Episode 672: Bagging the Birkin

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Note: This episode originally aired in 2015.

Planet Money #672: Bagging the Birkin Bagging the Birkin Listen · 17:22 17:22

There are people with Birkin bags, and then there are the rest of us. This purse, made by the French luxury brand Hermès, averages $60,000. It's a little boxy. It comes in just about every color. Each bag is handmade, and Hermès staff apprentice for years before they can produce a Birkin.

The Birkin has been the "it" bag for decades, but Birkin owners have more than just a nice purse. They also have a story, of how they came to own one of the most elusive bags on the market. If you want to buy a Birkin, you can't just go to a store. You have to go through a bunch of elaborate rituals. And even then, it can take months, or years, to actually see a Birkin in person.

Today on the show, we head to the Upper East Side on a quest for a Birkin bag. We find ourselves in a world where the normal rules of commerce are totally upside down.

Music: "Trendy Shopping" and "Make Me Better." Find us: Twitter/ Facebook.

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