Prices for most luxury bags surged during or after COVID-19, but Hermès was an exception, as 2020 was the only year without a price increase. However, how did the pricing for Hermès's most popular item, the iconic Hermès Birkin bag, change? And what are the Hermès pricing trends you should be aware of?

Let's address the elephant in the room head-on. Even if you are a long-time Hermès aficionado who is able to afford a Birkin, acquiring one at a boutique presents more than a challenge due to the Hermes leather goods buying policy. Moreover, resale prices are not directly correlated with the official retail prices.

Thus, the price history of an Hermes Birkin bag that we'll analyze in this article serves as a reference point for all luxury lovers and Hermes collectors out there. Besides, there is a million-dollar question: as other luxury brands have spiked their prices (consider the Chanel Flap pricing, which, after a series of increases, now matches the price levels of the Birkin), has Hermès increased prices for their signature bags too? And should we anticipate significant Birkin price increases in the future?

How Have Birkin Prices Changed in the Past 6 Years?

photo credit: @dssaaksss

Throughout recent years, Hermès has implemented steeper price increments for its products, a shift from the historical annual increase ranging between 0-4%. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was also significant, undoubtedly causing reductions in Birkin’s production levels and heightened costs. During the peak of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, unlike most luxury bag brands, Hermès restrained its price increases for the Birkin bags. Starting in 2022, there was a noticeable recalibration in European pricing that aimed to balance the scales somewhat, although it didn’t completely remove the incentives for non-European tourists purchasing the luxury items.

Our bag enthusiast team has carried a comprehensive research to compile an overview of the pricing for Hermès Birkin 25 and 30 models in Togo leather, covering their market value evolution over the last five years across both the United States and European markets.

These tables provide a clear overview of the price changes and the yearly percentage increase for both the Birkin 25 Togo and Birkin 30 Togo over the years from 2019 to 2024.

Birkin Pricing Trend in the US

Here are two tables representing the price trends of the Birkin 25 bag in Togo leather and Birkin 30 bag in Togo leather, along with their yearly percentage increases.

Birkin 25 Price Trend in USD

When observed over a span of five years, there’s a discernible disparity in the percentage increase of Birkin prices between the EU and the U.S. Initially, in 2019, the price of a Birkin 25 in the U.S. was $9,850, which escalated to $11,400 today – marking a 15.7% rise over this period.

Almost all of this price growth is attributable to a single Hermès price increase in 2024. However, the table indicates that Hermès hasn't significantly adjusted their prices for inflation recently. This suggests one thing: the next price increase is likely to be substantial.

Birkin 30 Togo Pricing Trend (USD)

Here are two tables highlighting the USD and EUR prices separately, along with their respective yearly percentage increases.

The price trajectory for the Birkin 30 mirrored the pattern of the Birkin 25 price increase, with a 14.6% increase over the same timeframe.

Out of the triad of luxury bag brands, Hermes has secured its position as the brand with the smallest price increases, at least in the US. Not only did they avoid price increases for their goods throughout the pandemic, but as soon as COVID was gone, they didn't rush to reap the profits. Their US price increases from 2022 to 2024 didn't exceed 8%, which is modest and reasonable.

During this period, the B30 price increased by 

Birkin Pricing Trend in Europe

Alright, so the price increases in the US have been moderate so far. What about the European price increases? We have all heard that French luxury bag brands are cheaper in Europe. Does this still hold water?

Birkin 25 Price Trend in EUR

In Europe, however, Birkin pricing increased much more sharply over the six year time period. Two steep increases in 2022 and in 2023 contributed to this spike a lot.

In 2022, Hermès implemented significant price adjustments within the European market for their esteemed Birkin bags, with a particularly notable difference in comparison to the US adjustments. The B25 model, a highly coveted size among fashion enthusiasts, experienced an 8.8% increase in Europe, starkly contrasting with a modest 2.5% rise in the US. This trend of substantial price escalations for the B25 in Europe continued into 2023, with an increase of 8.7%, further emphasizing the economic discrepancies between the European and US markets for these luxury items.

Within 6 years, the price of a Birkin 25 in Togo leather has increased from €6,600 to €8,600, which results in a 30% increase.

Birkin 30 Price trend in EU

The Birkin 30 price increased by almost 25% during the same period.

In 2022, European prices for the B30 surged by 5.1%, nearly double the 2.5% increase seen in the US. The subsequent year solidified this pattern, with European hikes reaching 9.2% for the B30, compared to a comparatively slight 2.6% increment in the US. These consecutive years of pronounced price increases for both the B25 and B30 models in Europe as opposed to the US underscore the varying market dynamics and pricing strategies employed by Hermès across different regions.

Are Birkins Still Cheaper in Europe compared to the US?

Even though the price adjustments in the current market are unavoidable, the cost difference between Europe and the US is anticipated to remain. Contrary to Chanel's strategy of global price equalization, Hermès, for the time being, opts to keep prices more favorable in France and Europe, where its main production bases lie.

Let's take a look at the price comparison of the Birkin 30 between the US and Europe.

Purchasing this iconic handbag in the US will set you back at least $12,500, plus there's sales tax, which is on average 5%. That makes the purchase total close to $13,125.

Across the Atlantic, the price tag reads €9,400, assuming you are lucky when challenged with securing a leather appointment and receiving an offer at a boutique—a feat easier said than done.

Realistically, the chance of acquiring a Birkin 30 directly from a boutique may seem slim. However, on the off chance that you do manage to purchase one in Europe, you're looking at a price roughly equivalent to $10,430, based on current exchange rates.

But that's not the whole story. As a non-EU citizen, the potential for a VAT refund adds another layer of savings. While the actual refund varies by country, typically ranging between 10 to 14%, this could effectively lower your final price to around $9,500.

In this hypothetical yet optimistic scenario, opting to purchase the bag in Europe could result in savings of at least $3,625 compared to buying it in the US.

Not bad, right? That could buy you a flight and a nice hotel.

Ultimately, for Americans, buying Birkins in Europe still offers financial benefits. However, the real challenge remains in securing a leather appointment and obtaining an offer for the bag.

Will Hermes Birkin Prices Continue to Rise?

Predicting the future pricing trends of Birkin bags involves a deep dive into multiple factors.

First of all, there's demand, Millions of people around the world still put a Birkin on the pedestal as the ultimate status symbol. Owning a Birkin still has its allure, and there's no indication that it's going to change soon.

Second, there's still inflation rates. In our other article on the three most popular luxury brands, Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, we dived into the price increases for the iconic bags. Turns out, Birkin's price increase is barely noticeable compared to other designer brands. For instance, Chanel has risen its Flap prices by 86% in 5 years!

The cumulative official inflation rate in the US from 2019 to 2024 is 21%. This means that if an item cost $1,000 in 2019, and its price were adjusted for the inflation rate each year, by 2024 it would cost $1,210.

Provided Hermes Birkin 25 price is 15.7% up and Hermes 30 bag price is 15% up, Hermes price increase is lower than the official inflation. Here's what this means: we'll definitely witness another significant price  increase in 2025. Even though according to Hermès, future pricing adjustments will likely be influenced primarily by inflation and production costs, it's obvious that the prices haven't been fully adjusted compared to other brands.

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