Why Hermès Birkin Bags Are Jaw-Droppingly Expensive

(Courtesy of CNN)

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A better investment than gold and stock-market shares, Hermès Birkin bags sit at the very top of the luxury ladder, with prices starting at around $9,000 and soaring into the hundreds of thousands. Case in point: the famed Himalaya Birkin that sold for a cool half-million. 

But even with the money to splurge, you can’t just walk in and buy Jane Birkin’s legendary namesake bag. Hermès offers its totes selectively, leaving clients with little say over size or color. The French house even limits the number of Birkins a client can purchase in a year—all in the name of exclusivity.

So what makes the Birkin worth its sky-high price tag? Centuries-old savoir-faire is only part of the story.

How the Hermès Birkin Was Born at 30,000 Feet

(Courtesy of Hermès)

Birkin's story begins, fittingly, with Jane Birkin herself. 

On a flight from Paris to London in 1981, the English actress found herself seated next to Hermès’s chief executive, Jean-Louis Dumas. Rarely parting with her signature wicker basket—equal parts diaper bag, grocery carrier, and red carpet accessory—Jane attempted to slide it into the overhead compartment, only to have the lid flip back and spill everything inside.

(Courtesy of WWD)

Watching her basket tip over, Dumas told her, "You should have one with pockets," to which she replied, "The day Hermès makes one with pockets I will have that."

To that, Dumas responded, “But I am Hermès, and I will put pockets in for you,” as she later recounted.

Jean-Louis Dumas. 
(Courtesy of Hermès)

In a 2020 interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Jane remembered telling Dumas she wanted a bag “half the size of my suitcase.” He replied, “Well, draw it for me,” and she did.

Dumas, amused and inspired, began sketching with her on an airplane sick bag. He later presented her with what would become the iconic Birkin: a roomy yet refined luxury handbag, thoughtfully fitted with functional pockets and closures to keep belongings secure.

The Birkin made its official debut in 1984, and after more than four decades, Jane Birkin’s own original fetched an astonishing $10.1 million at an auction in 2025. The all-black leather prototype became one of the most iconic fashion items ever made and went on to inspire one of the world’s most recognizable handbags.

A-Listers Who Made the Birkin a Modern Obsession

(Courtesy of Vogue)

Surprisingly, the Birkin wasn’t an instant hit at the time of launch; it took until the ’90s for it to reach its true it-bag glory. Today, thanks to unwavering star power, the Hermès tote stands as one of the most coveted handbags on the planet, with some A-listers taking their Birkin obsession a “bit” too seriously. 

Victoria Beckham’s devotion to the Birkin is legendary. Her trove is reportedly valued at $2 million, which started with her debut buy of a tan version in 2004. By 2009, the English fashion designer was already rumored to have hit the hundred mark, and it’s fair to assume the tally has only risen since.

Despite its famously generous size, the Birkin is never out of place, and Beckham has carried hers everywhere from high-end department stores to casual dinners and airport lounges.

Meanwhile, Paris Hilton’s love affair with the Birkin spans well over a decade, though one in particular has earned a special place: her hot pink, Swarovski crystal-studded Privé Porter Birkin. 

(Courtesy of PEOPLE)

With a gleam worth $65,000, the fashion icon shared it on Instagram with the words, “This #Birkin is everything!”

Kylie Jenner was previously photographed with the ultra-rare style, including her snowy white Faubourg, which was released in 2021.

(Courtesy of Marie Claire)

This version, crafted with a Matte Alligator body and White Togo flap, was so coveted that one sold privately in early 2022 for nearly $400,000. The extravagant bag sits comfortably among the most expensive Birkins ever made, with resale prices hovering around $350,000 in 2025.

Jane Birkin, who passed away in 2023 at 76, admitted she sometimes wondered if the bag’s fame might eclipse her own career. With a laugh, she mused that when she was gone, people might remember her less for her films or her hit “Je T’aime… Moi Non Plus” and more for the handbag that bore her name.

(Courtesy of Forbes)

“Bless me, when I’m dead… (people) will possibly only talk about the bag,” the late actress joked.

Himalaya Birkin: The Ultra-Rare Bag Even Kim Kardashian Doesn’t Own

(Courtesy of The Economic Times via Pinterest)

The Himalaya Birkin is considered the crown jewel of Hermès collections. 

Treasured by the likes of Melania Trump, Victoria Beckham, and Nita Ambani, these striking white Birkins are adorned with 18-karat white gold hardware and over 200 luminous diamonds. The rare bag is meticulously dyed to capture the snowy gradients of the Himalayan mountains.

The rare 35-centimeter version has previously shattered records in 2019 when sports betting consultant “Vegas Dave” Oancea paid more than half a million dollars for one, making it the most expensive Birkin ever sold (per Forbes).

(Courtesy of Cosmopolitan)

“It’s worth probably $350,000,” said Jeff Berk, the CEO of Privé Porter, which sold the Birkin to Oancea. “He knew he was overpaying for it. He wanted to break the record.”

The bag is crafted from white, or albino, crocodile skin—one of the rarest materials on the planet. 

(Courtesy of Dan's Pet Care)

Explaining his over-the-top Birkin purchase, David Oancea said, “I love breaking records… I wanted to break the most-expensive-bag record.”

At the time, only two of these bags in this iteration were rumoured to exist—one owned by Steve Harvey’s wife—and, as he pointed out, “Not even Kim Kardashian has this.”

The Scarcity Factor That Fuels Birkin Mania

(Courtesy of The New York Times)

Buying a Birkin isn’t a matter of simply asking. Hermès offers its legendary totes selectively, and clients cannot expect to dictate size or color. To heighten exclusivity even further, the house limits the number of Birkins any one client can purchase in a year.

Nobody knows exactly how many Hermès Birkins are crafted each year, but experts believe around 200,000 are in circulation. With demand far outpacing supply, the bag has become a permanent hot-ticket item.

Second-hand Hermès Togo Birkin available on ZenLuxe.

Hermès once kept an official waiting list for Birkins that stretched months—sometimes years—but that system is long gone. Today, the sheer demand makes getting a new Birkin notoriously tricky. Buyers have to ask at individual boutiques, often relying on the guidance (and goodwill) of sales associates to track one down.

It is not a bag, it is a birkin

Hermès’ strategy of keeping the Birkin elusive has clearly paid off. The tension between sky-high demand and limited access has fueled a booming resale market. A 2017 study found that Birkin prices had skyrocketed 500% over 35 years, which translates to an impressive 14% annual growth, The Guardian reported.

Only the Most Skilled Artisans Are Trusted With a Birkin

(Courtesy of Business Insider)

The extraordinary craftsmanship that goes into every Birkin partly explains its lofty price tag. Each bag requires at least 18 hours of painstaking work, with a single artisan responsible for every stitch, every polish, and every painted edge.

The truth is, Hermès doesn’t have enough hands to craft its coveted bags. For over a century, every Birkin and Kelly has been made from beginning to end by just one artisan.

(Courtesy of Business Insider)

“I always like to say that Hermès is an old lady with startup issues, because we've grown so fast in such a small period," Dumas said. "How can you grow so fast without changing what makes you strong?”

To preserve that strength, the maison has invested in training a new generation of artisans for lifelong careers, building its own pipeline to expand production—though the exact numbers remain a tightly guarded secret.

Each Birkin is handmade in France by the skilled Hermès artisans, using premium materials such as calfskin, alligator, or ostrich. The maison’s iconic tote comes in four sizes (25, 30, 35, and 40 cm), catering seamlessly to the preferred scale of every owner.

Why Chasing a Birkin Can Pay Off Big—or Cost You Everything

(Courtesy of LegitGrails)

Unlike most handbags, the Birkin is known to keep, and often exceed, its original value. Factors like leather, color, and hardware influence the resale price—but one thing’s certain: a legendary Birkin is never a bargain.

The Birkin might be equal parts financial investment and fashion statement, but without guaranteed authenticity, that dream can quickly turn into a nightmare. Counterfeits have long plagued the market, from New York’s Canal Street to online resellers, and Hermès has gone to court to fight them. Back in 2012, Hermès won $100 million in damages against 34 websites selling knockoffs, Bloomberg reported. 

Judge Denise Cote of the U.S. District Court in New York found that the sites, which didn’t defend themselves, had violated Hermès' trademarks on items ranging from Birkin and Kelly bags to wallets, watches, belts, and jewelry.

Yet despite the brand’s vigilance, replicas only keep improving—sometimes alarmingly so. The giveaways? Handles that look too long, hardware that’s too shiny, or bag feet that screw off. And, of course, that age-old red flag: a price that feels too good to be true. 

For peace of mind, buyers often rely on trusted resale platforms such as ZenLuxe, which offers a broad selection of authentic Hermès Birkins, including variations that may not be available when buying from a boutique.

Discover a range of authentic limited-edition Birkin bags on ZenLuxe’s secondhand marketplace.

The resale market offers a smarter way to get exactly the Birkin you’re looking for. Prices might not drop in particular, but what you gain is choice: every color, every size, every leather combination. 

On Japan-based platform ZenLuxe, you can explore everything from beloved Birkin classics to rare, limited-edition pieces—all while enjoying worldwide shipping straight to your doorstep.

About The Writer

Meet Mariam — a fashion writer who lives and breathes all things vogue and glamour. For her, the most therapeutic aspect of fashion goes beyond simply shopping for the latest styles that appear in stores; it’s fully experiencing this glamorous world from the little details to the big moments (there's nothing quite like the thrill of flipping through a sleek fashion magazine, is there?).