If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance you’re a bag lover like myself. And quite possibly, you’ve been bitten by the Hermes bug and are coveting one of their holy grail styles. It’s no secret, it’s virtually impossible to walk into a Hermes boutique, request a Birkin or Kelly, and be offered one on the spot. While not totally unheard of, the chances of this happening are along the lines of slim to none. While this might turn some off, it entices some even more into wanting these highly coveted styles.
There’s a reason these bags are so adored. They really are incredible works of craftsmanship. Artisans spend about 48 hours making a Birkin, while a Kelly takes around 25 hours. A single craftsperson works on each bag completing the construction entirely by hand making these bags true works of art and technical skill. Since these bags are produced utilizing heritage methods by a small population of artisans, Hermes only produces a small amount of them a year. Between the incredible demand and the scarcity of bags, it’s quite hard to score a Birkin or Kelly. But I’m going to let you in on my top tricks and tips on how to get a Birkin or Kelly.
There’s so much chatter and debate over how to get a Birkin or Kelly. Wait lists, quotas, minimum purchase histories, stocking up on all the jewelry and house-wears are all discussed by those wanting to score one of these special bags. People talk of “playing the game” to get their desired style and color. But I’m going to give you what I think is the best way to go about things if you’re wondering how to get a Birkin or Kelly.
It’s not groundbreaking and it’s actually quite simple.
Be nice.
And be patient.
You might be scratching your head or rolling your eyes over these two suggestions, but bare with me. Hermes SAs deal with quite a few clients, almost all who want to purchase a bag at some point. Imagine all of the different personalities they’re dealing with. One can only imagine some of those personalities are quite strong and even quite demanding. To put it bluntly, they absolutely deal with a whole load of crazy. Undeniably, they know that their job comes with this. But just like anything else, people tend to want to work with other pleasant people. In the case of the SAs, it means working with clients who are pleasant to deal with. Clients who are appreciative and kind. Clients who treat them as human beings and don’t go off on them when their requests (or demands) are not met right away.
Those two top tips aside, there are a few other things that I would suggest if you’re wondering how to get a Birkin or Kelly. I did all of these things and was able to score my dream bag with ease:
First, off, I would suggest sticking to one SA and building a genuine relationship with them. Whenever I see my SA, I always send a little thank you email after our appointment because I genuinely appreciate his time, help, and product advice and suggestions. He’s a lovely guy who I enjoy catching up with as much as I enjoy shopping with.
As for a purchase history, I would say it helps, but don’t buy items that you don’t really love. I fell in love with the Balcon du Guadalquivir pattern and picked it as my wedding china. Through purchasing that with my SA over time, I had the pleasure of developing my relationship and purchase history with him. When I was ready to purchase a bag, I let him know and he happily went over leather, size, and colour options with me. I let him know that I had a dream bag and was absolutely willing to wait out a specific size, leather, and colour combination. He let me know that it could be a bit of a wait and I was fine with that. I knew exactly what I wanted and understood that it could and would take time. Only so many bags are made a year, much less in that combination, and that it would have to then make its way to Canada and to the Montreal boutique in particular. I didn’t demand, I didn’t pester. I was nice, understanding, patient, and I ultimately got exactly what I wanted.
I’ll be honest, I still pinch myself over the fact that I was able to score my holy grail bag. A gold Kelly Sellier 25 in epsom leather. It really is my dream bag. And the process of buying my dream bag was a dream in itself. I loved going over leather and colour options with my SA. And I especially loved receiving the call that my dream bag had arrived at the store, and that it was waiting for me if I was still interested. The whole experience felt special and I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to do this for myself. I know this bag will be something that I will always treasure – it represents hard work and quite a few professional accomplishments, and that makes it all the more special to me.
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