Bag a Birkin? Owning the Hermès Holy Grail is even harder than you think

But purchasing a new one isn’t as simple as walking into your local boutique and selecting one from a cabinet. Waiting lists to buy the bag no longer exist, and stock is both limited and in high demand.

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Hermès did not respond to a request for comment from us.

1. Find a friendly salesperson

Getting a Birkin or Kelly straight from Hermès is impossible online, according to the luxury retailer’s website, so locating a physical store is your first step.

Gross explained that Hermès emphasises the relationship between the customer and their sales associate. This sales associate will be the person who connects you to your first Birkin.

“It is imperative that you find yourself an associate and work with them exclusively,” Gross said.

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One downside is that customers sometimes don’t click with their sales associate, and Gross has found it can be difficult to switch to another.

His advice? Get to know one through friends or social media connections. It can be as simple as searching #Birkin on Instagram or TikTok.

2. The antitrust lawsuit won’t help

Hermès was hit with a proposed class-action antitrust lawsuit in March over what litigants allege is an illegal requirement for Birkin hopefuls to purchase ancillary products from the brand.

Gross said he’s heard people say you should spend as much as you would on a Birkin on other merchandise first if you hope to be offered a bag – for example, if you want a Birkin 25 that could cost around US$10,000, plan to spend as much just to get the offer – though he doesn’t believe that is the case.

And legal experts are sceptical that plaintiffs will be able to prove that spending goals such as the ones Gross has heard of are actual requirements Hermès has put in place.

Susan Scafidi, the director at Fordham University’s Fashion Law Institute, told us it would be difficult for plaintiffs to prove that Hermès’ has a “lockstep policy” on how much a customer should purchase to access a Birkin or how sales associates determine who gets a bag.

Melissa K. Dagodag, an attorney specialising in business law, also told us that the lawsuit would be difficult to prove. Still, it could threaten the Birkin’s image.

“Maybe Birkin bags will become less of a status symbol and more of an ‘I’m a sucker’ symbol, casting buyers in some kind of unintended dark light,” Dagodag told us.

“In other words, there may never be a better time for an ordinary customer with thousands to spend on a bag to go shopping,” Scafidi told BI.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from us.

3. Know what bag you want

But be warned: you may not be offered the bag of your choice.

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“If a bag comes in that matches your preferences, it’s up to them if they want to offer that for you,” Gross said.

You should make your intentions of getting a Birkin known – but don’t be too demanding. Ask about it during your second or third visit, Anghel said.

4. Sizing up the waiting game

When Anghel started purchasing Birkins and Kellys 10 years ago, she said it was typical for her to wait six months to a year for a bag. It’s different now.

Ultimately, Gross and Anghel said you don’t know when exactly you’ll be graced with a new bag, but when your potential Birkin arrives, you may be greeted with a cryptic message from your sales associate telling you to come into the store for a surprise.

5. Enjoy the bag ceremony

There are a lot of theatrics when you are finally bestowed your prize.

Gross said he was taken to a separate room and ceremonially presented with the signature Hermès orange box.

“They wear gloves, they open the box for you to unwrap it, and then they present you with this bag,” Gross said. “And I think that does two things: it makes it really special and beautiful, but it also creates an incredibly high-pressure environment. You’re in this little room and or a more quiet area of the store, you’ve been presented with this bag, and there’s almost this feeling where you’re like, ‘Oh God, I can’t say no,’ even if it isn’t something you don’t want.”

Gross said he’s had friends who became upset when they were still not offered the bag of their dreams after putting in the time and effort with their sales associate.

However, you can say no. “You don’t want to buy a bag that you don’t really love,” Anghel said, but both she and Gross agreed you run the risk of not being offered another bag in the near future.

However, some people end up loving their mystery Birkin. Anghel said when the first bag she was offered was the exact bag she wanted, it was like a “rush of adrenaline”.

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“You get very, very excited,” she said. “You’re like a little child, waiting for a gift you’ve been dreaming about for so long.”

6. Don’t overlook the short cuts – Paris and the second-hand market

Hermès has three Paris locations where your likelihood of securing a Birkin is much higher. Anghel said you don’t have to worry about building a relationship with a sales associate in Paris.

Influencers who scored a Birkin at one of these stores say to book a leather goods appointment the day before a planned visit. But be warned: You may not get one. Anghel, who has got an appointment before, told us that it’s basically a “lottery system”.

7. The last resort: pre-owned

Gross, who has worked with the consignment brand Fashionphile, said he would much rather purchase second-hand at this point in his Hermès journey.

“I recently purchased a black Birkin 30 in crocodile,” Gross said. “If I asked for that at the store. I don’t know how long it would take. I don’t know what they would offer me.”

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However, a Birkin or Kelly can sometimes be more expensive on the second-hand market because of the high demand as more people look to invest.

Gross pointed out that buying used means you don’t have to spend time establishing a good rapport with an associate.

The second-hand market has other advantages. You can try on bags to see if they work for you, browse different colours and sizes, and get a bag much sooner than you would new. At some places, like Fashionphile, you can access horseshoe Birkins – bespoke Birkins offered to VIP clients of Hermès and finished off with a tiny horseshoe stamp.

Lara Osborn, the company’s vice-president of procurement and authentication, told us it buys and sells these super-exclusive bags at their stores.

“Nobody has to know that you weren’t the special customer that was offered this special, unique experience to build your bag because you’re carrying it,” she said. “We’ll never tell anyone that somebody picked it out before you.”