The original Birkin bag, owned for and named after the late actor, singer and fashion icon Jane Birkin, sold at auction for 8.58 million euros (A$15.2 million).
The bag sold after just 10 minutes of “heated bidding” and, according to broker Sotheby’s, was the most valuable handbag ever sold at auction.
It set a new record and greatly exceeded the selling price of other Birkin handbags, including the US$450,000 “Diamond Himalaya Birkin” sold by Sotheby's in 2022.
Birkin bags generally sell for between US$20,000 to US$30,000, but the price can rise dramatically on the secondary market and can vary depending on colour, material and whether it's a limited-edition design.
The bags also aren’t easy to come by, as they aren’t sold online. Shoppers have to enter a Hermès boutique, where there’s a limited selection, and buyers can be turned away if there’s a waiting list.
Birkin was credited with creating the first Birkin handbag when she was on a plane and sketched out the design on a plane vomit sack. This caught the eye of the former head of fashion company Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas.
