The Most Expensive Handbag In The World - Or NOT ?

  

I read recently in the Daily Mail UK that Christies Auction House in Hong Kong sold the most expensive handbag ever sold. The bag was a Hermes Birkin, in pink crocodile skin and was bought by an anonymous buyer at auction.  When the final hammer went down at 1.72 million Hong Kong dollars which is equivalent to UK £150,000, or US $228,480, it was reported to be the most expensive handbag ever sold.   However i think the Wall Street Journal has clarified the situation by reporting it is the most expensive handbag sold at auction.

The Daily Mail UK reported that the cost of this record setting Birkin bag broke the previous world record, set in 2011, for the world's most expensive handbag. The previous record holder, which was sold for £133,500 (USA $202,585) at auction, in the USA, was held by another Hermes Birkin, but in red crocodile skin. This probably also relates to the most expensive handbag sold at auction.

Because  this report conflicts with research I have completed. I believed that the world's most expensive handbag, as listed in the Guinness Book of Records, was the Mouawad’s 1001 Nights Diamond Purse which is worth an astounding US $3.8 million. I will discuss this super valuable bag in another blog. It is quite a different bag to the Birkin.

So did the Daily Mail get it wrong? It seems so. I think they meant to say the most expensive handbag sold at auction.  I will devote this blog to discussing the world's most expensive handbag as identified by the Daily Mail UK because it is a bag more appropriate for day to day wear.

But just to put it into perspective, you could buy an Aston Martin DB9 Volante with the same amount of money that this Birkin, a record making expensive handbag costs. Or even put a deposit on a house. But the Daily Mail also reported that Christies have another Birkin on their books, a sexy black leather number, which may sell for even more and beat this record price.

So what makes this expensive handbag so valued?

This astoundingly expensive handbag is a Birkin Bag designed by Hermes. It is made in bright fuchsia-pink luxury crocodile skin and features beautiful 18 karat gold detailing and is covered in genuine diamonds. The Birkin bag, which was first designed in 1984 by Hermes, a French fashion house, was named after the actress Jane Birkin, is seen as a fashion classic.

The story has it that the Birkin was created after the Hermes CEO, Jean Louis Dumas, sat next to Jane Birkin on a Paris to London flight. The actress expressed her frustration about the difficulty in finding a leather weekend bag.  She outlined what her ideal bag would be like. Soon after, the bag she described was born as the Birkin. Hermés now count many of the world's wealthiest women as fans.

The Hermes brand is famous for its extravagant leather accessories and the Birkin has become one of the most sought-after handbags of all time. The Birkin Bag is known for having a price tag in the thousands of dollars. There is a waiting list for a Birkin which can be several years long.  Hermes is eminent for its perfect finish and the best quality materials used.  Hermès never uses  assembly lines with but uses one crafts-person to make each bag at a time, hand-stitching each piece to create the immaculately finished product.

Unfortunately the high-end luggage and accessories produced by Hermés isn't really within every fashionista's price range.  A Hermes Birkin bag can have a price tag of upwards of £8,000 (USA$ 12185).  But while a Birkin bag may be worth as much as a small car, it is seen by the fashion industry as an 'investment' piece – an expensive handbag yes, but one that will remain in style for years, if not decades. And at the same time go up in value. The Birkin has proof of this - waiting lists of up to three years and the highest two sales records for the "most expensive bag" being attributed to a Hermes Birkin bag.

We don't know the identity of the new owner of this most expensive handbag, but we do recognize that both Kim Kardashian and Heidi Klum are the proud owners of pink Hermes Birkin bags which are similar to the record breaking one described here. Don't they look really great and make such a bold statement? They certainly stand out.

Victoria Beckham is reported to owning as many as 100 bags, which together are estimated to be worth £1,500,000 (USA $2,284,800). Khloe Kardashian has one in just about every color of the rainbow. Recently she showed off her latest acquisition which features the Monopoly mascot on the front, holding a large bag of money, surrounded by paper bills with the sides splattered with orange, pink and dark red dots of paint. 

I am not convinced that the pink Birkin bag reported in the Daily Mail UK is the most expensive handbag in the world, but do believe that the Wall St Journal report is correct - it is the most expensive handbag sold at auction.  Check out my next blog when I disclose ten bags which may be more valuable than this record setting expensive handbag reported by the Daily Mail UK.

I you want a great new bag but simply cannot afford a very expensive bag then check out the great bags on my site at the Large Purse Shop.