Hermes Rouge Casaque Togo Leather Birkin 30, with an estimate of up to $29,000. Photo: Supplied / Webbs
Webb's Auction House is preparing to auction New Zealand's largest-ever Hermes handbag collection this weekend, including seven Birkins.
The Hermes Birkin handbag, designed and named for British actress and singer Jane Birkin, can go for hundreds of thousands of dollars and far above their purchase prices on resale platforms.
That is partly because buying them direct from the exclusive fashion house can be fraught, with Hermes tightly controlling the supply.
Webb's head of luxury accessories Christine Power told Checkpoint the bag was the ultimate status symbol.
"It's more than just a handbag, it provides you a sense of exclusivity and it also appreciates whilst you have it, it's a very posh handbag."
Hermes Etoupe Togo Leather Birkin 40 with an estimate of $22,000 to $26,000 Photo: Supplied / Webbs
Birkin handbags are very expensive as they are handcrafted by specialist artisans.
"It takes three to four years for them to be trained before they can actually work on that piece. That same artisan will work on that one piece, right from conception right through to finish, it's all handcrafted and hand-stitched."
Power said she saw the bag as more of a form of art, rather than for the use of a regular handbag.
"They keep providing us these beautiful colourways and different materials. We have two prime examples in their leathers, we've got the Togo and the Epsom."
Hermes Noir Togo Leather Birkin 35, with an estimate of $20-$24,000. Photo: Supplied / Webbs
There are four standard sizes for a Birkin and one off size and Webb's currently have a range of three sizes, a size 30, 35 and 40.
Power said the leather used for the bags was of the highest quality.
"We're talking about the Togo leather, which is quite iconic and then also the Epsom, really durable pieces, they've been all handcrafted."
Some clients did like to wear the bags.
However, the bags set to be in Webb's auction had little to no wear on them, Power said.
Hermes Etoupe Togo Leather Birkin 40 with an estimate of $22,000 to $26,000 Photo: Supplied / Webbs
"I've got a couple in here, that would have only maybe seen two or three outings at most and one still has got its plastic on the actual hardware itself."
She said although the price per use was very expensive, "it's one that you just absolutely get so much pleasure from".
She expected the bags to go for around the mid-$20,000 region.
Hermes Bleu Indigo Shiny Crocodile Niloticus Roulis, 23 Photo: Supplied / Webbs
"They are of the finest finish and exceptionally good quality, so I would expect that we would achieve that figure."
Hermes only made a select number of bags and was selective as to who can buy them, Power said.
"It comes down to obviously you have to have a relationship with the boutique and in particular, we have heard stories where people have had to have a sort of a spend history there.
"What we're providing you is the ability to obviously have choice and size, colour and accessibility without prejudice.
"This time we've got a Rouge which I really like, it sort of reminds me of a bit of a lipstick, right through to a beautiful rose, cobalt blue, black, and then into your taupes, really, really gorgeous."
Power said if she bought a bag she would use it, but she could see why if someone bought a bag why they would not want to use it regularly.
"I'd be a bit mindful of putting my biro or eating my lunch in the region of my Birkin.
"But you know you can have it conditioned and restored if should something actually appear on there."
She was expecting the bags to be purchased with the local New Zealand market, rather than internationally, she said.
"We've had very strong interest this week with our viewings, we had a launch event on Tuesday night and that was really successful, we garnered quite a bit of interest. In the subsequent days that have followed there's been really strong interest."
The bags can be looked up close without being damaged, Power said.
"We have gloves that you can actually wear so you can actually view the piece up close so you can really get a good feel for what you'll be purchasing."
The bags will go on auction at 2.30pm Sunday in the Webb's Auction House gallery in Mount Eden.
