for the highest premium depending on the color.