爱马仕铂金包 为什么这么贵？ Why BirkinBags Are So Expensive

日前，为女演员简·铂金定制的史上第一只铂金包在苏富比拍卖会上以7196万人民币成交。从传奇故事到惊人价格，这款手工打造的包包如何成就了全球最贵包袋的王者地位？一探爱马仕包包背后的秘密，感受极致匠心与稀有珍贵。

Hermès Birkin bags are some of the most expensive bags in the world.

爱马仕铂金包是全球身价最高的包包中的佼佼者。

Ranging anywhere from $9,000 to half a million dollars, the bags embody absolute luxury.

从九千美元到五十万美元不等的售价，让它成为奢侈品的代名词。

A Birkin bag?

铂金包？

You've heard of it?

听说过吧？

Of course.

那当然。

That's a very nice purse.

那可是款非常精致的包包。

The exclusive accessory is even considered by some to be a better investment than gold or the stock market.

限量款包包甚至被一些人视为比黄金、股票更保值的投资品。

And the world's most expensive bag is an Hermes Himalaya Birkin bag that sold for $500,000.

爱马仕喜马拉雅铂金包是世界上最贵的包包，它的售价达到了50万美元天价。

So what is it that makes Birkin bags so expensive?

究竟是什么让铂金包如此昂贵？

The story of the bag begins with its namesake, Jane Birkin.

这要从这款包包名字的由来——简·柏金说起。

On a flight from Paris to London, the English actress happened to be seated next to the chief executive of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas.

在一次巴黎飞往伦敦的航班上，这位英国女演员恰好与爱马仕首席执行官让-路易·杜马斯相邻而坐。

Flight attendants, please prepare for takeoff.

乘务员请就位，准备起飞。

Jane was known for carrying a wicker basket wherever she went and used it for everything from groceries to diapers.

简·柏金有个标志性的藤编篮子，从日常采买到婴儿用品，走到哪拎到哪。

When she tried to fit her famous basket in the overhead compartment, the lid came off, spilling the contents everywhere.

就在她把这个知名篮子塞进头顶的行李箱时，篮盖突然弹开了，里面的东西撒得到处都是。

Jane complained to her seatmate that it was impossible to find a weekend bag she liked.

简向邻座吐槽，要找个合适的短途旅行包真的太难了。

Dumas introduced himself as the head of Hermès, and the pair spent the flight sketching possible handbag designs on the back of an airplane sick bag.

杜马斯介绍了自己爱马仕总裁的身份，然后他们二人竟在飞机呕吐袋背面画起了手袋设计草图。

A year later, Dumas presented Jane with a Birkin bag, a spacious yet sophisticated leather design perfect for everyday use.

一年后，杜马斯送了简一款铂金包，这款皮质包既实用又优雅，非常适合日常使用。

The Birkin's pockets made it highly functional, and the bag seals to prevent anything from spilling.

铂金包的口袋设计极其实用，而且包身可封口，能防止物品漏出。

Hermes makes the bags in France, using premium materials like calf skin, alligator skin, and even ostrich skin.

爱马仕的包包均在法国制作，采用小牛皮、鳄鱼皮甚至鸵鸟皮等珍稀材质。

Each bag is made entirely by hand.

每一只包都完全由手工制作。

Although Birkins are one of the most exclusive and sought-after bags today, they actually weren't all that popular when they first launched.

尽管今天的爱马仕包包矜贵难求，但它刚面世时却反响平平。

It wasn't until the 90s that the Birkin became one of the it-bags of the era.

直到20世纪90年代，铂金包才成为时代的爆款。

Now, they're the ultimate status symbol.

如今它已是身份地位的至高象征。

Victoria Beckham reportedly has a collection of over 100 Birkins, estimated to be worth over $2 million.

据报道，维多利亚·贝克汉姆收藏了百余只铂金包，总价值超两百万美元。

And Singaporean socialite and entrepreneur Jamie Chua is considered to have the world's largest Birkin collection, with over 200 bags.

新加坡名流兼企业家蔡欣颖，堪称全球拥有最多铂金包的人，藏品数量超两百个。

But you can't just walk into Hermes and get one.

爱马仕的包并非进店就能买到。

While there used to be a waitlist, nowadays all you can do is hope to be important enough or spend enough to be offered a Birkin bag.

过去，爱马仕铂金包需要排队等候；如今，你能做的只有祈祷自己足够举足轻重，或是砸下足够多的钱，才有可能获售一款。

And if you're offered one, don't expect to be able to choose the color or size.

但即便你获得了购买资格，也别指望能自选颜色尺寸。

Hermes also places limits on how many Birkin bags a client can purchase per year.

爱马仕还限定了每位客户每年的铂金包购买数量。

This dedication to preserving the exclusivity of the bag has certainly paid off, and the disparity in demand and access has created a thriving resale market.

这种执着于维护产品稀缺性的策略成效斐然，巨大的供需落差更催生了繁荣的二手市场。

A 2017 study revealed that the value of Hermès Birkin bags has increased 500% in the last 35 years, an increase of 14% per year.

2017年的一项研究显示，过去35年间铂金包增值了500%，年均涨幅高达14%。

One of the most coveted models comes from Hermès' Himalaya collection, which comes in three sizes.

其中最令人垂涎的当属喜马拉雅系列，共有三种尺寸。

Often referred to as the Holy Grail of handbags, the white Himalaya Birkin bag features 18-carat white gold hardware and more than 200 diamonds.

这款白色喜马拉雅铂金包被誉为“手袋界的圣杯”，配有18K白金配件，镶嵌逾200颗钻石。

The 35-centimeter model in particular is very rare and has sold at record prices year after year.

特别是35厘米款式极为罕见，连年刷新拍卖纪录。

Most recently, in 2019, it sold for over half a million dollars.

最近一次拍卖是在2019年，以超50万美元天价成交。

Professional sports betting consultant David Wancher, also known as Vegas Dave, made the record-breaking purchase.

职业体育博彩顾问大卫·万彻，也就是人们熟知的“拉斯维加斯戴夫”，正是这次破纪录交易的买家。

The reason I bought the Birkin bag is I love breaking records.

我爱打破记录，所以我买了这款铂金包。

I broke all the sports betting records.

体育博彩的各项纪录，我也破了个遍。

I wanted to break the most expensive bag record.

我就是想打破最贵包包的纪录。

I'm all about raising the bar.

我的人生信条就是不断突破极限。

Also, it's about supply and demand.

这其实也是供需关系的体现。

The only other one in the world is by Steve Harvey's wife, so there's only two in the world.

全球仅有两只这款包包，一只在史蒂夫·哈维的太太手里，另一只就在我这。

Not even Kim Kardashian has this.

连金·卡戴珊都没有。

So I actually bought it for content, believe it or not, so I could take videos with it, pictures of it, getting people to talk about me.

说实话我买它就是为了制造话题，信不信由你，我可以拿它拍视频，拍照片，让大家都讨论我。

The record-breaking sale actually took place over social media.

这笔破纪录的交易其实是通过社交媒体完成的。

Sale is pretty easy.

交易过程特别简单。

I post it on social media.

我在社交平台发帖。

I have about a million followers.

我账号有百万粉丝。

I'm looking for a bag.

我发了求购包包的帖子。

This lady hit me up, Privé Porter.

然后一位女士主动联系了我，她是Privé Porter平台（奢侈品行业顶尖的会员制转售平台）的人。

She messaged me, said she'd get me the bag.

她发消息说，能帮我搞到这款包。

I realized it was the most expensive bag.

我这才知道这是史上最贵的包包。

She said it would break the record.

她说这交易将创造新纪录。

And this is for sure the record, $500,000.

50万美元，绝对史无前例。

Absolutely the most expensive bag ever sold.

这的确是迄今为止最昂贵的手袋交易。

We closed this deal in about three to four days.

我们大概三四天就敲定了这笔交易。

Really, really fast.

速度快得惊人。

I actually do use the bag.

我平时真的有在用这款包。

Most people think I'm crazy.

很多人都觉得我疯了。

They put it away like in a safe and they never touch it again.

他们只会把藏品锁进保险箱永不见光。

I've taken that out twice, once to a nightclub in Vegas as a great piece of content.

我已经带着它出了两次门，其中一次在拉斯维加斯夜店，效果炸裂。

It's definitely worth the cost because you could offer me a million dollars cash and I wouldn't sell it.

这钱花得绝对值，就算有人出价百万现金我也不会转手。

My asking price is $2 million.

因为它在我这要卖两百万美元。

If not, I'll just keep the damn thing.

不然，我就自己留着这玩意儿。

It's also made with white or albino crocodile skin, which is extremely rare.

包身采用了极其稀有的白色鳄鱼皮。

The costly skin is painstakingly dyed to emulate the snowy appearance of the Himalayan mountains.

经过极为复杂染色工艺，才能呈现出喜马拉雅雪峰般的雪景质感。

The high retail value and resale value is because these are pieces of artwork.

这些包堪称艺术品，所以它的售价和转售价都极其高昂。

These artisans train years and years to make one of these bags, and they may even train 10 years before even they're allowed to make a Birkin.

工匠需经过长年累月的训练才能制作这些包包，甚至苦练十年才有资格制作铂金包。

Another reason for the bag's high price, of course, is the limited availability.

当然，这款包价格高昂的另一个原因是限量发售。

The total number of Birkin bags Hermes produces each year is a well-guarded secret, but it's estimated that there may be around 200,000 in circulation.

爱马仕每年生产的铂金包总数是个严格保守的秘密，但业界推测现存总量约20万只。

And for the luxury resale market, Birkin bags are a hot commodity.

在二手奢侈品市场，铂金包永远是硬通货。

Online retailer Privé Porta uses Instagram and WhatsApp to sell the bags online.

线上零售平台Privé Porter通过Instagram和WhatsApp进行交易，

And luxury reseller The Real Real has hundreds of Birkins available at any given time, many of which are priced well over the original retail cost.

而奢侈品转售商The Real Real常年库存数百只，多数溢价惊人。

The Birkin bag does retain and sometimes exceeds its value.

铂金包不仅能保值，并且经常会增值。

It really does depend on the leather, the color, the size of the bag, you know, the hardware.

这其实取决于皮质、颜色、尺寸，还有金属配件等因素。

There are so many factors that go into pricing a Birkin that it could really vary.

影响定价因素众多，所以铂金包的价格差异可能会很大。

However, if you do buy a Birkin, let's say in 2004, and maybe the retail at that time was $5,000, you most likely will be able to sell it even if you have worn it so many times for $5,000, $6,000.

假设你在2004年以5000美元购入一只铂金包，即便频繁使用至今，转手价仍能稳守5000到6000美元的区间。

Even as resellers like The Real Real and Privé Porta have made more Birkins available than ever, the prices haven't gone down.

即便The Real Real或者Privé Porta等平台使流通量激增，但铂金包的价格从未有颓势。

If you go to Hermes, you may not always get the exact color, size that you want.

去爱马仕门店，你未必总能买到心仪的颜色和尺寸。

Here, we have almost every single option, and if that means you have to pay a small premium, people and our clients are willing to do so.

而在我们这儿，几乎各种款式都有，就算为此要多花点钱，客户也愿意买单。

Even though that there has been such a saturation of these bags, not one bag is the same.

虽然市面上铂金包的数量增加了，但每只都是孤品。

So let's say I was an Attain Birkin 35 with gold hardware.

如金色金属件配饰，品相接近全新的35厘米铂金包。

We only have one right now, and if it's sold, we may not get another for a while.

现货仅此一只，错过就很难再有了。

So someone's looking for that, and they'd be willing to pay an extra maybe $10,000 to get that bag as soon as possible.

为此有人愿多付上万美元抢先入手。

And all these bags are handmade, artisan craftsmanship.

而且这些包全是手工制作，凝聚着工匠的心血。

It's a piece of artwork.

堪称为艺术品。

Not one is the same, not even one stitch.

就连针脚的走向都是独一无二的。

So if you have an extra $10,000 lying around, it could be worthwhile to invest it in a Birkin.

若闲钱充裕，花上万美元投资铂金包不失为明智之选。

Just make sure that you're not falling for a fake.

只是要注意别买到假货。

From Canal Street in New York City to websites like eBay, the counterfeit market is full of luxury knockoffs, and Birkins are no exception.

从纽约的运河街到eBay这类网站，假货市场充斥着各种奢侈仿品，铂金包也未能幸免。

Back in 2012, Hermes sued several websites for selling fake products and won $100 million in damages.

早在2012年，爱马仕就曾起诉多家售假网站，并获赔1亿美元。

That same year, French police cracked down on an international crime ring that was manufacturing counterfeit Birkin bags.

同年，法国警方捣毁了一个制作假铂金包的跨国团伙。

The crime ring reportedly included actual Hermes employees.

据悉，这个团伙中竟有爱马仕的在职员工。

Only two employees were arrested, but Hermes believed that several other employees could have been involved.

虽然最终只有两名员工被捕，但爱马仕认为可能还有更多人牵涉其中。

And despite all their efforts, fake products continue to flood the market.

尽管品牌方付出了诸多努力，假货仍在不断涌入市场。

The quality of counterfeit bags has also vastly improved over the years, making it difficult to tell whether a bag is real or fake.

这些年来，仿冒包的质量也大幅提升，让人很难分辨包的真伪。

However, there are a few tricks to spotting a fake Birkin.

不过，鉴别铂金包真伪仍有窍门可循。

The handle should never be too long.

包的提手绝对不会太长。

If they look too long, longer than the bag, then it is most likely inauthentic.

要是提手看着过长，甚至超过包身长度，则必然是假货。

The hardware shouldn't be too shiny or protrude out.

金属配件不该过于光亮，也不能有凸起。

And the feet, another big thing, it's one of the best things I always check, is that the feet should never screw off.

还有包脚，这是我每次必查的重点，真包的包脚是拧不下来的。

They are hammered in.

它们是用锤子敲进去的。

The leather itself should feel very supple, very luxurious.

皮质本身摸起来应该柔软顺滑，质感极佳。

And if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

而且要是价格低得离谱，那很可能就是假货。

While many other handbag styles have come and gone, it looks like the Birkin is here to stay.

其他手袋的款式日新月异，而铂金包却成为了永恒。

And the bag has become synonymous with status in a way that many other luxury goods have yet to.

这款包已经成了身份的代名词，这是许多其他奢侈品都未能做到的。

Despite its popularity, the bag features no prominent logos and is only recognizable to people who already know what it is.

尽管它广受欢迎，但包身上并没有醒目的标识，只有懂行的人才能认出来。

In Birkin, Hermes has created something that feels inaccessible and thus highly exclusive.

爱马仕将铂金包营造成为了“可望不可及”的稀有物。

As for whether the Birkin will always be so expensive, only time will tell.

至于它的天价神话能否延续，唯有时间才能给出答案。