For as long as she can remember, S., a 36-year-old New Yorker, subscribed to the Sex and the City notion of Birkin wish fulfillment: that it’s purely aspirational unless you’re A-list famous. You remember the episode: Samantha walks right up to the Hermès salesman to buy a coveted red Birkin 40, only to be told there is a five-year wait list. She jumps the queue—by pretending it’s for her celebrity client Lucy Liu.
But recently S. discovered that her handbag holy grail wasn’t so elusive after all. She credits Instagram for the insight. The platform’s latest viral sensation is #birkinbait videos, which claim to provide insider tips for scoring a quota bag. “Quota bags” are the label’s most coveted leather goods, such as the Birkin and Kelly, for which there is typically a two-bag-a-year limit per customer. (Well, most customers. Surely this policy does not apply to Cardi B.) Similar tutorials also pop up on YouTube and TikTok, where the hashtag has more than 6 million views. Hermès doesn’t comment on these purse pundits, nor does it have to. These are superfans whose shopping hacks boil down to one no-brainer principle: shop, and shop often. “You always think the Birkin is unattainable. Then you realize what it really takes. It’s not some magical list. It’s spending a lot of money to spend more money,” says S., who works in the entertainment industry and acquired her first Birkin after spending $12,000 on shoes, scarves, bracelets, tablewares, and other accessories.
The luxury market writ large is coming down from post-pandemic highs, but in the third quarter Hermès posted a double-digit rise in sales (following two consecutive quarterly records)—well ahead of rivals LVMH and Kering—and it projects a bullish 2024. “Despite the economic, geopolitical, and monetary uncertainties around the world, the group confirms an ambitious goal for revenue growth,” the company told analysts in a statement. One reason for its confidence: “the loyalty of clients.”
Though S. acknowledges that she is still feeling some sticker shock, she can’t resist the thrill of the chase. Neither can P., a restaurateur who visited the Madison Avenue Hermès boutique every other week for a year, snapping up shoes, keychains, and accessories, plus 14 handbags, which can retail for more than $7,000 each.
That’s another #birkinbait technique: spend at least the cost of a quota bag to be in the running for one. “I don’t want to know how much I spent. I should be saving for my kids’ college,” she says. “It’s an addiction, but it’s fun because they’re playing hard-to-get and you want to see if you can score.” It paid off: She got her Birkin in May. She may even have the seed money for tuition; Credit Suisse reports that luxury handbags are one of the most stable investments, with the global market for these assets expected to reach $42 billion by 2029.
Still, how to get the bag you covet most? One rule, everyone agrees, is irrefutable: Befriend a sales associate and remain faithful. She is your advocate and consigliere, the keeper of the master wish list. Devotion, as in a marriage, is paramount—though there may be a quota even for that. “I’d like to know how they invite customers to their sample sales,” P. says. “I didn’t get an invite.”
Above: If Birkin bait is real, then the competition is fiercer than ever. Need an edge? Then level up. Hermes Birkin Sellier 35 Anate bag ($26,900).
This story appears in the November 2023 issue of Town & Country.
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Leena Kim is an editor at Town & Country, where she covers travel, jewelry, education, weddings, and culture.
