Hermès luxury handbags are the most desired handbags worldwide, with the Hermes Birkin bag topping the chart. The Hermes Birkin bags were once seen as the rarest bag in the world.
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The Hermes handbags are symbols of wealth and class with price tags ranging from $8000 to over $500,000. Only top women, billionaires, heads of state, top businesswomen, and celebrities can afford such a bag, and the question is why is it that expensive?
Hermes bags are handmade using premium materials like alligator skin, ostrich skin, as well as calfskin. The bag is carefully stitched from start to finish, polished, and painted by hand using the best artistry skills.
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Hermes goes further in limiting the number of its bag in population. Every year, there are limited numbers of Hermes bags that are produced and released into the market. Also, Hermes has a policy that limits a customer to purchase not more than two bags per year. This strategy of limited supply makes it more expensive and valuable. Purchasing a Hermes bag is synonymous with buying an investment.
Hermès bags are made in the workshop located in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, France. Hermes has a training ground in Kelly where freshly minted leather artisans are being trained before they are deployed into the workshop.
Is There A Hermès In China?
In 2019, Hermes opened 28 stores in China, and at the same time, there were 38 Hermes stores in Japan, and about 20 stores in South Korea. In Europe, the company has 30+ stores in France, including the head office, and 15 stores in Germany
How Can You Tell If A Hermes Bag Is Original
Being one of the rarest bags in the market, the Hermes Birkin is one of the most counterfeited bags in the market. As such, you need to understand the features of an original bag so that you can be able to authenticate a Hermes bag. You can’t afford to spend so much to get the fake version, it will be disheartening.
10 Ways To Tell If A Hermes Bag is Original
Purchase directly from authorized sellers
Examine the Materials
Examine the embossed Logo
Check out the Stitching
Check out the Lining
Examine the Blind Stamp
Check out the metal Hardware
Check the Zipper
Check out the Hermès authenticity Cards
Examine the Lock & Keys
Purchase directly from authorized sellers
The first and most reliable way to ensure that you get an original Hermes bag is to purchase the bag directly from Hermes or an authorized seller like Madison Avenue Couture. However, if you want to purchase a Hermes bag from another place, you have to be careful, and ensure you examine each detail of the bag.
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Examine the Materials
Hermes bags are made from premium materials that are obviously expensive when you see them. Original leather has natural color and texture variations.
The textures are regular, and consistent but not perfect because it is handmade. Do understand that each of the Hermes bags has its unique natural variations. Also, Hermes bags undergo different tanning which gives them unique characteristics. For example, some Togo leather Birkin may have veins, while others don’t have any veins.
Also, it is common to see variations in original Hermes exotic bags. For example, Hermes bags made from alligators and crocodile bags virtually have different scales. The scales on virtually every crocodile and alligator bag are different. Oftentimes, people use the unique pattern of the scales to identify their bags.
However when you notice that the stitching on the materials is perfectly straight and regular, there is a high possibility that it is machined-sewn, and as such fake.
Examine the embossed Logo
One of the major things to observe to tell if a Hermes bag is original is its iconic Hermès logo. The logo is an embossed stamp on the front of the bag under the flap, below the stitching. The logo should read, “Hermès Paris Made in France” on three lines, with the lettering progressively growing smaller on each line. The lettering is all in block letters that are spaced evenly. Most counterfeit Hermes bags make use of pressed or printed lettering, with the presence of irregularities like uneven spacing and inconsistent size and font.
Check out the Stitching
All original Hermès bags are painstakingly hand-stitched. Due to the fact that it was handmade, the stitching will not be perfectly symmetrical over the whole bag, and this gives the bag a unique touch.
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In an original Hermes bag, the stitching is slightly slanted upwards, and some of the stitches are double, especially those on the clochette and back of the bag where the handles are attached.
In fake Hermès bags, the stitching is usually small perfect stitches, that are machine sewn.
Check out the Lining
Most newly produced Hermès Birkins are lined in goatskin or chevre – lightly textured and durable leather featuring a small touch of sheen. In fake Birkins, the linings are usually done in leather or faux leather.
Examine the Blind Stamp
All Authentic Hermès handbags have a Blind Stamp that is embedded into the leather that contains details of the bag, for example, the year the handbag was manufactured and the artisan code that produced the bag. The blind stamp doesn’t have a permanent location on the bag. The location is dependent on the style and year the handbag is produced.
Currently, the Blind Stamps start with the year of production, which is called the Data Code, preceded by a series of numbers and letters (normally two letters).
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Check out the metal Hardware
Original Hermes bags feature metal hardware that is either plated or finished in a genuine precious metal, specifically gold or palladium. In rare cases, rose gold, brushed gold, or ruthenium finishes are used for the hardware.
Newer Hermes bags have their hardware is sealed in plastic. The hardware is being held in shape by the rivets that are squared at the top. This is one of the features that is almost impossible to replicate. Also, the toggle and backplate are firmly secure, and the toggle turns smoothly without hindrance.
Additionally, the hardware on the sangles of Birkin is engraved with HERMÈS-PARIS. The font and spacing of the engraved lettering vary in bags. For example, in gold plated bags, there is usually a small box after the PARIS containing tiny writing inside that requires that can only be read with a loupe (small magnifying glass used by jewelers)
Check the Zipper
Hermès makes use of its own branded zippers containing the brand name, “HERMÈ” engraved with its lower half towards the end of the metal zipper pull. At the end of the zipper, is the matching metal letter “H”.
Original Hermès bag’s zippers are finished in matte against counterfeits versions that are finished in shiny metal. Also, the zippers should run smoothly without any form of stiffness or difficulty.
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Check out the Hermès authenticity Cards
Unlike other top luxury brands like Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, Hermès bags do not have authenticity cards. Hermès has never issued an authenticity card with its bags, and many never do. When you see a Hermes bag with an authenticity card, it is a clear indication that it is a fake one.
Shocking right? The funny part is that Hermes bags come with a luxury price tag. You can never get an original Hermes bag in perfect condition for less than $10,000. Original Hermes bags made from crocodile skin are costlier, and their starting price is from $50,000, while the Birkin Himalaya bags range in over a million dollars.
Examine the Lock & Keys
All Hermès bags feature a lock and set of keys. The lock is engraved with the brand’s name “HERMÈS” written on the bottom, and the color and texture are consistent with other hardware on the bag.
In an original Hermes bag, the number on the lock corresponds with the number engraved on the keys. The keys are usually attached with a leather string, neatly fixed at the leather clochette. When there is a mismatch between the number inserted on the locks and the accompanying keys, it means that the bag is a fake one.
Hermes bag is an investment and luxury fashion item that speaks class and elegance. To be safer, ensure you never patronize any kind of boutique for your Hermes bag. If possible, ensure you buy directly from the Hermes store closest to you.
