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

[Madam Bijoux]

Hi, QueenB29 - all of them are mine.
OOPS--how could I have forgotten about Big Mama? (size 40 Kelly)

 

[isaku5]

Thanks so much for sharing your cache of Hermes bags. Each one is beautiful

I also want to compliment you on your presentation background in each photo.

 

[Skippy123]

Madam, wow, those are beautiful and the jewelry is stunning too! thanks for sharing!!! what a collection

 

[VRBeauty]

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

Brava! Well played!

Value and worth - like beauty - are to a large extent in the eye of the beholder.

For many years I carried only purses made by a small California company (http://rocheleather.com/) that seemed very expensive compared to the mass-produced variety available for under $100 or so. My mother was with me when I bought one of them and just did not understand why I would spend that kind of money on a purse... until the day I left one that was no longer nice enough for business use, but plenty good enough for everyday use, with her. She loved it, and changed her tune!

I the abstract I can't imagine spending thousands for a purse either... but when Madame first posted photos of her collection, and I first saw that Birkin ... well, let's just say that it's a good think I couldn't just hop over to a Hermes website, put a Birkin into a virtual shopping cart, and check out with virtual-but-real money!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Thank you for the kind words, everyone

 

[QueenB29]

OK....I have a nosy and possibly offensive question Madam Bijoux...how do you take care of your bags and keep them looking so nice? If I had even one fabulous bag like that....I would probably be afraid to take it out of the house. And when I did finally convince myself to take it out, I would probably check it obsessively to make sure that it didn't get a spot on it and then I would be afraid to let anyone within purse-snatching distance......but then, I also come from a long line of obsessive worriers.....

 

[Madam Bijoux]

QueenB29, I keep them stored in the boxes when I'm not using them. I always take the sleeper bag with me to cover the purse when I'm in a restaurant in case I spill anything. If the bag didn't come with its own raincoat (Kellys and Birkins come with raincoats), I bring a dry cleaners' bag with me in case it rains. I'm very careful about where I take them - I never take them to crowded museum exhibits where people would bump or scratch them.

 

[jewelerman]

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

Madam,
you always show great taste in jewelry and bags!The blue Hermes bag is one of the most beautiful shades of blue Ive seen!Thanks for sharing your collection.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Thanks, Jewelerman. That color is Bleu de Prusse.

 

[packrat]

They're beautiful! I love looking at purses, tho I don't know the first thing about them. Even if I could afford a lot of money for a handbag I couldn't do it..I'm too schlubby for a lovely bag like those. We never go anywhere fancy enough to warrant an awesome bag. There's a leather handbag I've been coveting for months, but it's $135..and I keep looking on Etsy at all the awesome fabrics..I could have two or three fabric or crochet bags for the cost of the one leather and I wouldn't worry so much about those the way I would about the leather.

 

[mol42]

Madam Bijoux-- Your H collection is stunning, truly magnificent, and comprehensive!!! I aspire to such a beautiful collection. . . . (sigh) maybe someday.
I started down the Hermes orange slope last October when DH bought me my first Hermes item (a gorgeous scarf) for a wedding pressie. A Birkin, scarf ring, a Kelly Dog, 2 Collier de chiens bracelets, another scarf, and a belt kit later, I have fallen down the orange slope in a very bad way

To answer your question DF-- (IMO) Hermes items are just beautiful. . . .in quality, craftsmanship, design. The Birkins you asked about are made from the some of the finest leathers, handmade by one artisan (as Madam Bijoux said, trained in small leather goods for years), and can be taken back to spa when it needs refreshing. The styles are classic and have been handed down from one generation to the next, and 50 year old box leather bags still look beautiful in its own right. They maintain their value better than many other brands, and in fact, resellers frequently sell them for more than cost.
I guess you can tell I've found myself a new passion in the past year Similar to what previous posters have pointed out, I think everyone spends their money in different ways, to fuel their own passions in the ways that bring them most joy and pleasure in life.

 

[Dancing Fire]

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

Nahhh...she doesn't carry any handbags.

 

[Dancing Fire]

beautiful collection MB

 

[kenny]

MB, very lovely bags, but doesn't the padlock hanging down scratch the leather?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

Kenny, the lock doesn't scratch the leather. I always put the lock on the turnkey, which leaves enough space between the lock and the bag.

 

[that_someone_special]

I think the Kelly is my favorite. I was hoping you'd post some pictures

 

[Maisie]

I was reading a thread on another forum called 'Treatment in Hermes Stores'. It seems that there are a lot of snooty and mean sales staff in the H stores. That made me sad because it means I would never be brave enough to go and buy anything in person. There are some items available to buy online but the majority have to be purchased in store.

Also apparently you can't just go in and buy certain items. You have to build up a relationship with a SA before they will allow you to buy these items. Even if I was really rich I couldn't just walk in and buy a Birkin. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else?

 

[calibali]

Also apparently you can't just go in and buy certain items. You have to build up a relationship with a SA before they will allow you to buy these items. Even if I was really rich I couldn't just walk in and buy a Birkin. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else?

I don't think it's strange that you can't just walk in and buy a Kelly or Birkin because stores don't always have them in stock. The boutiques aren't flooded with them at the beginning of each season like the Chanel flaps, so sometimes you just have to wait for the color/leather combination you want to be received by your store.

Also, I know that some people have to work hard to acquire these bags, but in my experience I just had to ask the SA if she had a Birkin available and I was offered one on the spot. I think I declined 5 or 6 before settling on a beautiful blue, so it really wasn't as difficult as many make it out to be.

 

[Maisie]

Also apparently you can't just go in and buy certain items. You have to build up a relationship with a SA before they will allow you to buy these items. Even if I was really rich I couldn't just walk in and buy a Birkin. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else?

I don't think it's strange that you can't just walk in and buy a Kelly or Birkin because stores don't always have them in stock. The boutiques aren't flooded with them at the beginning of each season like the Chanel flaps, so sometimes you just have to wait for the color/leather combination you want to be received by your store.

Also, I know that some people have to work hard to acquire these bags, but in my experience I just had to ask the SA if she had a Birkin available and I was offered one on the spot. I think I declined 5 or 6 before settling on a beautiful blue, so it really wasn't as difficult as many make it out to be.

I'm only going off what I read on that forum. I've never tried to buy a Hermes bag so I can't speak from experience. If I saved up for years to buy a Birkin and they wouldn't even entertain me I would be really disappointed.

 

[calibali]

Also apparently you can't just go in and buy certain items. You have to build up a relationship with a SA before they will allow you to buy these items. Even if I was really rich I couldn't just walk in and buy a Birkin. Doesn't that seem strange to anyone else?

I don't think it's strange that you can't just walk in and buy a Kelly or Birkin because stores don't always have them in stock. The boutiques aren't flooded with them at the beginning of each season like the Chanel flaps, so sometimes you just have to wait for the color/leather combination you want to be received by your store.

Also, I know that some people have to work hard to acquire these bags, but in my experience I just had to ask the SA if she had a Birkin available and I was offered one on the spot. I think I declined 5 or 6 before settling on a beautiful blue, so it really wasn't as difficult as many make it out to be.

I'm only going off what I read on that forum. I've never tried to buy a Hermes bag so I can't speak from experience. If I saved up for years to buy a Birkin and they wouldn't even entertain me I would be really disappointed.

Understood. That forum has a lot of negative stories, but it's honestly not like that for everyone.

I will note that I have been waiting a couple months for a certain H bag, and I just found out that I won't be able to get it since the color I want isn't being produced anymore. It's very disappointing, but those who shop with H know that you don't always get what you want...

 

[luv2sparkle]

Madam, the Kelly and the blue Birkin make me *sigh* every time I see them. I can't imagine ever purchasing one but they are sooo lovely.
I do love to look at your collection and they go so well with jewels.

 

[Gypsy]

If I had the funds to afford a super high end bag like that I would own one unique one with real platinum hardware and superb leather for special ocassions. But I really love wearing/using my things and the care required from owning one of these would make it impractical for me to carry one everyday. They are pieces of art, IMO. So while I can say I would buy one of the special ones, had I the chance I can also say that I would probably not own too many bags of this price/rarity because I wouldn't want to be responsible for the care required.

I've never seen the Constance and like it very much. Thank you for sharing Madame!

I would spend 2500 or less for one of their less expensive bags though, and carry those often!

I love these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTHENTIC-HERMES-TRIM-Orange-Leather-Handbag-/370529039054?pt=US_CSA_WH_Handbags&hash=item56454072ce Hermes Trim

 

[Imdanny]

It just goes to show anyone with a passion for a hobby, an experience, an artist, etc. knows of an entire world and we have the choice to either sneer at their passion or let them let us in on the great experience they are having.

I had to basically ride the bus today for four hours, and I met all kinds of people. It was something else.

One gentleman was explaining how he wasn't happy with hospitals and wasn't going to die in one, um, and was planning on checking out in a week.

I met a woman who used to be a heroin addict but now isn't, but still ruined her health to the point they had to remove all of her teeth.

I met an independently wealthy couple who had lived in Argentina for four years and are now living here until they feel like moving on.

The gentleman had the most beautiful leather backpack I've seen. I asked who made it, because this backpack was SO's dream backpack. He got it in Argentina where they have a leather industry and their traditional leather working crafts have not been obliterated by Wal-Mart-ization. I have to go to Argentina to get one. I mean forget it. I can't afford to go to Argentina to buy a backpack.

The thing is none of this made me think luxury is a waste, and please don't mention "beauty is stupid" or "music is only for college" and so on. No, if anything, I came home after my four bus trips and six miles of walking, thinking my passions and hobbies are twice as valuable as when I woke up this morning.

I don't know about you all but life is hard, and I'll take my pleasures where I find them, thank you very much.

I thoroughly enjoyed this thread!

 

[Madam Bijoux]

It isn't always true that you have to build a relationship with the SA to get a Kelly or Birkin. My first H bag was a Kelly - it was on display on a shelf and anyone could have bought it. Same thing with my first Birkin. No amount of planning can substitute for pure luck.

 

[Fly Girl]

It isn't always true that you have to build a relationship with the SA to get a Kelly or Birkin. My first H bag was a Kelly - it was on display on a shelf and anyone could have bought it. Same thing with my first Birkin. No amount of planning can substitute for pure luck.

So true. However, as Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind."

Thank you so much for the eye candy, MB!

 

[HollyS]

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

Because there is a demand.

Just like Martha Stewart brought milk glass (a dime store available commodity at one time) up in price just by featuring a spread in her magazine. It wasn't expensive before she created a demand. Ditto with mercury glass. Ditto with ironstone. By making something desirable because SHE had it, she created a demand, which increased prices.

Jane Birkin and Grace Kelly, iconic women with excellent taste and luxurious lives, had bags created for them by Hermes. The bags became just as iconic, and therefore, highly desired. Because they are made by hand, with great craftsmanship, with wonderful materials, they have remained symbolic of luxury. Hermes keeps the supply low, to create more desire, more demand, and more coveting. Keep your target buyer at peak desire, and you can ask them to pay anything. And they will.

How can Hermes ask so much for a bag? Very clever marketing.

 

[sapphirering]

I went thru an Hermes phase and studied the myriad of leather and hardware choices at the other forum... I'm a proud owner of a rouge H Constance bag in box leather and I will never part with it. Thank you Madam for your photos of your extraordinary collection! Besides Constance, my other favorite bag from Hermes is the Bolide. I once saw an ostrich Bolide at our local bookstore.... it was quite a treat for me.

I am lucky enough to own a small collection of purses and wallet made by a woman who was formerly a master leather craftsman at Hermes. She opened up her own shop and I have purchased several of her items. While her pieces don't have the heritage and the lustre of the Hermes brand, they are works of art in their own right. I use her bag and wallet everyday, and I don't mind if they get a bit dinged up. I personally like a bit of patina on leather goods, plus these handmade leather pieces are so well made, they can withstand daily wear. I take the bags back to the shop once a year for a little buff and polish. I get such a thrill of using handmade things- I am a big knitter and my grandfather was a potterist by trade and an amazing carpenter "just for fun". To me, there is nothing more beautiful than handmade goods.

 

[erinl]

Sapphirering-- I would love to know more about the shop where you buy your leather goods! Hermes craftsmanship without quite the Hermes pricetag sounds very appealing!

erinl

 

[sapphirering]

Sapphirering-- I would love to know more about the shop where you buy your leather goods! Hermes craftsmanship without quite the Hermes pricetag sounds very appealing!

erinl

Erinl- her name is Beatrice Amblard. I don't want to post her website here in case it's against rules, but google her and her site will pop up. For the record, Beatrice will not copy any of Hermes' designs- she creates her own bags with as much input by the client as the client wishes. You can read more about her background on her site.

 

[erinl]

Thanks so much sapphirering! I wouldn't be looking for a knockoff of course, I just love well-made leathergoods! Thanks for the info!
Erinl