Back in 1981, Jane Birkin was flying from London to Paris when she reached into her bag for her datebook and everything fell out. “I’d love a bag with pockets,” the English singer told her seatmate. The person next to her just happened to be the chairman of Hermès, who was a good listener. He had his designers make a bag with pockets. He sent one to Birkin and he named it after her.
This is how the story began.
You know, everything at Hermès is expensive: scarfs from $725, leather shoulder bags from $6,500 and the datebook Jane Birkin used costs now $1,025.
The Birkin bag, however, was in a different league. Not only was it expensive, but you also couldn’t get one. Each bag required 48 hours of craftsmanship and received the status of a “work of art”.
Demand soon outstripped supply, thanks to genius marketing strategy. The luxury item became so special, that it doesn’t need a logo. It also became scarce. So very very scarce that at one point, Hermès announced there was a two-year waiting list, which only made the Birkin more desirable.
“Deny the rich what they want, and they’ll pay anything to get it!”
Survival is not easy!
It was only a matter of time and technology before the writer Michael Tonello came along. His book “Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World’s Most Coveted Handbag
The book is the equivalent of all those mountain climbing, desert marching, storm sailing adventure books out there, but in this case the sport is shopping. Mr. Tonello’s business involved luxurious travel to major European destinations to purchase Birkins from Hermes shops and then re-selling them on E-Bay from his envy-inspiring apartment in Barcelona. His trials and triumphs are amusing and the hotels and dining he describes could serve as a travel guide. The story works because the author never takes himself to seriously or fails to realize what a charmed life he’s leading. Mr. Tonello has an amazing positive attitude self described as “Always half-full, that glass, always.”
Now, there is no more waiting list fir Birkin bags. Now that anybody can buy a Birkin and anyone can sell one. Like Amazon, which sells the Hermès 30cm Togo Tri Color (Pink, Bougainvillea & Purple) Birkin Palladium for $6,500 
Hermès also it offers Birkins online, and even sometimes with discount.
“Special”, however, remains special for some people, some time…
