Birkin bag costs are sinking at public sale regardless of high-profile gross sales

Regardless of two current blockbuster auctions for Birkin luggage, general public sale costs for the enduring Hermès purses are falling, based on a research.

Earlier this month, a Birkin bag beforehand owned by Jane Birkin bought at Sotheby’s for $2.9 million, properly above its high-end estimate of $440,000. The Black Field Birkin 40 with palladium {hardware} was signed by the actress, who owned the bag between 2003 and 2007. The public sale adopted the July sale of her unique Birkin bag, which additionally bought at Sotheby’s for $10 million.

But, past luggage as soon as owned by Birkin, public sale costs for secondhand Birkin and Kelly luggage have been sliding from pandemic highs, based on Bernstein. The analysis agency’s Secondhand Pricing Tracker gauges the resale premium — or the public sale sale value of a bag in comparison with its unique retail value — and is weighted by quantity. A resale premium of 1.5, as an illustration, means a bag that initially retailed for $10,000 bought at public sale for $15,000.

In response to the worth tracker, the common resale premium for Birkins and Kellys has fallen from 2.2 instances in 2022 to 1.4 instances in November. The Birkin Togo 30 is now reselling for a median of 1.0 the unique retail value, which means no premium to its unique sale value, down from 1.7 in 2022 and 1.9 in 2018.

Luxurious specialists say aspirational luxurious shoppers are going through new pressures from inflation and a slowing job market, which means fewer Birkin consumers at public sale. The rising provide of secondhand Birkins in the marketplace and rising numbers of secondhand luxurious resellers can also be placing strain on costs.

“There was a sobering up from the post-Covid euphoria,” stated Luca Solca, a Bernstein luxurious analyst. “We’re atoning and normalizing from that growth.”

Granted, the overwhelming majority of Birkin and Kelly purses are nonetheless promoting for greater than their unique retail value, proving that demand outstrips provide and that many purchasers favor to pay a premium to keep away from Hermès’ opaque gross sales course of and wait instances for prime luggage.

A report from Rebag, which sells pre-owned Birkins and different luxurious items, stated that Hermès “dominated the bag class” in 2025 with eight bag kinds promoting for above their unique sale value.

Birkin purses have been promoting for a premium of 122%, or 22% over the unique retail value. Whereas Birkin costs have leveled off over the previous two years, failing to maintain tempo with retail value will increase, resale costs have practically doubled since 2015, the report stated.

Solca stated that even when their public sale costs fall, Hermès nonetheless holds the highest perch in luxurious.

“What counts is the rating within the pecking order, when it comes to shopper desirability,” he stated. “I see Hermès firmly within the prime spot.”