The material and its characteristics
Hermès sources the highest-quality leathers from around the world. In some cases, exotic leathers such as ostrich or crocodile are also used. The latter sometimes needs to dry for years before it can be worked or even worked for the first time. Thanks to the premium leather, every Hermès-Bag has a substantial weight and a wonderful leather scent. The interior of a Birkin, Kelly, Evelyne or Constance is always made of leather. Only a few Hermès models have interiors made of fabric. A Kelly, Birkin, Constance, Solidarity, Evelyne, etc. is always made of leather, never of textile fabric. However, there are also bags (e.g. Victoria) whose lining is made of fabric.

The stitching
At Hermès, it is important that the stitching is absolutely symmetrical and sewn to a very high standard. The stitch length/thread height is always consistent. Counterfeits have unattractive and poorly made stitching. Only one colour is used for all the stitching on a Bag. The thread itself is always sewn at a slight angle and never runs perfectly straight!

Shapes and different sizes
A Birkin or Kelly-Bag retains its rigid shape even when the Bag is set down. Other models, such as an Evelyne Bag, do not stand upright at all, but collapse.
The dimensions of the Birkin Bag:
25 (25cm x 20cm x 13cm)
30 (30cm x 22cm x 16cm)
35 (35cm x 25cm x 18cm)
40 (40 cm x 30 cm x 21 cm)
The dimensions of the Kelly Bag:
15 (15cm x 11cm x 5cm)
20 (20cm x 16cm x 10cm)
25 (25 cm x 19 cm x 9 cm)
28 (28 cm x 22 cm x 10 cm)
32 (32 cm x 23 cm x 10,5 cm)
35 (35cm x 24cm x 12cm)
40 (40cm x 28cm x 16cm)
50 (50cm x 34cm x 25cm)

Hot stamping
On a Hermès Birkin/Kelly Bag, the brand logo ("Hermès Paris Made in France") is always on the front and a stamp on the back of the flap. The stamps are always embossed and indicate when the Bag was made and which material was used. The Hermès logo on an original handbag is always positioned directly beneath the stitching. The hot stamping on the back of the flap gives many clues as to authenticity. It consists of a letter from A to Z and a circle, a square or no additional shape. You will also find an identification number and - if applicable - an indication of exotic leather (e.g. "-" for lizard).
Letter without shape = Bag, made between 1945 (A) and 1970 (Z)
Letter in a circle = Bag, made between 1971 (A) and 1996 (Z)
Letter in a square = production between 1997 (A) and the current year - 2014 ®️
From 2015 = letter without shape
2015 = T
2016 = X
2017 = A
2018 = C
2019 = D
2020 = Y

Hermès bags are still like the Holy Grail or the Rolls-Royce of the handbag world. They are crafted to an exceptionally high standard, and particularly rare examples regularly fetch around CHF 250,000 at auction.

The best-known Hermès models are the Birkin and Kelly Bag.

This question comes up often — and the short answer is yes, but with limitations.

The so-called waiting list applies exclusively to the Birkin and Kelly models. Based on our experience at Secondhandbags AG, we know customers who had to wait a long time for their preferred combination of model, colour and leather. At the same time, there are also cases in which a new Hermès-Bag was available in store within just a few days.

Availability depends heavily on factors such as boutique, purchase history, demand and current production. There is therefore no classic publicly managed waiting list in the true sense; rather, allocation is handled individually by the boutique.

No, Kelly or Birkin bags are available in almost all colours and leather types.

Yes, an Evelyne Bag is offered in the sizes TMP (16 cm), PM (29 cm), GM (33 cm) and TGM (40 cm).