Why prices of the world's most expensive handbags keep rising

A Bonhams auction house employee displays a Hermès Bambou Swift leather Birkin 25, left, and a Bottega Veneta parakeet green lambskin Mini Jodie that were up for auction in London last month. (Image: AP)

The Wall Street Journal

Sat, 09 Mar 2024

By Carol RyanThe price of a basic Hermès Birkin handbag has jumped US$1,000 (NZ$1,620). This First World problem for fashionistas is a sign that luxury brands are playing harder to get with their most sought-after products.Hermès recently raised the cost of a basic Birkin 25-centimetre handbag in its US stores by 10% to US$11,400 before sales tax, according to data from luxury handbag forum PurseBop. Rarer Birkins made with exotic skins, such as crocodile, have jumped more than 20%. The Paris brand says it increases prices on...

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