The 3 Best Hermès Bags to Own in Your Lifetime
If there’s a designer brand you know people will recognise immediately, it’s Hermes.
Undoubtedly, Hermes is one of the most well-known luxury fashion houses globally. This exceptional name recall and Hermes bags' superior craftsmanship mean we’re not exaggerating when we say buying an Hermes bag is an investment worth making.
Like most second-hand designer bags, preloved Hermes bags typically fetch a lower price than it sells for brand new. However, a pre owned Hermes bag does not depreciate as much as other brands. An Hermes bag in good condition can fetch 80% of its brand-new price.
When it comes to Hermes, the Birkin, the Kelly, and the Constance are the bags to own.
1. Hermes Birkin
A Birkin is definitely on top of the list when it comes to Hermes bags. At its most basic, it is a rectangular tote bag with two handles. This quintessential Hermes bag, named after singer and actress Jane Birkin, is meant to be owned and cherished for life. In fact, Hermes offers a bag reconditioning service to help Birkin owners maintain their bags.
A Birkin is one of the most valuable bags you can own. In fact, it is quite possible for an Hermes Birkin in excellent condition to be sold at a price greater than its original cost.
According to a Business Insider article, a 2017 study indicates that Hermes Birkin bags have appreciated by 500% in the last 35 years, thus showing an average increase of 14% increase in valuation per year.
Resale prospects get even better when it comes to collectables and limited-edition bags, such as the Himalaya Birkin, the Diamond Birkin, the Sac Birkin Faubourg, the Metallic Birkin, and the Ombré Birkin.
There's a reason Birkins are very expensive. First, a single artisan takes charge of each Birkin's creation from start to finish. The craftsmanship on any Birkin — check the superb saddle stitching — is exceptional, and every bag takes at least 18 hours to make.
Second, it can be challenging to source the materials each Birkin needs. Birkins vary depending on the type of leather and hardware used. Adding rare animal skins, jewels, and other details further drive up the time it takes to finish a Birkin, not to mention its price tag.
Third, Birkins are scarce, and there is also a long waiting list for Birkins because of it. According to Bernstein Research, Hermes produces around 12,000 Birkins every year. Reports also say there are approximately 200,000 already in circulation. Even so, it appears that Hermes does not release all the Birkins it makes.
It's guaranteed Hermes doesn’t do it publicly, at least. Hermes is quite selective about who gets them.
Affluent and regular clients probably get offered new releases first. You cannot visit an Hermes boutique, even their main store in France, and get a Birkin just because you want one. The sales associate must offer to show you one.
Even long-time Hermes clients, who regularly buy Hermes items, are not guaranteed a viewing, much less an offer.
Indeed, if your heart is set on owning a Birkin, you'll have better luck getting a second hand Hermes Birkin bag. Is it worth it? Oh, yes!
2. Hermes Kelly
Next to the Birkin, the Hermes Kelly is one of the most in-demand Hermes bags. The Kelly has an easily recognisable trapezoidal silhouette, a single handle, and (now) an optional shoulder strap.
It is named after Hollywood royalty turned nobility, Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly was a Hollywood actress who married the then-prince of Monaco, Prince Rainier III, thus becoming the Princess of Monaco.
Grace Kelly favoured a particular Hermes bag, which she used in a highly publicised photograph of a night out with her prince. The bag, a Sac à dépêches, rose to fame and was eventually renamed ‘Kelly’.
Hermes also carefully controls the production of Kellys. Like a Birkin, every Kelly is handcrafted by an artisan who works on it from start to finish. Each bag requires from 18 to 24 hours of work.
Kellys are also not available to the general public, not on the Hermes website or in Hermes stores worldwide. If you want to buy a Kelly, you need to have a good relationship with a Hermes sales associate.
Like the Birkin, the Kelly is more accessible in the secondary market. If you want this bag, shop for a used Hermes Kelly bag from a reputable designer bags marketplace like Luxury Promise.
3. Hermes Constance
The Hermes Constance is a handbag with a predominantly square silhouette (the Constance Elan variant is longer horizontally than other Constances). Its distinguishing mark is the H-shaped clasp at the front, which could come in various iterations: gold, silver, lacquered, enamelled, set with diamonds, or inlaid with precious stones.
Like the Birkin and Kelly, a Constance can come in a wide array of materials. However, unlike these two, there are canvas Constances, such as the Déchaînée and the Tattersall.
A Constance is trendier than a Birkin and Kelly. It is constantly reinvented with different combinations of materials, hardware, and designs. They are also generally smaller, even coming in micro and mini sizes.
However, like a Birkin and Kelly, a Constance also takes hours of dedicated work. It takes 14-18 hours to make one Constance bag. Like the Birkin and Kelly, moreover, Constances are not on display in Hermes stores, and it takes a bit of relationship-building before you can get offered one.
If you want a Constance now, you can get it pre-loved.
A Trinity of Hermes Bags to Own
The Birkin is your everyday tote. Its top-grade leather, superb craftsmanship, and great functionality are what makes it beautiful.
The Kelly is also a functional bag, but it is a more glamorous version of the Birkin with its single handle and sophisticated silhouette. It is a princess' bag, no doubt about it.
The Constance is the trendy bag. It is an excellent bag for cocktails and dinner parties.
Whichever bag you choose, you can be sure an Hermes bag is a keeper. Like a pre owned Louis Vuitton bag, a second hand Hermes bag is a worthy investment.
Buy used Hermes bags from Luxury Promise now.
