The original Hermès Birkin bag is going up for auction: How to bid on historic purse

It’s the Birkin bag to end all Birkin bags.

This summer, Sotheby’s auction house will solicit bidders for Jane Birkin’s original Hermès bag, designed and named after the British actress and singer.

Now a cultural institution – and status symbol for the ultra-wealthy – the original bag will hit the auction block July 10 in Paris as part of Sotheby’s inaugural Fashion Icons sale.

A handmade, sleek black prototype, the bag that spawned a fashion phenomenon, will first travel to New York City, where it will be displayed in a Sotheby’s gallery, before it lands in Paris for final auction.

Birkin bag or Walmart dupe? See Kim Kardashian, more stars sporting the real Hermès purse

First designed in 1984, as a collaboration between Birkin, who was living in Paris at the time, and Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas, the bag originated via an in-flight armrest conversation.

When, seated next to the Hermès executive on a flight, Birkin sketched her ideal tote, the design house took off running. Her main specifications had little to do with the look of the bag and more with its capacity – at the time, the actress said none of the purses du jour fit what she needed for her busy lifestyle. On the plane, she was carrying a wicker basket, since her handbag was at capacity, and when the contents of it spilled on Dumas, the point made itself.

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Unlike some who handle their Birkin with a ginger touch, sometimes keeping it locked away in a closet, the actress often accessorized her bag with scarves and bag charms, and at times wore it tucked in, underneath her arm. She wore it into the ground, unafraid to have it beat up and appear heavily used.

How much does a Birkin cost?

Now, a new arm can lay claim to it, for a price sure to shock. The Birkin market is, for the fashion-minded, like investing in gold bars. The value continues to appreciate, particularly for some bags like the crocodile skin Birkin, which the actress herself asked the design house to stop making in 2015. She took issue with the animal cruelty that went into giving the purse its real-life croc look.

A new Birkin can cost anywhere between $10,000 to $100,000 (or more). It’s not an “off the rack” purchase either: Hermès doesn’t display its bags, so you’d likely need a relationship with a sales associate to get your hands on one.

For folks not headed to Paris to get their hands on the bag that Birkin made famous, another option does exist. Walmart made waves last year when it began selling dupes of the purse.

Marketing a $78 purse that looks remarkably similar to the Birkin, the retailer seemed to be making the point that everyday Americans should enjoy what dangles off the arms of the rich and famous – even if it’s not genuine leather.

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