Hermès · Tier 1

Birkin

Name: Hermès Birkin 35
Brand: Hermès

By Arielle · Catalogued July 2026

Designed in 1984 after Hermès then-CEO Jean-Louis Dumas sketched a spacious rectangular holdall for actress and singer Jane Birkin during a commercial flight (commonly cited as 1983/1984; exact year has some variance across sources, with Hermès and most retrospectives settling on 1984). Rectangular, structured silhouette with double rolled top handles, a single wide flap, and a signature front swing lock and clochette (key fob). Sourced as one of the most recognized status symbols in luxury fashion, with multi-year waitlists historically required at retail.

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Size

25 30 323540

Material

TogoEpsom Clemence Chevre Mysore Ostrich Niloticus Crocodile Porosus Crocodile Swift Alligator Barenia Fjord Box Calf

Made in

What the house has produced this bag in, from our sourced records.

Material

TogodefaultClemenceEpsomSwiftBox CalfBareniaseasonalChevre MysoreOstrichNiloticus CrocodilePorosus CrocodileAlligator

Construction

Retournedefault

The Hermès Birkin 35 is a Togo Leather structured bag.

What it's worth

DiscontinuedAll 35 colours and leathers · 208 recorded prices

Best listed right now: $8,500 on The RealReal, well below the typical price (median $14,950).

Prices have been trending up over the tracked window.

Discontinued: no longer in production, so resale is the only way to buy it.

By condition · compared like-for-like

excellent

25 prices

very good

82 prices

$10,995$22,000

By production era · decade

2000s

9 prices

2010s

21 prices

2020s

2 prices

$8,500$26,000

Resale by production era: 32 listings, estimated from recorded prices.

Estimated from recorded resale prices (101 with condition unrecorded) · not an appraisal. As of 2026-07-12.

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Bag DNA

What this bag is made of. Tap any part to explore the rest of the catalog.

HBrandHermès1 LeatherTogo Leather Shapestructured

The Story

It began as a doodle on an airplane sick bag, and became the most expensive handbag ever sold.

Origin

A doodle on an airplane sick bag

In 1981 Jane Birkin was seated next to Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas on an Air France flight and spilled her bag across the floor. He told her she should carry one with pockets. She sketched the roomy bag she actually wanted on an airplane sickness bag, and he agreed to make it if he could name it after her.

SourcesSotheby's WWD

Design

Designed to be used, not worshipped

The brief was practical: a bag big enough to hold a young mother's whole day. Jane treated her own that way too, covering it in stickers and charms and carrying it until it wore out. The polished status object came later; the design started as a tool.

Guides for this bag

Articles on the Birkin and Hermès from our verified experts.

Photos

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Specifications

Size35

Size categorylarge

Exterior materialTogo Leather

Silhouettestructured

Closureturn-lock with strap (top flap closes with two leather straps that loop through a turn-lock clasp, secured by a separate swing lock/padlock)

StatusDiscontinued

Marketresale

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About Togo Leather

Typeleather

Resale price history

+12%

$13,000 → $14,500 across 208 recorded sales

2026-06 – 2026-07

Estimated from recorded resale prices · not an appraisal or investment forecast. Values can go down as well as up.

Research depth

We haven’t researched the authentication details for this variant yet. The brand-level markers still apply: check the Hermès guide →

Where to buy

Pre-filled searches on the major resale platforms. Listings and prices are set by each reseller. What protects you at each venue

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Search on Fashionphile✓ Authenticates every item · 15-day returns on eligible items Search on The RealReal✓ Authenticates every item · Handbags are final sale Search on Vestiaire CollectiveAuthentication available · Limited: final sale unless not as described

Where to sell

Selling is a trade: top dollar takes patience, fast cash costs you margin, keeping it all costs you the safety net.

See what you'd keep at each venueThe Hermès Birkin run through every venue's real published fees, ranked by what lands in your pocket.

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Sell fast for cash

An instant buyout quote. Less than top dollar, but paid on receipt.

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Birkin

Choose your Birkin

Made in

What it's worth

Make it yours, or move it on

Bag DNA

The Story

A doodle on an airplane sick bag

Designed to be used, not worshipped

Guides for this bag

Hermès authentication: The markers worth checking

Hermès color codes, decoded: What Noir 89 and Étoupe 18 mean

Birkin vs Kelly: which Hermès bag should you get?

Photos

Specifications

About Togo Leather

Resale price history

Research depth

Where to buy

Where to sell

Suggest an edit

Is this information accurate?

A world record at auction

What the market says today

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How it carries

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Reviews

For sale right now

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