Birkin bags are on sale this holiday season - but not in the way you might imagine. They're selling at auction for record prices.
This week a 2010 Crocodile Birkin with white gold and diamond hardware sold for $295,000 at Christie's London, establishing a European record for the most expensive handbag sold at auction.
Other items sold included an extremely rare, custom Hermes Kelly Doll for $85,938. It was originally released in 2000 and has been discontinued since, making it a limited edition item.
Hermes Birkin bags have long been one of the most coveted and exclusive accessories - and this year they're even harder to buy.
While demand for the bags (which start at $12,000) has shot up, supply is way down. Baghunter, a website that sells extremely rare Hermès bags, released stats earlier this year that show how much harder it is to buy a Birkin bag now. The site found that the consignment of Birkin bags is down a huge 40%, while purchase inquiries are up more than 25%.
The experts at Baghunter believe celebrities constantly being photographed with Birkins has contributed to its popularity. Virtually every A lister seems to have one by their side, at times using them as diaper bags or storage for gym clothes. A list Birkin bag holders include Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Obama, Kylie Jenner, Paris Hilton, and notoriously, Drake, who’s been busy buying up the bags for his future wife (and no, he’s not dating anyone at the moment).
The rapper and former Degrassi star has been building a Birkin collection for years, a dowry of sorts for his (currently) hypothetical soulmate.
While regular people (other than Drake) are still buying them up, understandably they don’t want to part ways with their Birkins once they have them, so consignment options are also scarce.
Scroll through our gallery above to see celebrities with their Birkin bags.
