Thursday, December 18, 2014

Birkin Handbags: Gifts for the Rich!

In the November post about Ethiad Airways luxury $48,000 suite for an overnight flight, Stacy left a hysterical comment about running across a used Birkin Bag for the exact same price! Here's part of her comment:

"...I was having a conversation with my boss this week and I told her about how I'd seen a used 2013 Birkin bag for sale for $48,000. Her response is that no one with a conscience should ever pay that much for a bag. Then I remembered your post and realized it was the same price as the flight. Even though I agreed with my boss that no one NEEDS a handbag that costs as much as a luxury vehicle, the truth is, no one NEEDS a luxury vehicle either....there's simply no way to justify a $50,000 handbag except to say...it's really really really GORGEOUS...and it'll last a lot longer and get more miles than that flight :-)"

While I agree with you and your boss Stacy, and the questionable need for a purse that expensive, it's a real bargain in my opinion since Birkin's can run as high as $150,000. In fact, there's a one-of-a-kind Birkin being offered on the internet right now for $450,000!

In addition, there's a defensible place for these extravagant handbags in the world of the super rich. To explain it fully, I'm going to slide into sheer fantasy for a few moments and hope it makes sense in tying it altogether:  

To begin this scenario, lets focus on an imaginary Miss Betty Bankstocks sitting in the back seat of her vintage $2 million dollar chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce on her way to the airport. Wearing a simple $85,000 couture travel dress, she glances at her diamond-encrusted $1.2 million dollar Patek Philippe wristwatch to see is she's on time.

At the airport the staff aboard Ethiad Airways escorts Miss Bankstocks to her $48,000 suite, complete with private bathroom and shower, where she hopes to get a good night's sleep before her girlfriend's three-day birthday celebration begins the next day.

Before arrival the next morning she takes a quick shower and jumps into a new $125,000 haute couture cocktail dress. Feeling well rested and refreshed, she takes a limousine from the airport and a private water taxi out to her girlfriend's $225 million dollar luxury yacht sitting in the Bay of Monaco, with the Monte Carlo skyline shimmering in the background. The staff aboard the yacht hoists up her antique $75,000 Louis Vuitton wardrobe trunk and takes it to her room.

Right on time she glides into the main salon where late-morning cocktails (Bloody Mary's and Mimosas) are just getting underway. Amidst all the chatter and greetings the Maitre'd makes a hand gesture as to where she can park her $150,000 Birkin bag on a side table, in full view of all.

And that's precisely the moment when an expensive bag like that shows off it's true value. What else could Miss Bankstocks have possibly sat down there that would reflect her true status in this world? A cheap off-the-shelf $5,000 purse from Bergdorf Goodman or Neiman Marcus?

I don't think so, not in that crowd!

Anyhow, thanks for reading tonight and indulging in the fantasy. The super rich do things in their own odd way with cost being the least consideration over style, elegance and presentation. And thanks again Stacy for bringing up such a fun topic.

Before going, here's a link to what Birkin Bags are all about.

Good night,
Andrew

7 comments:

  1. - No Birken Bag can hold a candle to a Terrible Tote. ;)

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    1. Since Terrible Totes support a charity organization (terribletote.com), I have no argument whatsoever, Anonymous. Thanks so much for reading and for your comment. Good luck to you and your organization.

      Andrew

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  2. May I just say how honored I am that you found my response funny. I do find the entire argument of need vs. want a bit like the chicken and the egg postulations. Sometimes entertaining but in the end rather pointless and neither side ever wins.

    However, according to a self proclaimed Birkin collector on Christie's website, these bags gain value. When I'm wealthy enough to simply be able to afford a Birkin, I will be be sure to mentally list 'investment' as a reason to buy one...or two or ten...don't judge me.

    I must say though, Andrew, I am still not in that headspace of the uber wealthy where I think I'd feel comfortable leaving a super expensive handbag on a table. As soon as I read that in your post I had flashbacks of the Sex and the City episode where someone made off with Carrie's shoes at a party. Think they have LoJack for bags worth over a certain dollar amount?

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    1. Ha! I completely understand. At a large gala in a hotel ballroom, for example, you'd never think about setting a bag like that down in a public space and just walking away. If you didn't want to carry it around all evening, at the very least you'd leave it with the Cloak Room attendants, with a bonafide Claim Check in hand. But in a controlled environment, like a small cocktail party in a private home or aboard a yacht, things are much more relaxed--and trustworthy. Andrew

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    2. As I said, I guess I'm just not mentally there yet. In my head, if MY $48,000 Birkin bag had to leave my person in a public setting, MY bodyguard will be staying with the bag. HA!

      I'm sure the wealthy would laugh at my view, but since I can barely wrap my brain around owning a bag worth that much , it's hard to come to grips with leaving it anywhere without a security back up. Strange how the only things I feel such an insane attachment to are bags and shoes.

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  3. Look what I saw on Yahoo today: https://www.yahoo.com/travel/miami-businessman-first-to-fly-in-worlds-fanciest-106326000207.html
    Looks like this flying suite is going to get some press.

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    1. Yes. In fact, it got lots of press when first announced. If you Google 'Ethiad Airways Residence' you'll find that major newspapers and business magazines worldwide covered the story with relish, ha! Thanks for sending that along.

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