1. A Birkin sold in four minutes at auction for $300,168. The matte Himalayan crocodile edition, purchased by a private collector at Christie’s Hong Kong, featured white-gold details and 245 F-color diamonds.
2. Hermès never mass produces its bags. Instead, each one is handmade by a craftsman.
3. The bag takes over 18 hours to make. The artisans work on one bag from start to finish, rather than performing a step of the process and passing it off.
4. Each craftsman trains for three to four years before making bags. They can pick the bags they worked on out of the lineup.
5. Each craftsman has his or her own set of tools for making Hermès bags. They take these tools with them when they retire.
6. Imperfect bags are not sold in stores. Bags with imperfections get used in displays but do not make it to consumers.
7. “A Birkin bag is a better investment than the stock market,” according to The New York Times. A study revealed that the bag’s value increases by about 14.2% per year.
8. Hermès started as a saddle and harness maker. Artisans use “saddle stitching” in the creation of the brand’s bags.
9. The Hermès boxes weren’t always orange. After WWII, the brand started using orange boxes due to a scarcity of materials.
