How To Buy An Hermes Quota Bag – The Simple Guide To A Kelly Or Birkin

A Simple Guide – How To Buy An Hermes Quota Kelly or Birkin Bag

There are many guides about how to buy an Hermes Birkin or Kelly bag online, but none of them really compile all the tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years from Hermes customers. I’ve put a full, simple, step by step guide together for buying an Hermes bag so that you can be on your way to securing that appointment! Don’t expect to just walk into an Hermes boutique and buy one right away! Patience is key, and building a relationship with the brand is too.

Buy Other Products From Hermes First

One thing that I always hear when I read other peoples stories about acquiring a luxury Hermes quota bag like a Birkin or a Kelly is that you have to start small. By this, I mean buying various products from Hermes first, so that they know you’re a worthy customer. This means purchase some smaller things like wallets, twillies, scarves, shoes, jewellery etc., even some of the cheaper handbags that they have on the shelves in the boutique that are not by an appointment only.

The more items you buy at Hermes, and the more money they see you have spent on your account, Hermes will see you are a worthy customer. Do not expect to walk into an Hermes boutique as a first time buyer and request an appointment for a quota bag. It simply just does not work this way. The more rapport you can build with the brand, the better.

Who You Know – Get A Good Sales Assistant

The best thing that you can do is build a great rapport with a wonderful sales assistant at Hermes. I have heard many stories about sales assistants and how it’s very much down to them if you get an appointment and what bags they are willing to show you. Some don’t give you the time of day, some say they don’t have an item in stock when they do, and others will be lovely. If you’re friendly and authentic, building a good relationship with one of them, you are more likely to get the quota bag of your dreams. Try to use the same sales assistant for all of your purchases so you’re building a genuine relationship with them and they know how much you’re spending, and what kind of bags you like. The relationship you build here is super important.

Request Your Appointment At Hermes Online

Unfortunately now there is no waiting list anymore at Hermes. Do you remember when people would say they were on a waiting list for a Birkin, Kelly or Constance and the wait time was years? This doesn’t exist anymore. The only way you can secure an appointment with an Hermes boutique for a quota bag is by filling out the online form.

This varies a lot from boutique to boutique, the hardest one being Paris, France. I have heard many stories where tens of thousands of customers apply for an appointment at the Paris boutique, every single day, and you have to wait to be chosen. Hardly anyone gets chosen as they simply cannot accommodate everyone, so this is where being a valued customer already plays a huge part in this. Other boutiques are a lot easier to get an appointment, but you simply cannot get a Birkin or Kelly without one (unless you are royalty or a celebrity they love, and even then, who knows!)

Can You Choose Your Bag?

In a way yes, but in many ways no. Unfortunately you cannot just say you want a gold Mini Kelly and expect to have one brought to you. Often times they rarely get Mini Kelly’s in stock. Hermes boutiques are given a very limited amount of Birkin’s, Kelly’s and Constances daily, and even the staff don’t know what’s coming in. What you get shown on that day is very much down to the stock that has arrived and what the sales assistant is willing to show you, as they have so many other customers to get through in the day. The customers that spend huge amounts at Hermes are likely to be shown the best of the best, while others (without an amazing sales assistant) are likely to be shown the not so sought after bags.

Do Not Refuse A Bag

Now as counterproductive as this may sound, when you do finally manage to get an appointment and you are shown a Birkin, Constance or a Kelly, do not refuse it. Even if you are shown a green Birkin 25 and you specifically wanted a Mini Kelly in Gold, try not to refuse it.

You can of course ask the sales assistant if they have any other options for you, as you really don’t like green, and see what they say. Hopefully there is something else, but if everything you were shown was a colour you weren’t exactly thrilled with, or a size you didn’t exactly want – take it anyway. I say this because I know from other Hermes customers that if you refuse, you may not get another appointment or they may not take you seriously. These bags are coveted by everyone, so nobody refuses them.

The sales assistant will have asked you prior to checking their stock what kind of colours, styles and sizes you are after and they will do their best to fulfill that for you, but it does truly depend on what stock they have.

You Are Only Allowed 2 Quota Bags Per Year

All Hermes customers are allowed 2 quota bags per year. No exceptions. I’m pointing this out because not everyone knows that you can only purchase 2 of these luxury bags and it does impact what you buy on your first appointment. For example, if you managed to secure an appointment with a sales assistant for a luxury bag, and you haven’t been shown anything you wanted, or maybe a couple of pieces that you love and feel like you should buy, but are holding out for something you really want more – just buy the one. Then you can hope for a second appointment in order to secure something better.

Buy Pre-owned & Pre-loved Bags

If the patience game and all of the stress that goes into trying to secure an appointment isn’t what you are cut out for, but you have extra money to spend, buy a pre-owned or pre-loved luxury Hermes bag. I say extra money because the resale value for these quota bags is incredibly high! Don’t expect to pay less than what the retail value is, like most high end designer brands, you can expect to pay, double, triple, quadruple or more, depending on what style you are after.

As an example, an Hermes Mini Kelly retail starts at $8,700 now (it was $8,250 last year in 2022) and you can expect to find this bag online at somewhere like Vestiaire or Farfetch for around $40,000 – $50,000 as it’s so hard to get hold of. Not all Hermes bags have such a high markup on resale websites, but you will definitely be paying more than retail value. The best resale websites to purchase authentic Hermes bags from are:

VESTIAIRE | FARFETCH | LUXURY PROMISE

So this is everything that goes into securing an Hermes Birkin or Kelly and the steps that you need to take in order to achieve this. If any of you have found other ways to get one, please let me know in the comments below! Also, what quota bags did you manage to snatch up with appointments? If Hermes is a little too much work for you, check out my post on the Chloe Woody tote bag guide! One of these might work for you instead and save you a lot of money!