How to score your first Hermès bag

Sachini wearing a white dress holding a black Hermès Kelly bag walking in a botanic garden

Buying your first Hermes bag is one of those topics that are so discussed, have so many so-called "secrets" attached and no one seems to have just one answer that works for everyone. When I wanted to get my first Hermes, I researched and read up on so many articles and in the end, I felt like there are more myths than truths.

So if you are looking to score your first Hermes bag, here are a few ways of achieving that as well as some pros and cons of each method.

Sachini wearing a white dress holding a black Hermès Kelly bag

Buying Pre- Loved

Well, goes without saying that this is the fastest and easiest way to own a Hermes bag. The pre-loved market has a great variety of Hermes bags and there is no screening process or a waiting list, you pay today and it will arrive in a few days time.

Pros

The fastest way to get a Hermes bag
No waiting list or appointments involved
No requirement to have any history or relationship with the brand
You can buy what you want rather than what is being offered to you

Cons

Be prepared to pay 2x or 3x more than what you would pay at the boutique
It is pre-loved, so the condition may vary
Many pre-loved stores don't offer any returns or refunds (but you can re-list your bag again) if it turns out you don't love it
You need to really know and trust the pre-loved retailer as there are lots of fakes in the pre-loved market

By Appointment only at Hermes

How and Where to start?

This is the way to buy a brand new Hermes bag. The way this works is once you decide that you would like to buy a Hermes bag, the best thing to do is to pop into a boutique and speak to a Sales Associate. There are lots of myths and taboos around you need to have a history of buying at Hermes, need to have a long order history, and need to wear something from Hermes when you visit the boutique, but I have not come across any of that to be true to this day.

You can simply walk into a boutique and tell them that you wish to buy a bag and would like to enter your wishlist. They would then add you to their database of people who are wishing for the bags, You can declare up to 3 wishes and give your contact details so if and when any of your wishlist bags come into the market, they will be in touch with you. If you are not that selective of all the combinations (say the model, the colour, the type of leather, hardware colour), then it is much easier for them to find you a bag and stricter you are with the combination of all the variables in the bag, it might even take years.

When the bag of your wishlist comes to the boutique, it is by appointment only and also remember is a waiting list as there might be other people who wished for the same bag before you.

The Appointment

Once they contact you saying that your bag is available, you can visit the boutique and see the bag in person. You cal also see a couple of other bags (they show up to 3-4 bags in one appointment) in person and then decide whether you want to buy. Many people think you must buy at your appointment, but no, you can simply choose not to buy if you think that is somehow not the bag you want to buy.

Once you pay for the bag, you are registered with them and your purchase is now on the file.

Pros

It is a brand new bag that comes straight from the boutique, so absolutely no questioning about the authenticity or the quality
Price is always better than in the pre-loved market
You develop a relationship with the brand (and perhaps with the SA as well) which is an advantage if you are thinking of becoming a long term customer
You get all the original packaging and nuts and bolts that come with the bag