Ladies...please explain to me why a Hermes handbag..

[Dancing Fire]

cost thousands of dollars? .. craftsmenship? are the hardwears made of gold?

 

[minmin001]

Brand Name..which makes you feel good about urself

 

[Gypsy]

They are handstiched, and yes there are real gems and real gold, etc used for some their hardware. Their leather is usually the best of the best. And then there is the fact that they are VERY hard to find, and so the prices reflect the rarity. You don't buy a Hermes bag to wear it all the time. They are collectibles.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I don't really get it either, but I sure do like looking at madame Bijoux's. I can barely get myself to spend 300.00 bucks for a bag, let alone the many thousands that one of the Hermes go for.

 

[ihy138]

They are rare. And Kanye West wears Hermes? Maybe that's why. I'd rather have some bling if I'm spending thousands though. I always ruin my handbags.

 

[Fly Girl]

I would never spend more than $300 for a handbag, or for a watch.

 

[Laila619]

I don't know. It's just a leather bag.

 

[that_someone_special]

If I had unlimited funds.... you bet I'd grab one!
Unfortunately, I don't think I will ever feel comfortable enough owning one (financially). At this point, I would have to choose... bag or diamonds? To own one my answer would have to be BOTH

I mostly own Kate Spade and Coach but haven't spent more than $500 on one bag.

I used to only have $30-$100 bags and you can tell a difference between those and the $500 ones.. so I can only imagine the difference and the quality on a Hermes bag. If you can afford it then enjoy them! I think most designs are classic enough that you can own them FOR YEARS. Sure, you wouldn't carry the same bag every single day for 10 years but if you have enough money for a Birkin I'm sure you can own enough bags that you rotate through them causing minimal wear on them.

Oh man. I would love one. I love love love the smell of a new leather bag. The soft leather... shiny metal

 

[that_someone_special]

However, for someone that likes the design but will never be able to afford it a Michael Kors Hamilton might be a good alternative.
I'm not sure how I feel about them. I mean, they're authentic MK.. but they are supposed to look like something they're not...

Any thoughts ladies?

 

[Imdanny]

DF and I are on the same page on this one =

Maybe it's a guy thing but when I see a $200,000 purse I'm like the robot in Lost In Space! That doesn't not compute!

On the other hand, I can tell you all about the history of Audi and Auto Union as well as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Volkswagen, and if you show me one of them, I can tell you what's special about it, all about its history and features, and exactly why it cost what it does.

I also know a scary amount about certain high jewelry houses the work of which I can't afford.

So who am I to judge.

I don't know from purses, but the great trunk makers included Louis Vuitton and (there's a third one that's very famous the name of which I can never remember- the miracle of editing!- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moynat) one that is a year older than Louis Vuitton and unlike Louis Vuitton still uses hand stenciled canvas. What's it called. Goyard. Now if you asked me why Goyard's trunks are expensive, I could tell you. That's as close to purses as I can get. In fact, anything having to do with textiles (and I consider trunks and suitcases to be "boxes" not textiles) and forget it- I have no room in my head for anything made of fabric, not for choosing it, not for taking care of it, not for making purses out of it, I'm a total blank on this.

I tried to carry a small nylon backpack and my experiment lasted about a month. It seemed to me (I had never done this) that my (small) backpack was cavernous and I could never find what I was looking for so I stopped using it. Now every time I need to leave the house everything I need is again scattered to the four winds. I can't win.

 

[pregcurious]

Marketing, other overhead (e.g. rent, store decor, salespeople), the best craftmanship, the best materials, and finally the rarity.

 

[Skippy123]

Well the Kelly handbag became famous because of Grace Kelly.
I probably won't own any since they are soooo expensive. I have heard they are still very expensive preowned.

I was curious the difference between the Birkin and the Kelly

here are some differences listed besides both bags being handmade.
http://thoseextra4inches.com/2008/08/a-lesson-on-hermes-birkin-vs-kelly/

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Allegedly supposedly: They are handmade, the company only buys the best quality skins, it takes months to make one, they can last for many years. The craftsmen aren't allowed to make a handbag until they've had 5 years' experience making small leather goods. Great marketing hype. I find them to be very well made but ridiculously overpriced. You can get gold hardware, palladium hardware or hardware with diamonds all over it.

If you love the smell of a beg, get the Barenia leather.

The Kelly and the Birkin basically have the same body shape but different tops. My favorite H bag is the Constance.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Some comparison shots: This is a Kelly.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This is a Birkin:

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This is a Constance Elan:

 

[Imdanny]

The Grace Kelly connection is fascinating. I never knew that!

Madam Bijoux, we posted at the same time. Eye candy! That I do understand! Wonderful. They're very beautiful.

 

[Skippy123]

gorgeous

more pics madam please what does the constance look like?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

A Kelly, an Evelyne and a Constance:

 

[Imdanny]

DF, does your wife want one? Are you getting worried?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This is a natural Fauve Barenia Birkin: (Pearls are from T & Co.)

 

[MissGotRocks]

Oh, Madam, you adorn your beautiful handbags with jewels. . . so, so beautiful!

Thanks for sharing these with us!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I suppose that the very pinnacle of anything is incomprehensible to people who are not connoisseurs of that particular item or category. I am sure that our discussions in Coloured Stones about the subtleties of shade and treatment on a sapphire that mean a difference of thousands of dollars a carat make no sense to most people or the comparison of a 60-60-60 diamond vs a hearts and arrows. To me, paying tens of thousands of dollars for a watch makes no sense whatsoever - my $75 watch keeps time just as well and a diamond bracelet looks better (sorry, DF). Or, as you mentioned, sports cars. Or fine wines, coffee or chocolate.

To each his own, I guess. If it is absolutely fine workmanship, gorgeously balanced design, the rarest raw materials or a lot of marketing (in my experience, it is always a mixture of all of these), each of us spends our money however we want.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

More pictures? Orange Birkin:

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This is an Haut A Courroies (the original Birkin before the actress Jane Birkin said she wanted a bag that would fit under an airplane seat):

 

[Madam Bijoux]

This is a Jypsiere (a great cross-body bag)

 

[Madam Bijoux]

A peek inside the Jypsiere:

 

[Madam Bijoux]

A Birkin and a Constance (the pendant is from T & Co.)

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Last one. Another Birkin. Thank you for letting me hog this thread.

 

[QueenB29]

Madam Bijoux, those are all yours?! I'm drooling and with envy.