This matte white Himalaya Niloticus crocodile diamond Birkin handbag was sold at auction Wednesday in Hong Kong. How much?
$379,261
Christie’s may have said that they were looking to buy hermes birkin bags, and this one which boasts 18 karat white gold and diamond hardware, was purchased by an unidentified buyer after 15 minutes of “intense” bidding.
It’s not the first Birkin 30 to get mega-bucks. Christie’s auctioned a similar bag in Hong Kong last year for $300,000 –a record at the time. The bags look identical, but they have subtle differences: The bag sold Wednesday supposedly is encrusted with higher grade diamonds and features more gold.
Hermes doesn’t say how many Diamond Himalaya bags it produces, but Christie’s estimates that only one or two are made each year. Even if you’ve got the cash, buying one isn’t easy. There is a six-year waiting list to buy a new one.
The first Birkin bag was inspired by Brit Jane Birkin, nearly 30 years ago. In 2015, she asked Hermes to remove her name from the bags, saying she was troubled by the “cruel practices” used to kill the crocodiles for the bags. She later said she was satisfied by Hermes commitment to the ethical treatment of animals. (Bet they paid her some big bucks. Ka-ching!)
I’m not satisfied that they treat these animals ethically. They still kill them. This is just as tacky and as cruel. One stupid animal carrying a bag made from another less fortunate one, if you ask me. You could have art, or even an entire house for that price…
Hey, who are you calling a bag?
OR you could have gotten this Ed Ruscha painting for $336,500 at Sotheby’s
Or for $20K more, you could buy this Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home in Detroit for $399,900.
Or you could have a dead animal purse.
(Photo, Christies; via CNN)
