Ladies, we have a confession to make. Please tell us we're not alone and obsessing over the Hermes Birkin or Kelly bag.
There's just something about these beautiful pieces that makes Hermes dominate online searches in a way that makes other luxury Brands look like they're barely even trying.
Sure, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci tend to take centre stage during fashion weeks or when a celebrity is paparazzed wearing something viral. But you know what’s different about Hermes? It never stops trending.
It's almost like Hermes has cracked the code on how to break the algorithm of human desire itself.
But the question is, how?
What makes us all collectively lose hours of our lives researching them like we're studying for the most important exam of our lives? If you’ve never paid attention in Psychology or Economics class before, you'd better start taking notes now.
We're about to spill the beans on why Hermes bags are so popular and why they keep us all searching, scrolling and obsessing.
We can’t have it, and it Only Makes Us Want it More
The desire for what we can't have. It’s human nature.
In economics, this is known as a scarcity principle. Here, the brain assigns a higher value to unavailability. In this case, what’s unavailable is a Birkin or a Kelly. In fact, both.
Remember the case of Adam and Eve? It’s a lot like the forbidden tree. The forbidden tree is the bag. You get it.
What you can’t have drives you crazy for the chance to get your hands on it.
When it comes to Hermes bags, there is no add to cart button. There's no waiting list that you can officially join. And there's no amount of money in this world that guarantees access. When people can't access something, what do they do? They Google the absolute hell out of it. They research everything there is to know about it, every possible angle that exists, and they study boutiques that might be “easier”.
It's actually genius if you really think about it. Because with every other luxury brand, you can simply walk in with cash and walk out with your purchase. Hermes, on the other hand, makes you actually work for it, and that creates endless search activity.
A Bag That’s More Famous Than Some Celebrities
You know what's crazy? You could stop anyone, anywhere, right this moment and ask them to identify a Birkin bag, and they'd be able to. Ask them who half the Real Housewives cast is, and they'll have no clue (don’t ask them about Stranger Things because then this example will be rendered useless.)
Now, if you ask us, that's saying something.
Perkins and Kelly's are regularly mentioned in rap lyrics featured in museum exhibits and even referenced in conversations about everything from feminism to financial Independence.
What this means is that people search for Birkins and Kellys even when they have absolutely zero intention of buying one. It’s like they’re researching out of curiosity, aspiration, or simply to understand what all the fuss is about.
The Birkin bag demand literally includes everyone, ranging from serious buyers to curious bystanders.
The Investment Angle of Hermes Handbags
The thing about Hermes handbags is that they appreciate and value. Much like stocks.
For most other luxury handbags, the second you walk out of the boutique, they are literally worth less than you paid for them. It’s like buying a car, instant depreciation. But then there are certain Hermes pieces, such as Birkin in classic colours and exotic leathers, that have historically increased in value; some have even sold at auctions for multiples of their original price.
Suddenly, the conversation goes from “is this cute?” to “is this a smart financial decision I'm making?” and “is this something that has resale potential?” When buying a Hermes handbag, you're not just shopping now; you're actually doing your due diligence on a luxury bag investment.
Why Authenticating Hermes Bags Feels Like Somersaults
When you’re buying a pre-owned Hermes, you probably have that itch at the back of your head wondering whether or not you’re investing in the real deal.
The unfortunate reality of the world we’re living in today is that every luxury brand has to deal with fakes at one point or another. But Hermes is in an entirely different league.
When it comes to authenticating Hermes bags, you need to understand how date stamps have evolved. They started from circles, went to squares and then eventually settled on no shapes at all across entirely different decades. Then there are craftsman codes or blind stamps that help the buyer identify the individual artisan who manufactured the bag.
Compare that to authenticating a Chanel purse, for example, and all you need to be concerned with is the quality of the make, the stitching and the date codes. Not that these aren’t important considerations, but Hermes authentication is like studying for a test that’s completely out of the syllabus.
That’s also what adds to the massive search volume. Potential buyers are possibly making the biggest luxury bag investment of their lives, and they want to make sure they get it right.
The Decision Paralysis is REAL!
Choosing a Hermes bag is nothing like choosing other luxury bags.
Take the Chanel Classic Flap bag, for example. It’s a stunning piece. You pick your size, colour, and hardware, and you’re done!
You want a Birkin, darling?
Well, you'd better buckle up because you’re choosing from:
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Dozens of leathers. Togo, Clemence, Box, Swift, Epsom, Chevere, and that’s all before we even brush exotic leathers!
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Multiple different sizes to match every woman and her lifestyle.
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Construction methods. Are you more of a Sellier girl or a Reotrune one? Yes, what you choose means you get entirely different bags.
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Hardware options. To go with gold, palladium, brushed, shiny or something else?
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Special orders, limited editions, discontinued purses, you know the jazz.
Do you realise how every single one of the choices impacts how your bag looks, works and holds value?
Making an informed decision means hours worth of research on all these variables and then FINALLY coming to a conclusion weeks later after thousands of Google searches and Reddit dives.
The Global Obsession Never Takes a Break, and Neither Do We
You know what’s funny about Hermes? It’s popular everywhere.
Catch a flight to any city in the world, and you’ll see that everyone’s got Hermes rolling off their tongues like it's all they’ve ever known. But we can’t say we blame them. The exceptional craftsmanship, the exclusivity, the timeless appeal, it’s global luxury in its most authentic form.
That sort of consistency means a consistent demand. In Hermes’ dictionary, seasonal dips and regional fluctuations simply don’t exist.
Other luxury brands, however, tend to be popular only in certain countries or cities. That’s definitely not the case with Hermes.
How Does Hermes Compare to Other Luxury Houses?
No shade to Chanel, LV, Dior or Gucci because we love them. But when you look at Hermès vs other luxury brands, their search patterns look totally different.
Most of the luxury brands get massive spikes around and during fashion weeks, when directors release hit collections, when celebrities are caught flaunting them or when a bag becomes super in. Look at the search history, and that looks a lot like a rollercoaster ride.
Hermes, on the other hand, has a consistent, flat line at the top. It’s not depending on Paris Fashion Week or the Met Gala carpet to stay trendy. It is the trend.
What Does all this Searching Even Mean?
Hermes is sitting in every browser history, not because of clever marketing tricks or influencer PRs. It’s sitting there because these bags represent scarcity.
You simply can’t swoop your way to a Birkin or a Kelly. You can’t mass-produce these bags like tights sold at Zara. And you most definitely can’t fake decades' worth of heritage.
People obsessed with Hermes pieces aren’t obsessed because they saw it everywhere on their TikTok feed or because it’s what everyone’s buying now. They’re obsessed because they could finally get their hands on something actually worth the hype.
We get it. You get it.
Keep doing your research, Queen!
