Why is Hermès so special?

Hermès is so special for a few reasons. The French luxury house is one of the most storied fashion labels in the world and has a rich heritage that dates back to 1837.Hermès began in Paris as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen. The house later extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and jewelry to pillows and handbags .Hermès artisans spend years honing their craft as apprentices before they produce Hermès pieces in premium materials. For example, the Kelly bag , which was named in tribute to one of its biggest fans, Grace Kelly, takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce , and its 680 hand stitches are made by one Hermès artisan. Each Birkin tote is also hand-sewn according to Hermès’s centuries-old saddle-stitching technique, and its exotic leathers , a variety that includes ostrich and crocodile , are subsequently painted and polished by house craftsmen in France.On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Hermès handbags and accessories.

Birkin 25

Birkin Palladium Hardware

Hermes Birkin

Recent Sales

Hermès Birkin 25 Rouge Vif Veau Jonathan GHW

Unavailable

H 20 in W 25 in D 13 in

Hermès Birkin 25 Rouge Vif Veau Jonathan GHW

By Hermès

Located in Antwerp, BE

Hermès Birkin 25 Rouge Vif Veau Jonathan Gold Hardware This stunning Hermès Birkin 25 handbag is crafted of buttery soft Veau Jonathan leather in Rouge Vif red.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

Hermès Birkin 25 n New Vert Fonce

Unavailable

Hermès Birkin 25 n New Vert Fonce

By Hermès

Located in New York, NY

Hermès Birkin 25 in New Vert Fonce (2024 color) Togo leather, a classic piece in a rich, deep green color.

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Sac Birkin 25 Rouge Piment , 2020

Unavailable

Sac Birkin 25 Rouge Piment , 2020

Located in Milan, IT

Sac birkin 25 size Rouge Piment, veau swift hdw gold, brand new never used Handbag in the same condition as the new, dust-bag clochette lock turn invoice and box.

Category

2010s Tote Bags

Hermes Birkin 25 Gris Perle Swift Palladium Hardware

Unavailable

Size: 25 cm

Hermes Birkin 25 Gris Perle Swift Palladium Hardware

By Hermès

Located in Paris, FR

The new Hermès Birkin 25 cm Grey bag is a real masterpiece of the fashion industry.

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Hermès Birkin 25 Rose Sakura Swift PHW

Unavailable

Hermès Birkin 25 Rose Sakura Swift PHW

By Hermès

Located in Antwerp, BE

This Hermès Birkin 25 in Swift leather is a highly sought-after collector's item known for its exquisite craftsmanship and classic design.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

Hermes Birkin 25 Personal SPO Handbag Epson Black Rose

Unavailable

Unavailable

Unavailable

Unavailable

Size: 25 cm

Hermes Birkin 25 cm Glycine Togo Leather With Silver HDW

By Hermès

Located in New York, NY

Glycine is a shade of light lylac and at the same time it's very neutral and natural! Very feminine and amazing for going out during the day and especially evening for a dinner! Comp...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Top Handle Bags

Birkin 25 in Bleu Encre Porosus Crocodile Leather with Gold Hardware

Unavailable

H 7.88 in W 9.85 in D 5.12 in

Birkin 25 in Bleu Encre Porosus Crocodile Leather with Gold Hardware

By Hermès

Located in Kuwait City, KW

Material: 100% Porosus Crocodile leather Golden-tone hardware and logo print Dual top handle Front flap Signature closure strap with central toggle closure Lock with two keys Logo-en...

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Brand New Hermes Birkin 25 Epsom Blue Indigo/Rouge H Contour GHW

Unavailable

Brand New Hermes Birkin 25 Epsom Blue Indigo/Rouge H Contour GHW

By Hermès

Located in London, GB

Hermes Birkin Size 30 Epsom Leather Color Blue Indigo/Rouge H Contour (Limited Edition) Palladium (Silver) Hardware store fresh, comes with receipt and full set (dust bag, bo...

Category

2010s French Top Handle Bags

Birkin 25 Top Handle Bag in Bleu Zanzibar Togo with Gold Hardware

Unavailable

$31,490

2026 Hermès Gold Togo Birkin 30 GHW

By Hermès

Located in New York, NY

• Brand: Hermès • Model: Birkin 30 • Size: 30cm • Color: Gold • Leather: Togo • Hardware: Gold Hardware • Year: 2026 • Accessories: Dust Bag, Clochette, Keys, Lock, Receipt (Redacted...

Category

2010s French Structured Shoulder Bags

$15,078Sale Price|20% Off

Hermès 2013 Contemporary 35 Birkin Lime Leather Top Handle Bag Unisex

By Hermès

Located in Capri, IT

2013 Hermès 35 Birkin Lime handle bag lime leather colour from 2013 collection embellished with silver tone hardware

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Top Handle Bags

L 47 in

Luxurious Plush Triple Band Mink Shrug c 1960

Located in University City, MO

Luxurious plush triple band mink shrug c 1960 The chic mahogany ranch mink shrug is designed with three rows of soft mink on both ends. The center section is designed with two pa...

Category

1960s Unknown Stoles

Hermes HAC 50 Cosmos Ombre Togo Palladium Limited Edition Travel Bag

$78,645

Size: 50 cm

Hermes HAC 50 Cosmos Ombre Togo Palladium Limited Edition Travel Bag

By Hermès

Located in Miami, FL

Mightychic offers the Hermes HAC 50 Cosmos - an extraordinary limited edition travel bag distinguished by its hand applied spray ombre in celestial shades of Blue Nuit, Violet, and A...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Duffel Bags and Carry-On Bags

Moschino Couture Cut out Color Block Dress

$1,200

Size: 8

Moschino Couture Cut out Color Block Dress

By Moschino Couture

Located in Water Mill, NY

A fabulous dress from Moschino Couture in black with off white trim. It is sleeveless with a V neckline, a waist cut out below it and a low cut back, all trimmed in off white. The d...

Category

1990s Italian Day Dresses

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Birkin 25 For Sale on 1stDibs

You are likely to find exactly the vintage or contemporary birkin 25 you’re looking for on 1stDibs, as there is a broad range for sale. If you’re looking for an option in Black and you’re unable to find the right fit, there are plenty of variations in Blue, Brown and more. Making the right choice when shopping for a birkin 25 may mean looking at versions that date from different eras — you can find early iterations from the 20th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century, both of which have proven very popular over the years. There aren’t many items for men if you’re seeking these accessories, as most of the options available are for women and unisex.

How Much is a Birkin 25?

On average, a birkin 25 on 1stDibs sells for $21,950, while they’re typically $7,555 on the low end and $299,925 for the highest priced versions of this item.

Hermès for sale on 1stDibs

For Hermès, what began as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen would eventually grow into one of the most storied fashion labels in the world. In 1837, German-born French entrepreneur Thierry Hermès opened a saddle and harness purveyor in Paris. Gradually, the house extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and modernist jewelry to pillows and handbags.

The first top-handled bag ever produced by Hermès was the Haut à courroies, which made its debut in 1892. A tall bag secured with a folded leather flap (fastened with bridle-inspired straps), it was designed to transport riding boots and a harness.

As the world made the switch from horse to automobile, the bag adapted, becoming a multifunctional travel satchel instead of a designated saddlebag. Today, 120 years later, the HAC remains in Hermès’s line — and its distinctive flap and clasping straps have laid the groundwork for some of the house’s other iconic bags.

In the 1930s, Robert Dumas (son-in-law to Émile-Maurice Hermès, Thierry’s grandson) designed a smaller, trapezoidal take on the flap bag with a handle and two side straps. Later, actress Grace Kelly, then engaged to Prince Rainier of Monaco, is said to have used one of these bags to conceal her pregnancy during the 1950s. Because she was photographed constantly, the coverage catapulted her handbag to international popularity.

In 1977, Hermès officially renamed the model for her, and the Kelly bag was born. Each Kelly bag takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches owe solely to one Hermès artisan.

Robert Dumas was also responsible for another one of the brand’s most iconic offerings: the launch of its first silk scarf on the occasion of Hermès’s 100th anniversary in 1937. Based on a woodblock designed by Dumas and printed on Chinese silk, the accessory was an immediate hit.

Today, vintage Hermès scarves, typically adorned in rich colors and elaborate patterns, serve many functions, just as they did back then. Well-heeled women wear it on their heads, around their necks and, in a genius piece of cross-promotion, tied to the straps of their Hermès bags. Kelly even once used one as a sling for her broken arm.

In 1981, Robert Dumas’s son Jean-Louis Dumas, then Hermès chairman, found himself sitting next to French actress and musician Jane Birkin on a plane, where she was complaining about finding a suitable carryall for the necessary accoutrements of motherhood. After the two travelers were properly introduced, Birkin helped design Jean-Louis’s most famous contribution to the Hermès canon: the Birkin bag, a roomy, square catchall with the HAC’s trademark leather flap top and the addition of a lock and key.

Owing to the brand’s legendary commitment to deft, handcrafted construction, the Birkin is an investment that is coveted by collectors everywhere.

While the Kelly and Birkin may be standouts, gracing the arms of everyone from royal heiresses to hip-hop stars in the past few decades, the handbags are but a small part of Hermès’s fashion offerings.

Since the 1920s, the brand has produced some of the most desirable leather goods in the world. There’s the Constance bag, a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, the recently relaunched 1970s-era Evelyne and, on the vintage market, a slew of designs dating back to the 1920s.

Good design never goes out of style. Find a variety of vintage Hermès handbags, day dresses, shoes and more on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Top-handle-bags for You

Usually characterized by simplicity and sporting a classic and beloved silhouette, vintage and designer top-handle bags can easily find a place among your wardrobe staples. From the Haut à courroies — Hermès’s original top-handle bag, created in 1892 — to the smaller and timeless Sac à dépêches that inspired both iconic accessories the Kelly bag in the 1950s and the Birkin in the 1980s, the discerning shopper has had no shortage of options to choose from.

Small and mini designer top-handle bags, including vintage top-handle box bags and micro clutches, offer an alternate dynamic and usually feature sleek lines and modest features to perfectly complement your evening look. Styling with jeans and a comfortable sweater works, too — a classic top-handle bag or other type of handbag designed by the likes of Prada, Celine or other widely loved fashion label is an ideal accessory to pair with casual attire. For a personal touch or pop of color, add a key chain, a patterned scarf or a handbag chain.

On 1stDibs, you can find vintage top-handle bags from Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and more. The numerous styles of this cherished accessory that we have available also include the Louis Vuitton Monogram Vernis Alma GM handbag, Fendi Baguette purses and modern leather Longchamp handbags.

Questions About Hermès

Why is Hermès so special?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 25, 2024
Hermès is so special for a few reasons. The French luxury house is one of the most storied fashion labels in the world and has a rich heritage that dates back to 1837.

Hermès began in Paris as a maker of leather equestrian goods for European noblemen. The house later extended into accessories and luggage for its riders, and today, in paying homage to its origins, the family-run luxury brand resurfaces horse motifs in everything from clothing and jewelry to pillows and handbags.

Hermès artisans spend years honing their craft as apprentices before they produce Hermès pieces in premium materials. For example, the Kelly bag, which was named in tribute to one of its biggest fans, Grace Kelly, takes between 18 and 25 hours to produce, and its 680 hand stitches are made by one Hermès artisan. Each Birkin tote is also hand-sewn according to Hermès’s centuries-old saddle-stitching technique, and its exotic leathers, a variety that includes ostrich and crocodile, are subsequently painted and polished by house craftsmen in France.

On 1stDibs, explore a selection of vintage Hermès handbags and accessories.

Beyond the Birkin: 10 Hermès Bags with ‘If You Know, You Know’ Appeal

What these styles lack in name recognition they more than make up for in cachet.

Dress Like Your Favorite NFL Player with an Hermès HAC Bag

Before the Birkin there was the Haut à Courroies, which has become the chic carryall of choice for the league's most stylish athletes.

This Hermès Picnic Garden Party Bag Is Elegant and Errand-Friendly

Does wicker get more high-end than this?

The Hermès Passe-Guide Bag Might Not Be as Well Known as the Birkin or Kelly, But It’s Every Bit as Chic

Find out why this under-the-radar piece is so exceptional.

How to Spot a Fake Hermès Birkin Bag

The iconic Birkin bag is much coveted — and often copied. Find out how to tell the real deal from a convincing fake. Of course, you don't have to worry about this on 1stDibs, where every seller is highly vetted.